Bad rock can’t stop ‘Lion King’
Playgoers at “The Lion King” witnessed a rare event during the matinee at the Spokane Opera House last Sunday – a Pride Rock malfunction.
Few realized it. The only thing they knew was that the curtain went down partway through the first act and a voice announced that there would be a pause because of “technical difficulties.”
According to some accounts, that pause lasted about five minutes. According to other accounts, 20 minutes or more.
In any case, technicians backstage were unable to get this large, angular “rock” to move onstage as it was supposed to do, according to Jack Lucas of WestCoast Entertainment.
This huge set-piece is considered a marvel of high-tech stagecraft, with the ability to turn in circles, swivel and collapse in the wings.
Except when it somehow gets off track.
So after the pause the show went on – but without a fully mobile rock.
The performers simply worked around the problem. The show continued on and most audience members probably didn’t even know there was a Pride Rock problem.
In an interview before the show opened in Spokane, technical director David Benken said that technical glitches are exceedingly rare. He said a problem big enough for the audience to notice happens “maybe once a year.”
By the evening performance that same day, Pride Rock was back in business.
Grab your 3-D glasses, kids
KHQ-6 is going 3-D on Monday.
The main event is an episode of the NBC show “Medium,” which will be broadcast in 3-D at 10 p.m.
But local weathercaster George Maupin is also getting into the act. He’ll do his 6:40 p.m. weather report in 3-D as well. According to the people at KHQ, this will be the first 3-D weathercast in the nation.
I’ll bet those high-pressure systems will jump right out at you.
Viewers can pick up 3-D glasses in the Nov. 21 edition of TV Guide.
Biggest band ever!
The Big Easy teased us two weeks ago by announcing a press conference to announce what it called “the biggest band ever to play the Big Easy.”
A breathless city gathered for the announcement. And the band turned out to be: Riders on the Storm.
Who?
Turns out, this is what the Doors semireunion band is called. It features two original Doors, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger. joined by Phil Chen, Ty Dennis and lead singer Ian Astbury (formerly of The Cult; also known as Not Jim Morrison).
They’ll play the Big Easy on Dec. 18. Tickets are available through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).
We will gracefully forgo comment on the relative merits of the Doors without Morrison.
However, let us run a list of the some of the other acts who have played the Big Easy in its two years of existence:
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sevendust
Hootie and the Blowfish
Everclear
George Clinton and P-Funk
The Pixies
The Killers
Blues Traveler
Toots and the Maytals
The Roots
Queensryche
Alter Bridge
Are any of them bigger than Riders on the Storm? You make the call.