Multifunctional wall is more than scenery for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago hired Chicago Scenic to build a large, multifunctional wall that it has incorporated into its repertory. CSSI used photos and drawings from similar European units to create a set that would be durable enough to last through years of touring.

The wall consists of four sections, each with its own door, which can be joined together or used independently. When the sections are linked together the wall can fold in half like a book. It also can be used in a normal vertical position, or folded forward over the base platform to create a horizontal dance floor.

The design of the units provided an opportunity for CSSI to create a variety of tricks; the doors had to open from hidden positions behind the walls. Since dancers climb and stand on the top of the wall in its vertical position, all of that movement between pieces meant that each joint needed to be easily and quietly connected.

This was especially important because it is the dancers themselves who manipulate the set during the 15-minute dance piece for which it was built.

Nutcracker backdrops reunite former college classmates

A small twist of fate brought together two former college classmates when Chicago Scenic was hired to create three large backdrops for a production of “The Nutcracker” by the Owensboro Dance Theater in Kentucky.

Project Manager Ken Zommer said, “Once we got the job, Russ Jones, the show’s designer, was pleased to hear that the scenic artist in charge of his project was Les Woods, a fellow student at Northwestern University.”

After graduation, Jones became an associate professor of theater and scenic design at Indiana’s Purdue University while Woods joined CSSI’s staff of talented scenic artists.

The rustic set of “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is no laughing matter

In a return to its off-Loop theatrical roots, Chicago Scenic built the set for the hit farce “Don’t Dress for Dinner” that is currently in an open run at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre.

Designed by Jim Noone, CSSI built the old farmhouse set which filled the entire main stage. “To make the set look authentically old and rustic, we sandblasted many of the farmhouse’s wooden elements, including huge posts and beams, resulting in the grain popping out like old, weathered wood,” said Project Manager Jean Burch. Chicago Scenic also provided all the flooring and walls for the set. The floors are made of MDF and resemble an authentic old stone floor while the walls were built in combination with the beams and loaded in with more than 50 pieces. Chicago Scenic also researched and purchased authentic high-end antique hardware fixtures to complement the weathered farmhouse.

Steadstyle Chicago, an online clearinghouse of Chicago theater information, wrote in its review, “There’s a large, handsome wood beam converted farmhouse onstage courtesy of designer Jim Noone that sets the standard of professionalism. Everything about the production exudes class...”

Rock concert set seen at Chicago Theatre and on cable’s Fuse TV

Multi-platinum Chicago rock band Fall Out Boy recently held a concert at the Madison Square Garden-owned Chicago Theatre. Madison Square Garden also owns Fuse TV where the concert aired nationally.

Chicago Scenic provided various scenic elements for the stage set—drapes, graphics, deck extension, drum risers—for the Group’s December concert. The concert by the suburban Chicago heroes celebrated the release of their new album, “Folie a Deux.” CSSI’s Ken Zommer served as the project’s production supervisor.