Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a headstrong man and rock star before his time, lived a short but intense life and thoroughly enjoyed the pleasures of life. Even so, Mozart felt that as an artist he was no more than a lackey serving the nobility. The musical telling his life story had to be at least as big and intense as the composer himself.

Mozart’s story was written by screenwriter Michael Kunze, with Sylvester Levay responsible for the music and arrangements. In collaboration with Vereinigte Bühnen Wien and under the direction of associate director Robert Wann, producer Music Hall brought the Dutch adaptation of the internationally acclaimed musical Mozart! to Belgium.

@Vision was engaged as a Technical Director and Stage Manager.

As a Technical Director, I mapped out the technical elements of the existing show from Vienna, Austria, and then drew up the master plot. I was responsible for every aspect related to rigging, light, sound, set, show deck and automation. I compiled material lists and negotiated contracts with suppliers, subcontractors and crew. I investigated the technical options of incorporating automation in the show deck and looked for suitable suppliers for the revolving stage, 2D fly systems and single-point winches. I was responsible for refurbishing the original set and transporting all the materials to Belgium, 15 trailers in total!

During construction, @Vision was responsible for the general technical management. I supervised all the teams and made sure the sophisticated planning was followed closely, so that the set was ready for dry techs and rehearsals within the tight schedule.

During rehearsals and performances, I took on the role of Stage Manager. I had the last word on the stage, where I was responsible for the day-to-day management of 34 cast members, 13 orchestra members and a team of 28 crew members from different departments. During creation, I was jointly responsible together with the show caller for the smooth running of programming sessions, automation training, dry techs and rehearsals. I worked closely with the director, choreographer and musical director and their assistants. During rehearsals and performances, I monitored the safety of artists and crew and where necessary took decisions to make sure the show ran smoothly at all times.

The grandiose scenery of Mozart! took the audience back to the composer’s world, the 18th century. The design looked enormous and had the impressive dimensions you often see in major opera houses. The set consisted of a large show deck, ceiling panels through which the lighting shone and a combination of a projection screen and a turntable with a diameter of 14 metres.

The projection screen and the video content took the audience from one scene to another. The turntable, the gigantic towers on different levels and the immense, descending bishop’s staff created some impressive scenes during the show. Flying seats, mounted and automated on 2 double-reeved winches on a track, enabled us to add even more dynamism to the storytelling. A highly successful show!

Mozart! was a show brimming with passion, with intensive portrayals by the actors. Every day, we had to carry out all kinds of repairs to the props and scenery. The props masters even had to set up their own workshop!

If you’d like to bring your creative ideas to life too, I’d love to hear your proposals! Please don’t hesitate to contact me.