Wicked wondering

We get a lot of questions here about how these huge shows tour all over the country and set up in such a short amount of time. Wicked is bringing a lot of new people to TBPAC, and of course they have questions. It's prompted us to blog a few of these things, and it's also prompted me to offer to answer any of your questions here about TBPAC.

We'd like to make this blog a little more two-way, so if you have something you've always wondered about The Center - now is your chance to ask. We will select questions sent to the blog, or to comments@tbpac.org, and answer them here in this space from time to time.

Now I'll go ahead share some of the recent questions we've gotten:

Q. How long do shows like Wicked have to travel and get ready between cities?
A. Usually shows close on Sunday in one city then open on Tuesday in the next city. Travel time is only between those dates. So, a company gets out of town late on a Sunday night and typically drives to the next city to start it all over again. Wicked has an extra day, as they typically move out on a Sunday night and re-open on a Wednesday.

Q. Are stages the same size in every theater?
A. Stages are different sizes from building to building, but a bare minimum area is required for any given show. Advance teams visit ahead of time and check out what's needed before the set arrives, and works up plans for any alterations that need to be made.

Q. Where was Wicked before it came to Tampa?
A. They were in Houston.

Got a question yourself? Fire away!