I just completed #58. Amazing isn’t it! What began as a fun way to show I had some photos that the cast might like for self promotion turned into it’s own big thing and never stopped. Sugar is #58!
Creating these posters is no small feat. What I do is no secret because here’s the finished product for all to see. But the timing and the details of it is what’s interesting to me.
Here is how it goes. I shoot the Music Circus Live Dress Rehearsals on a Monday night. Shooting thousand of photos is typical too. There is such amazing action going on I never want to miss a single thing so I’m quite breathless by the end. I also try to be sure to get everyone in the show, which could mean anywhere from 20-35 people or so!
I turn around a nicely selected “edit” of the pictures by 1pm the next day then back home for the next round. Just 24 hours later, on Wednesday, I design and create a poster. For the past nine years now I have created a poster from each show and get them signed by the cast. It’s quite a collection at this point! Maybe I am a bit crazy but I actually try to get every single cast member onto the poster. This has cost me more hours than I want to say in design and selection time because I rarely have a list and just have to go through the photos and figure out who’s there. Often people, especially ensemble, play several different roles and the costume changes, wig changes, role changes, yikes!
Mostly everyone is happy to see what I’ve done but not always. Sometimes they hate the photo I choose, and I hear about it. But no one tells me face to face with the exception of The Feather Duster in Beauty and The Beast who loudly told me she was the ONLY one left off the poster. It was my first show, my first poster and I had no idea what I was doing really. I just thought I was putting together a group of photos for an overall view of the show. Not necessarily true for the cast so Feather Duster taught me something invaluable. Turns out that getting on the poster has become a really big deal so I do my best to accommodate. 
I make mistakes now and then and have to switch stuff out or add stuff in but thats ok! I still love doing them. The hardest part is coming up with a new design each time or at least some new variation. Then it’s coming up with a defining image of a character, then placement and whatever tedious technical design factors that arise. It’s a labor of love indeed, 58 strong and growing!
The first two shows of this Music Circus 2013 season were The Wizard of Oz 
and Showboat. Next week begins The King and I and the season finishes off with Chicago. Stay tuned because I will share those posters as well.
Want to see more? You can see a vast number of them at this link on my Photo Shelter site.
The current ones aren’t there yet but will be soon.
