Schmigadoon!

The brief

A musical comedy with fast-paced choreography and quick scene transitions that demanded precise followspot work. The production team wanted the reliability of software-assisted followspot control without losing the instinct of a human operator — especially for the comedy timing that makes the show work.

The challenge

PRG Ground Control Multi sits in a specific sweet spot: it gives operators software-assisted positioning while keeping them in the loop for intensity, timing, and the subtle adjustments that make followspot work feel musical rather than mechanical. Programming it well means understanding what the operator should control and what the software should handle — and the boundary between those isn't always obvious until you're in tech.

What we did

We programmed the Ground Control Multi system through tech and previews on Broadway — building the cue structure, tuning the operator-assist parameters, and working with the followspot operators to find the right balance between automation and instinct for each moment in the show.

The programming evolved significantly during tech as the director and choreographer refined blocking and timing. The system was flexible enough to absorb those changes without rebuilding the cue stack from scratch.

The result

Clean, musical followspot work that felt operator-driven even where the software was doing the heavy lifting on positioning. The operators reported that the system made their jobs easier without making them feel replaced — which is the whole point of assisted followspot.