1) The Dancer's Life @ 0:32

http://youtu.be/w5piJOje2Xo?t=32s

This part of the scene was filmed from above, giving an overhead view of the actors. The lights in this scene are set up so that they display a pattern onto the ground. Given that the lights are overhead, they also diplay that pattern onto the actors, especially from this angle. Light is probably one of the most used uses of technology in theater, but I thought that this small excerpt from the play was important, because it used the light in a very creative way. Looking at the characters from that angle, it makes it look like they are connected to their surroundings. Especially since they are dancing, it adds to the overall aesthetic of the performance. It is common to see colored lights set the mood in a play, but I have rarely seen something where the lights look almost like a piece of art on their own.

2) Where You Are @ 0:00

http://youtu.be/UwLKmfaCTbw

At this point, a set of bars, almost cage-like, drop down to the ground. This is a very obvious use of technology. This shows how technology can be used to change the scenery of a play in the middle of a scene. You no longer need to close the curtain to put the actors into a different atomosphere; you can do it while they are acting. The bars are also used to create very interesting, geometric shadows on the floor of the stage, further enhancing the change in atmosphere. Later on in the scene, some of the bars are lifted back out of sight, giving less of this backdrop, probably so when more characters came onto the stage, it would be less of a distraction. The scene would definitely have an entirely different feeling if those bars were not there.

3) Cabaret @ 1:30

http://youtu.be/TCkZI3RKT3A?t=1m30s

The character here sings that "the orchestra is beautiful," and suddenly, a platform of several musicians and their instruments rolls onto stage. It is later shown that two men are pushing said platform. Since the platform rolls in fairly quickly and looks pretty heavy (it contains four women, a drumset and a piano, although the piano might be fake, giving it less weight) it seems like those two men wouldn't be able to push it at that speed, without the aid of some sort of technology. It is possible that the platform is motorized and the men are not really pushing it at all, or are merely steering it. I suppose the men could potentially push the platform on their own if they were stong and it had wheels, in which case there would be no electronic technology being used; however, the wheels could be considered a form of non-electronic technology. Anyway, if there was some sort of motor on the platform, then the use of technology would not be blatant. It would be hidden, giving the illusion that the men are quickly pushing the orchestra in. I find this important, since I am sure technology is often used in theater without the audience realising it, to make something happen on stage that would either be very difficult or impossible to do otherwise.

4) West Side Story @ 2:25

http://youtu.be/d_lbeersIS4?t=2m25s

At this point in the musical, the storyline switches from excited dancing to a more serious, intimate moment between two people. As the girl walks on stage and this transition happens, the lights in the background switch from a energizing red to a calm blue. The mere changing of the color of the lights created an entirely different mood for the scene. I find this interesting, since only the color was changed, but this simple change is all that is needed to change the entire mood of the set.

5) La Cage Aux Folles @ 1:14

http://youtu.be/1CJ23vPxvYo?t=1m14s

Here, the actors are lifted off stage, as others go to the right or left. In most plays, exits are done by the characters walking offstage somehow. In this case, technology allows them to do what otherwise would be impossible: rise out of view. Since the characters are in the middle of a very visual, flashy dance, this effect makes their exit more dramatic, which definitley fits in with the rest of the scene.

6) Bye Bye Birdie @ 0:28

http://youtu.be/BqHjBIJKzRc?t=28s

The characters are standing on some sort of rotating stands. While in most cases, actors would do some intense, balet-inspired turns in order to create the spinning effect, here the stands to the twirling for them; they just hold on. It also gives the musical a more modern look. Since the musical plays rock music, it might not seem fitting that the actors would be dancing using classical moves. The spinning stands fit in with the rock music more. So here, the use of technology is used to create a differentiation from the past. Since rock music is fairly new, they do not want to use dance moves that are not. They want to create something original to emphasize the originality and hype of this new type of music.

7) How to Succeed in Business @ 0:33

http://youtu.be/mAlkS2P3JA4?t=33s

Here you can see the background of the stage quite well. As one can see, it contains colored, hexagon lights. This is clearly an over-the-top background, in that it is fairly complex, being large, multi-colored, light up, and not really resembling any scene in real life that I can think of. So in this case, technology can be used for pure aesthetics—the lights are not used merely to light the stage. Throughout the scene, the lights change colors, for what seems to be no reason, other than to exagerate the already intense visual effects.