December 31 is opening night for Times Square 2000, the biggest showstopping spectacle in Broadway history. The headlining diva, seen here in her dressing room, is the new ball, set to drop from atop One Times Square at 11:59 p.m. EST.
"We're using technology that usually runs an entire Broadway production to control one ball," says Countdown Entertainment president Jeffrey Straus. A dimmer board controls the ball's 788 elements: 224 colored lights, 208 clear lamps, and 96 strobes beneath a skin of industrial plastic and Waterford crystal, plus 168 external halogen bulbs and 92 mirrors mounted on individual servomotors.
If that seems a bit over-the-top, keep in mind that the ball's light show will begin a full 18 hours before the fall. In Times Square, where stars are born, this one must be precision-engineered.
ELECTRIC WORD
Wooden Expression
One-Night Stand
Reboot
Softwear
Scrolling Past
Snake Eyes
Log On
