Interview: Lighting and Sound for Wonderland with Robbie Matos
Around five years old, adults start asking us what we want to be when we grow up. Some children say they want to be firefighters or astronauts or veterinarians. Some want to be princesses or superheroes. They’ll ask us again when we’re seven. Some of our answers change. Maybe we want to be teachers or maybe the President. They’ll ask again when we’re 10. And again at 15. The older we get, the more they’ll ask, and the less certain our answers become.
Unless you are Robbie Matos.
Robbie Matos and Artistic Director, Chris Pink, behind the scenes of the The Hitchcock Hotel (2022) | Photo by Vicente T Capala III
When Robbie was young and dreamt of his future life, it was this. It was producing shows, and living in a big city. It was being able to live freely and authentically. It was being able to create magic.
Matos joined the Can Can team in 2019 and is now our lead light and sound technician and operator. Every night he’s pulling the strings, illuminating the silhouettes, and ensuring every seat at one of Can Can’s shows is the best seat in the house.
“I remember being 14 or 15-years-old dreaming of what my life would be like. It was this. It was producing shows and living in a city, and being my free self. I grew up very closeted and that was just never fun. Coming to a space where it's just so welcoming and so accepting is what my 15-year-old self dreamed about. It's amazing to live that out.”
And now, with Can Can’s newest production of Wonderland underway, Matos shares with us what goes on behind the scenes of our beloved theater that leaves us all, again and again, believing in magic.
THECANCAN.COM: Robbie, before we dive into your insights on the carnival and delight of winter wonder, I’d love for our audience to get to know you more. What led you to theater production?
Robbie Matos: It started at a super young age. My parents love to joke that for my 10th birthday I asked for extension cords. Matos laughs. It's still very true to this day. This job is very much like a branch of me. But what really started it for me was moviemaking. I was always really interested in the behind-the-scenes, in particular, of Jurassic Park. The amount of work that goes into it… it’s magic. I just remember being so swept away by that.
I do feel that the lighting and sound control will make or break production. I've seen some of what could’ve been the best shows that were just not supported in the best way with lighting and sound, and it just derails them. I've also seen shows that are just very mediocre, and they were all of a sudden mind-blowing because of the immersive-like element that the technicians did.
The cast of The Hitchcock Hotel (2022) | Photo by Nate Watters
THECANCAN.COM: So how exactly did you come to join this iridescent group of artists? When did Can Can become home?
Robbie Matos: It was truly the most random, perfect timing. I was going to Cornish for my degree in lighting and sound. Someone in my cohort was looking for a server job. She went to the Can Can but was told, “Oh, no, sorry. We're not looking for a server, we're actually looking for technicians.” And so, she told me about it, and I reached out to the tech at the time. One thing led to another, and I started just doing the occasional brunch show at the old space back in 2019. Who would have thought that, now, I'm that technician? The job is super unique because of how small the department is. I think a lot of people who come and see our shows think there must have been at least eight people putting on the show. It's kind of crazy to tell them, “No, it's just us.” Shadou and I talk about that a lot - how fortunate we are that we operate at the level that we do. I have to pinch myself that it's just us putting on all of this.
THECANCAN.COM: While we haven’t seen you on stage…(yet?) It’s undeniable that your role here makes the glitz and glam of Can Can productions truly sparkle. Can you let our audience know what a day in the life of a lead light and sound technician and operator looks like?
Robbie Matos: Yeah, don't expect to see me on stage anytime soon (crowd boos). But I also wouldn't want it any other way. I love my role here. It’s the best feeling, getting to support a production. It’s like I am on that stage every night. I don't need to be in front of the lights to feel like I’m part of the experience that we're all going through. I'm up in the dressing room with them between every act because that's where my booth is located. It really feels like we're putting it all on together. I'd say the most crucial part of my job is getting all the production elements in place and ready, and a huge part of my job is coordinating. Because it's definitely not just Shadou and I that put on these things, of course. There's Chris, who is the Artistic Director, Fae the Choreographer, Jonathan, building apparatus and special fx, Shadou, our Costumer, and Dave, co-Producer on our Music Production team. We’re also very lucky to have Robert Aguilar, our lighting designer. Aguilar is one of the most renowned lighting designers in the city and works with various theaters in addition to Can Can. It’s truly a gift that he’s able to take the time out of his busy schedule and help us create the lighting for our shows.
During the shows, it's just me up there. I'm operating all of the lighting and sound cues, mixing all the vocals, cueing the house lights–anything you see on stage. It really feels like a cockpit in an airplane where there are just so many buttons and so many computers that it's overwhelming when I bring people in there, to say the least.
A little-known secret about Can Can is that we're constantly updating the show throughout the run. That's a detail that probably only our frequent patrons would truly understand. The meat of the show stays intact, but we’re constantly fiddling with the music, the vocals, the lighting, the colors, and the effects. The show that opens on that first day, although it's ready for an audience, is certainly different than the show that closes several months later.
Shadou Mintrone in Wonderland (2022) | Photo by Nate Watters
THECANCAN.COM: It’s finally the most wonderland time of the year... I’d love to know, from your perspective, what sets this year’s production of Wonderland apart from others.
Robbie Matos: I would say that it's certainly a classic. We always try and add some sort of unique charm to each show to make it feel different. This year, the biggest thing production-wise is Jonny building these side platforms on both sides of the stage. That way, the dancers will be able to take the full stage and we’ll be able to have singers up on this elevated platform off to the side. This will still keep them in the world but allow for more space, which I think is always cool. It's always fun to have a new space, a new place to light, a new element.
THECANCAN.COM: When prepping for Wonderland, when do the lighting and sound aspects come into the conversation?
Robbie Matos: The lighting and sound are probably the last elements to come into play. The performers have had months of working on choreography and their vocals. Then, the artistic team is brought in within the last couple of weeks. That’s when collaboration to enhance the shows really begins. We always try to bring in a new performance or production element. For example, with Hitchcock, we entered this new world of creating a full theatrical narrative. That’s why we got such rave reviews and it was the best-selling show we've had. It’s nice not feeling nervous when we enter a new show because there’s familiarity. We know what needs to happen. Then, there's that space of fun where we ask, “What is going to be that different element this time?”
Robbie Matos in tech rehearsals with Artistic Director, Chris Pink, and Music Producer, Dave Pezzner | Photo by Vicente T Capala III
THECANCAN.COM: Let’s talk about the heartbeat of Wonderland: sound design. Of course, there’s more to this holiday classic than just jingle bells. How is Can Can marching to the beat of its own drummer boy?
Robbie Matos: I would say simply from the music side, it's the beautiful brainchild of Chris Pink and Dave Pezzner. Dave is our Music Producer. The two of them begin the process months before I enter the conversation about music. It's their ability to find the right music for each number that makes the show so powerful. It's my job to come in later, listen to the tracks, and then give feedback elements of like, “Oh, it needs more bass, can we adjust the piano, can we adjust this…” It's really taking that fine tooth comb and detailing that stuff out. Something that's unique about our performances here is that all of our singing is performed live. That always blows people away because of the caliber that our performers are operating at. As the sound technician, you really got to bring your A-game and focus on each show. Not everyone sings the exact same way every single night. No show is ever exactly the same.
When we first opened, we hadn't completed our sound system setup and operated with a temporary setup. Since we are operating at a higher level than our last space, I really took that to heart and was like, “Okay, let's fix this.” So we did a whole new layout; all of our speakers now are hung in locations that make the sound uniform and balanced from every seat in the house. We try to tell people that there is no bad seat, and I think that's completely true. You always have a view of the performers, and you also can hear everything just as well as everyone else. I'm super proud of that feat. It was not an easy one. But, I think it's really allowed us to just play music and have vocals and everything be so much more there.
THECANCAN.COM: And what would any show be without a killer spotlight? How crucial is the lighting when telling a story with as much merriment and holiday cheer as Wonderland?
Robbie Matos: The lighting is personally my favorite element. It's one that can invoke a visceral emotion or feeling from the audience. Our two shows back to back are a perfect contrast. Hitchcock really leaned into kind of the dark, sexy, seductive, saturated lighting, and a lot of playing with shadows. In Wonderland, it’s a complete contrast. You'll notice the colors are more vibrant, they're even brighter, and they're evoking feelings of joy and excitement, and energy. The lighting is unique here in this space because the audience is so close to the performance stage that it's this balance of trying to light the stage while also knowing that you will likely light some audience members. It really adds to the immersive layer of the space. I think the audience is secretly the extra cast member.
Jonathan Betchtel caught in a blizzard created through light, practical effects, and sound in Wonderland (2022) | Photo by Nate Watters
THECANCAN.COM: Okay, let’s wrap this up and put it under the tree, shall we? What do you hope the audience takes away from this year’s production of Wonderland?
Robbie Matos: I hope that the audience leaves here feeling better than when they entered. We spend so much time trying to craft the most unique and impressive show we can, and I'm honestly just so happy and honored to be part of this team. To give the impact that I can here is really a dream come true. To be able to take our productions to the next level… I pinch myself often because it really is a dream job. I hope audiences can feel that. I think that type of passion and joy is infectious, and we really try to make that known to our patrons about how much we enjoy it here. When people come through the door, they're greeted with a smile. I think that speaks to how we feel when we're putting on these shows.
Spend the holidays with your Can Can family this year. Limited tickets are still available for our Christmas Eve, and NYE shows! Tickets can be purchased here: Wonderland Tickets