# Concert Shell Collapse @ Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee



## MNicolai (Apr 14, 2011)

This Week at the MSO: Malfunction at the Marcus, Pops to Riverside Theater | ThirdCoast Digest




(Unfortunately, I have been unable to track down any photos of the stage after the collapse)

Word on the street is that on April 5th, one of the lift lifts for the 27,000lbs mid-stage ceiling section first gave way, throwing the entire set off of balance. The subsequent dynamic loading of the ceiling dangling from the lift lines caused the rest of the lift lines to fall like dominoes, one right after the other.

My understanding is that some people had been off in the wings at the time of the collapse, but luckily no one was in the middle of the fall zone when the section fell to the ground with enough force to destroy the floor below it.

Damage to the rigging and floor has temporarily closed Uihlein Hall, but it sounds as if it will reopen soon pending completion of the rigging report, rigging inspections, floor repairs, and likely the ceiling replacement as well. They were hoping to be open again for this weekend but have already pushed all of this weekend's events into a different venue.


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## stephanie (May 14, 2011)

Curious because of circumstances at another venue, who did install, design, etc of the stage and shell?
At another venue, a center ceiling piece where the bottom of the arbor bent and was at risk of failure. There had been a serious miscalculation in the weight of the ceiling. Since it was motor driven and never flown all the way out, it was not checked till after the theater had been open for over a year. When it was discovered, the stage was cleared and all activity stopped till repairs could be made and the two remaining shell pieces were inspected. 

Just sound eerily similar in my mind.


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## derekleffew (May 15, 2011)

From Technical Specs - Orchestra Shell, Pit, Organ - Marcus Center for the Performing Arts :

> An orchestra shell is part of the theatre's permanent equipment.
> 
> The shell is made out of 22 gauge sheet metal and is completely motorized. The shell was designed by George Izenour and has a total weight of 26 tons.
> 
> In its set position, the shell measures 64' D.S. and 50' U.S. in width. Depth is 39' from the lip of stage to shell back wall. An additional 16' of stage depth can be added if the orchestra pit lifts are at stage level. Height of shell is 44'.




stephanie said:


> ...Just sound eerily similar in my mind.


Likely not all that similar, except that both shells had walls and ceiling pieces that were motorized.

FWIW, Marcus Center/Uihlein Hall has been in operation since 1969 (renovated in 1997), which would lead one to think of a maintenance issue rather than a design or installation flaw.


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## gafftapegreenia (May 15, 2011)

I've asked a bit around town (no first hand witnesses, though) and it seems that everyone has been pretty tight lipped about the incident. So yeah, I'm not high enough in the food chain to know.


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## MNicolai (May 15, 2011)

gafftapegreenia said:


> I've asked a bit around town (no first hand witnesses, though) and it seems that everyone has been pretty tight lipped about the incident. So yeah, I'm not high enough in the food chain to know.



Same impression I got.

It's understandably something that the Marcus Center wants to keep under wraps. The aftermath of an accident like that is more than just having a damaged stage floor and a destroyed concert shell cloud. Now they have to convince every musician that walks into their facility that it's safe to sit underneath their shell system for several hours at a time and that they need not fear another collapse.


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