'The Plaza' preparation countdown

'The Plaza' preparation countdown

It takes at least a week to prepare for the one-hour variety show
program The Plaza, which is aired live by private television
station Metro TV from La Moda Cafe at Plaza Indonesia, Central
Jakarta, every Saturday evening.
Tuesday

The producer and director of the program, as well as creative
personnel, meet officials of Citibank and the director of Admaker
Communication, the bank's media communication agency, at the bank
office.

They discuss preparations for the program, such as the
available singers, dancers and models, which is consistent with
the current theme for the Saturday show. The theme being
discussed this time is "Romantic with Ruth Sahanaya".

Every Tuesday, they also discuss four themes for the shows
next month.
Thursday

The names of the singers and an outline of the program are
faxed to the show's hosts, Ivy Batuta and Erwin Parengkuan. The
outline, which consists of what should be talked about in general
by the hosts, is determined by the creative personnel. But
mostly, the hosts lead the show based on their own creativity and
improvisation.
Friday (at 10 p.m.)

About 25 crew members arrive at Plaza Indonesia after the
shopping center is closed to customers. They install the stage,
lighting, audio equipment and a control room.

The stage is set up in the cafe on the first floor while the
control room is on the second floor in front of the cafe.

Preparations, such as checking sound and lighting and
installing cables from the stage to the control room should be
finished by 7 a.m. on Saturday as the shopping center will open
for customers within the next two hours.
Saturday (at 3 p.m.)

La Moda Cafe is closed for customers. Some Calanita dancers
and Elite Looks models rehearse on stage. Two satellite news vans
arrive and park near the west gate of the shopping center. A van
is used to air the program and connect it with the television
station in Kedoya, West Jakarta, while the other is a backup.

Singers Trie Utami and Utha Likumahua, accompanied by their
managers, arrive and rehearse. An hour later, the main singer,
Ruth Sahanaya, accompanied by her manager and husband, Jeffrie
Woworuntu, also arrives and prepares.
7 p.m.

Singers, dancers and models have final rehearsals before they
change into their costumes. Producer and director Toni Syah Indra
checks preparations in the control room. The air of expectation
is now growing palpably as transmission time inexorably
approaches ...
8:05 p.m.

The program starts on time (after a scheduled five-minute news
bulletin) with Ruth Sahanaya singing her hit Tak Kuduga (I Didn't
Expect It). The program continues with the performance of Trie
who sings Ruth's hit, Kaulah Segalanya (You are Everything) and
Utha with Astaga (Oh My God!).

The final number involves all the cast singing on stage,
including the presenters.
8:59 p.m.

The lights are turned off and the show is over for another
week.

A. Junaidi