'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