How Broadway’s SFX designers make it rain (and snow) on stage

Outside/In

NHPR

Society & Culture, Documentary, Natural Sciences, Nature, Science

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Over the past few decades, CGI has allowed directors to put virtually anything they can imagine onto the big screen. But in the world of theater, practical effects still rule supreme. So how do these special effects wizards make it snow, rain, and gust inside the confines of a theater, where real live audiences are sitting just feet away? And what are the challenges to dumping more than 100 gallons of water indoors, or coating the stage in slippery fake snow? We tour a Brooklyn warehouse that houses the secrets behind Broadway’s wildest special effects, where one engineer is inventing new ways to wow audiences with the magic of the elements. Featuring Jeremy Chernick. Produced by Taylor Quimby. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS To see some of the effects we mention in action, check out Jeremy Chernick’s website gallery of shows he’s worked on. ALSO! Did Operation Night Cat leave you wanting more? Make a year-end gift to NHPR, and we’ll invite you to a special Operation Night Cat Virtual Q&A on January 8th 6PM EST, featuring our very own Nate Hegyi! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So Nate, I've got a quick question for you.
0:03.0	Yeah.
0:03.5	What does this make you think of?
0:09.0	I think of...
0:10.0	Is that the Nutcracker?
0:11.6	Or is that Mannheim steamroller?
0:13.2	Carol of the Bells, my man.
0:14.8	So none of those two?
0:16.2	Yeah.
0:16.7	Christmas.
0:17.3	That's what it made me think of.
0:18.6	Carol the Bells always makes me think of the first big snow.
0:22.7	It feels so magical.
0:24.1	Yeah. Before that first snow, if you live in northern climates, it's dark at like 4 p.m.
0:29.7	And everything is just, you can't see anything. It's ugly. And then it snows. And suddenly everything's bright.
0:37.4	It's like going from dark mode to light mode on your phone.
0:40.0	Yeah, you're like, oh my gosh.
0:41.1	I feel optimistic suddenly.
0:46.7	So it's no surprise that, you know, writers and directors have for a long time tried to harness, you know, the magic, the power of snow for movies and TV, right?
0:56.9	Right.
0:57.5	Snow, snow, snow, snow.
1:03.2	But, of course, you can't get, you know, flurries on command, especially in Los Angeles.
	...

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