Hudson Scenic Studio is one of the largest production and scenic fabrication companies serving the professional entertainment community outside the metropolitan area.
And they do it all from a 72,000-square-foot facility on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers.
Since 1980, Hudson Scenic has provided engineering, construction, scenic art, automation and since 2004, theatrical lighting for more than 300 Broadway productions including the current runs of “Mary Poppins,” “Spamalot,” “Spring Awakening” and “The Lion King.” The studio, headed by Tony award winner Neil A. Mazzella, is also responsible for the ball drop on New Year”™s Eve in Times Square and, just recently, for the elaborate set at Yankee Stadium used to host the pope.
But on May 8, as guests entered the tent for the Ninth Annual Yonkers Business Week awards dinner at the Hudson River Museum, they also ”“ for one night only ”“ entered the fanciful world of Hudson Scenic.
When guests left the cocktail hour, they arrived at the reception through a machine-made mist drifting around green-clad performance artists. Lighting was positioned to project dappled leaf shapes on the roof of the dinner tent, simulating a rainforest canopy. And 30-inch high tree stumps, weighing more than 100 pounds a piece and sturdy enough to hold 300 pounds, held five Sarah Lawrence student performers.
“This is being treated as a Broadway event even though it”™s a one-nighter,” Project Manager Joe Doughney said.
“And the detail is sick,” he said, pointing out the realistic rings in the wood of the tree trunk.
Guests agreed.
“Neil (Mazzella) does such an amazing job and he gives so much back to Yonkers,” said Doughney about the company CEO who utilized the talent of his staff and product of his company, Hudson Scenic, to make the evening a one of a kind event.
Two sculptors, two painters and two lighting designers worked exclusively on the project, turning an inspired vision into reality.
