Kelly Clarkson Practices for Tour in Bridges Auditorium

If you walked past Bridges Auditorium between September 13 and 24, you might have sworn you heard strains of “Since You’ve Been Gone” coming from inside. Anne Shulock ‘08 was returning to North Campus after a Spanish conversation class in Oldenborg when she heard a muffled version of Clarkson’s 2005 single “Behind These Hazel Eyes.”

“I just figured the people who work there had the music up really loud,” Shulock said. “It never crossed my mind that it would actually be her.”

The Director of Bridges Auditorium, Tim Morrison, confirmed that Clarkson, her production manager, and about a dozen technical staff members spent eleven days in Bridges rehearsing for her forthcoming fall theatre tour.

“She and her staff brought all of their own light, sound, and video equipment,” Morrison said. “We basically just gave them the stage.”

The performer’s visit came on the heels of a three-day stay by Britney Spears, who used the space to rehearse for her MTV Video Music Awards production. Morrison clarified that the timing of the visits was coincidental and not indicative of any change in managerial direction.

“We don’t go looking for [celebrity performers],” he said. “If the venue is available on the days they need, then it’s worthwhile doing.”

Morrison books many Bridges events over a year in advance. Spears’ management filed the rehearsal request just two weeks ahead of time while Clarkson gave four weeks lead-time.

“Over the course of 17 years at this job, you develop professional relationships,” he said. “I get calls about availability, and if our schedules correspond, then it works out.”

Bridges Production Manager Kurt Beardsley added that Bridges’ location—in Los Angeles County, but “away from the paparazzi and all the to-do of L.A. proper”—played a large role in the facility’s appeal. Unfortunately, the building’s technical limitations, like the absence of line array sound capabilities, keep some artists from rehearsing there.

“The crews want to program the lighting, sound, and video exactly how it will be on tour,” he said. “That way they can walk into each venue with pre-set equipment and known quantities. If we can’t offer them the precise specifications they need, they’ll go elsewhere.”

Beardsley added that Clarkson and her technicians were “one of the better production teams I’ve ever worked with.” While the crew worked around the clock, sometimes longer than 12-hour days, Clarkson had the final say about lighting cues, stage blocking, even details as specific as the size of the video screen behind her.

“She was generally rehearsing four to six hours at a time, besides making the technical decisions,” Beardsley said. “She was really sweet—I didn’t even recognize her until she introduced herself.”

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