Howland grad keeps lights shining bright

Photo

Justin Thomas

By KATIE SEMINARA

The backstage professional shines light on some of Disney’s most famous characters.

HOWLAND — When most people go on vacation they leave home, but when Justin Thomas has a vacation, he comes home.

A Howland High School graduate, Thomas, 25, has been traveling across the United States and overseas for the past two years working with Feld Entertainment.

Feld Entertainment has been around since 1967, and is responsible for producing such shows as “The Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus,” “Disney on Ice” and “Playhouse Disney Live!.”

“My office changes every day,” Thomas said, “but it’s a job.”

Thomas is currently an assistant electrician for Feld with the show “Playhouse Disney Live!,” which features some of Disney’s most popular characters.

During the show Thomas has control of the light switch board and is responsible for keeping the production lit so the audience doesn’t miss a beat. Before and after shows, Thomas assists with the packing and setting up, a task he says is “physically draining.”

“It is an artistic job, because I have control over the lights,” said Thomas, who was always interested in computers, and with Feld, he gets to work with some advanced technology.

As a teen, Thomas had a mixture of computer curiosity and an enjoyment of theater, which eventually led him to a path of theatre involvement at Youngstown State University.

“When I was younger we went to a lot of shows that came to Powers,” said Thomas, who recalled “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Cats” as two memorable performances of his childhood.

Being part of the audience is when Thomas realized taking part in a production was something he would like.

While at YSU, Thomas said, he would take any course involving lighting aspects. He designed two shows and became fluent in backstage knowledge.

To build on his experience, he began working for the Chevrolet Centre in its early years, taking part in music shows such as John Mellencamp, Tool and Stevie Nicks.

The first Feld show that came to the Chevy Centre was “Mickey’s Magic Show,” said Thomas.

“I remember thinking it was different than a rock n’ roll show, but had the same feel. They had it together,” said Thomas, of the Feld staff.

After the show, Thomas talked with the stage manager and was hired to join the crew of “Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Journey,” one of the oldest running ice shows.

The opportunities Thomas has experienced working with Feld are more than most 25-year-olds will encounter in their life. Thomas has traveled to more than 65 U.S. cities and has ventured to the United Kingdom and South America.

“Not many people who are 25 can say they’ve seen all those places,” said Thomas of the perks offered by a paying job that allows him to travel.

While the traveling part is exciting, Thomas enjoys the time he gets to spend right here in the Valley.

“Bob Evans is one of the first places I go,” said Thomas, who also strolls through Fellows Riverside Gardens and tries to catch a show at the Oakland.

Although, his particular Feld production doesn’t come to Youngstown, he thinks this area has the potential to host a variety of shows.

“The Chevy Center is a great facility and should be something the area is proud of,” said Thomas, who would love to see more performing arts come to the Valley.

One day Thomas may be able to make that happen, as he wants to stay involved in theater productions. Working at a place like the Cleveland Playhouse would be ideal, he said, but he would also like to design new lighting products.

Even though Thomas doesn’t want to be in the lights, he knows it takes everyone to make a production run smoothly and he would like to continue helping make that happen.

“What makes me want to keep doing this is when the kids’ favorite characters come out, the kids light up,” said Thomas, who recalled the deafening screams each time Mickey appears onstage.

It’s an honor for him to work with the most popular mouse in the world.

He said, “We help bring the magic to life.”