I returned to Presidents Park. No, not where the heads from Presidents Park Williamsburg are currently sitting (You want to see that? Check out my previous post). I went back to their original home, now an overgrown walking path. Yeah, not as thrilling or artistic, but it's still around!
While I posted about Presidents Park in 2024, I actually visited the site the summer of 2022. When I was getting ready to post, I noticed via satellite imagery that there had been some changes at the site in-between 2022 and 2023. Vegetation around the back gazebo had been significantly cut back. What was going on? So it had been on my to-do list to stop by at some point and reinvestigate things. This time, during the winter when plants wouldn't get in my way as much.
The Presidents Park paths were much easier to traverse this time. Tree limbs had been cut down, paths had been rediscovered, and tire tracks from some construction vehicle were marked on the concrete. Already nature was starting to reclaim some sections again with pine needles. Even though, the previous hour-long trek around turned into an easy 10-15 minute stroll. I was laughing at myself for how short it was, and how close the neighboring Wyndham Garden hotel was to the back end of the site. I had no idea in the summer overgrowth a couple years ago.
Significant clearing had happened around the gazebo. You could walk all the way around it now.
The Visitor Center looked more-or-less the same, so I didn't take any shots of it. Here's the comparison views from the Visitor Center's balcony:
Presidents Park, 2005 View from the 2nd floor deck of the visitor center. "263_6311" by David via Flickr [CC-BY-2.0]
Presidents Park, 2022
Presidents Park, 2026 (lining it up better with the 2005 photo)
In 2022, George Washington's pedestal seemed inaccessible with plant growth. In 2026, it's a lot easier to walk down its dedicated path.
Former pedestal for the George Washington head
So why did a minor clean-up happen? In November 2022, Ryson Development, L.P. bought the property for $2 million. Most likely, they wanted to inspect/have an appraisal done on the existing conditions of the park section, so they cut down the plants to get to some areas.
Ryson has offered spaces in the former visitor center up for lease through Cushman & Wakefield | Thalheimer. There doesn't seem to be any immediate future plans for the park portion of the property. In the marketing materials I found, they briefly mention its existence: "Adjacent parcel offers future development opportunities and potential access to outdoor green space (formerly President's [sic] Park)." (I love how they say "potential access." Sure, if plants are kept under control. Machete to cut through not included!)
If/when redevelopment happens, it will be interesting to see how things play out. Technically, the park portion of the property is a separate parcel of land than the visitor center and its parking lot. While they currently function together, there is a very small access route from the road that could be used as a drive onto that property. If Ryson or a future developer wants to redevelop both properties to work together, that may spell doom for the former Visitor Center. Between a wireless communication tower and a retention pond, the Visitor Center is the only viable bridge between the two properties. That was the right setup for its outdoor museum days, acting as a gate of entry for paying guests, but if they want that land parcel connection, the Visitor Center's gotta go.
Screenshot from York County GIS map viewer. 223 Water Country Pkwy is highlighted
Changing the subject to news outside the park borders, sculptor artist David Adickes passed away last year. He didn't end up finding a permanent home for his Houston presidents heads collection during his lifetime. So far, there seem to be no updates on them, other than an advertisement on Adickes' website for the option of buying individual ones or the whole collection.
There is an unfortunate deadline for the studio. Houston's highways are in the midst of a multibillion-dollar redesign. Construction on the interchange that sits around the studio is scheduled to start in 2028, with the studio most likely being acquired by eminent domain and demolished. Will the third set of presidential heads be lost or saved? Only time will tell.
To wrap things off:
If you want to rent offices next to Presidents Park Williamsburg, click here!
If you want to buy an individual/whole collection of presidential head sculptures, click here!
What draws us to ruins? The nostalgia of yesteryear? The perverse nature of decay? The visual history etched in cracks and holes? The artistry of the perfectly imperfect? The juxtaposition of knowing this crumbling setting used to be taken care of? Catching a fragment of what-was before it completely disappears? Paying homage to great dreams no longer dreamt? Imagining the What it was, What happened, and What it could still be? Whatever it is, a single thing or a mix of many, we are drawn to these places.
In 2004, Presidents Park opened in Williamsburg, Virginia as a new history attraction, celebrating all the 42 elected leaders of the United States of America (as of then). After first starting at the visitor center, guests would stroll the grounds past 15-18' tall busts of each president, learning each man's history and accomplishments. It was meant to help boost the local stagnating tourist market. Unfortunately, due to many factors (a recession, high ticket prices, no repeatability), Presidents Park did not deliver and closed in 2010.
The busts, created by Houston artist David Adickes, sat fenced off in place for a couple years. In 2012, the property was being sold off, and construction recycling company Hampton Roads Materials was contracted to demolish the heads. The company's owner Harold Hankins couldn't bear destroying them, so he decided to buy them and truck them to his property. And there they have sat since, decaying and damaged. Between sanctioned tours and urban explorers visiting the property, the heads have gained a surge in popularity, more than they ever did at Presidents Park. Last year, Hankins publicly proposed a new development idea, The Ruines at Hankins Folly, with the presidents as its centerpiece. They would be preserved and stabilized as-is, as their ruined state has drawn more interest and attention than when they were pristine and intact. These plans were later put on hold as Hankins returned to the drawing board.
I was able to to procure a tour ticket through John Plashal Photo, which is currently the only way for the public to visit the heads legally. This had been on my bucket list for quite a few years, and glad the stars finally aligned for me to visit!
The Hampton Roads Materials site is an organized chaos of torn-up concrete, dirt, and other materials. It's a little bit apocalyptic. After checking in, I parked my car by the main house, and walked down a lane. Passing foliage and a shipping container, the heads slowly revealed themselves.
Concrete waiting to be recycled
Shipping container holding and surrounded by Presidents Park ephemera
The Presidents Park Williamsburg Busts!
The heads are gigantic. It's so cool to look around them and explore. Each one has weathered in a different way. Their number is incredible. I also like the haphazard, condensed layout they are in.
Guests were told ahead of time to wear boots. It was quite muddy the day I visited, so I was glad I did, as it would have been impossible to reach the busts in the back two rows without them.
Love the details captured
John Adams partially buried under dirt
I loved looking inside the heads, seeing their interior supports. I am always amazed at how something may look like a solid chunk of material, but in actuality is only a couple of inches thick.
A missing jaw provides a look into this president's head
Looking through a hole in one president's shoulder/base
The back of some president's head
The 2' Obama mock-up bust The park couldn't raise the money to commission the full-size bust before it closed.
The experience is a good time. You're allowed to wander around the heads. At two points during our time, there were group talks, where John and the other tour leader went over the history and fun facts on the busts, as well as presidential trivia (with prizes!). Both were really informative and enjoyable to listen to. Now thinking about it, the tour was pretty much what the Presidents Park experience would have been when it was open. But now instead of the busts symbolizing a man/history, they themselves have a history that is visually represented on them. They're taken out of a museum setting and placed on the ground, allowing you to get a closer look at them. It's this failed funky roadside attraction that is thriving in a muddy field. It's so strange, but it works.
If you would like to visit the Presidents Park Heads, check out John Plashal Photo for all the upcoming offerings. I only took a regular tour, but there are specialty tours (evening, sunset, advanced photography, etc) available. Enjoy!!
Alright. So most people would stop at that point and say, that's the ruins of Presidents Park! And that's all good and dandy, but that's really only half of the story. The heads may have moved, but the former grounds are still around and have been largely untouched since the heads' removal. If you know me, I like sharing the whole story. So let's now visit the other ruins of Presidents Park Williamsburg!!
The former Presidents Park visitor center still stands. The outside appears the same as it did in its park heyday, an obviously imitation Georgian façade with a lack of windows towards the center and four awkwardly-narrow columns holding up a modest portico. The inside appears to have been reconfigured for office use, with the original lobby sectioned off. Along its backside is a second floor deck, where you could get views of the entire park.
Backside of the former visitor center
Presidents Park, 2005 View from the 2nd floor deck of the visitor center. "263_6311" by David via Flickr [CC-BY-2.0]
Presidents Park, 2022 View from the 2nd floor deck of the former visitor center.
The grounds immediately surrounding the building and parking lot are maintained, while the park grounds have been allowed to grow freely. What had been a meadow-like space has now returned to its woodland roots. The only things on the outside denoting this had previously been developed are a lamppost and the concrete path that disappears into the foliage.
Let's go in.
Following the concrete path
I visited on an August summer day, so not only were all the plants vibrant and the bugs flying, but the Virginia heat and humidity was out in full force. Did I bring water or bug spray with me? Well, they were in my car, does that count? No, no it doesn't. By the time I realized I should have brought them along, my car was unreachable. I was too deep into the forest.
I did not plan this well.
There were moments I felt these presidential woods were never-ending. The path seemed longer than I thought it would be. It's just a loop, right?
... Right??
Does this path actually go anywhere?!
And then, I started to notice the short cinderblock walls.
Like sarcophagi scattered through a wood, all missing their lid and contents. The former bases of the Presidents Park busts, all still in place. Some close to the main path, others a bit farther away.
You get the idea. Initially slightly interesting, they quickly became a consistent, almost-banal feature every few yards along the path.
Somehow, through this neverending wood, I found the halfway point, which is marked by the gazebo. It was situated at the far end of the park.
My first view of the gazebo, buried by vines
Gazebo close-up, being swallowed by the foliage
Inside the gazebo
After being reinvigorated in my journey, I was surprised to quickly run into another structure I had no idea about. It was a rain covering for soda machines. It looked to be in fairly good condition.
The rest of the journey was punctuated by the odd object here-and-there.
The top of a lamppost
Some snake rail fencing still in place
A former informational sign
More cinderblock bases
Finally, after passing 42 cinderblock walls, I emerged out of the forest. Was it still the same year? Was it the same century??
(Yes and yes.) (It had only been an hour.)
Tears of joy ran down my face, or at least would have if I hadn't already sweat out all of the water in my body. I hobbled past the old visitor center and into my car, chugging down my water bottle. I left, tired yet accomplished. I returned home and immediately showered.
If you want to visit the former grounds of Presidents Park Williamsburg, make sure to ask permission at the former visitor center first. Plan your visit in the fall or winter, when the foliage isn't as full and the humidity and heat are nonexistent.
To conclude this post, while I haven't personally visited them, I want to share with you the other Presidents Parks and associated landmarks.
In Leads, South Dakota, about 50 miles away from Mount Rushmore, there is a second abandoned Presidents Park. This was actually the first location, opening in 2003. Due to the same problems that plagued the Williamsburg location, it too closed in 2010. Unlike Williamsburg, South Dakota has more land available, both to give each president their own space, and for future expansion.
The above video was taken in 2022. The busts are still in place along their path, and somehow are in really good condition. I've seen videos of Presidents Park Williamsburg while it was open, and some of the busts were weathering even back then. Maybe the humidity/weather combo in Virginia didn't bode well to the busts?
Then there was a set of busts made for an unrealized THIRD Presidents Park that would have been located in Pearland, Texas in the mid-2000's. Unfortunately, it never came to be. In 2020 (pre-pandemic), there was a groundbreaking in Huntsville, Texas for a public park that would have utilized the heads. Unfortunately, there does not appear to have been any other news since that announcement, so I'm not sure if that park is still happening. In the meantime, these busts are stored at artist David Adickes' studio in Houston, Texas, which is viewable both from the road and close-up whenever his studio is open to the public. This is also the only set that has a full-sized Obama bust!
Finally, there are individual busts scattered around*! Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush (#43) are hanging out at an RV park in Hermosa, South Dakota. There's an Eisenhower in a park in Denson, Texas, which is where he was born. My favorite I've stumbled across is American Statesmanship Park in Houston, Texas. Also known as Mount Rush Hour for being visible from a major highway interchange, it features Washington, Lincoln, and Texas' founding fathers Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. It's an interesting match-up. I'm sure there could be more busts, but these are the ones I've been able to look up.
* It is unclear to me if some of these were made specifically for these locations or borrowed from one of the existing Presidents Park sets.
So, here is the final conclusion of this post, but maybe this is just the beginning for you and your journey to discover your own ruins of Presidents Park. Bon Voyage, safe travels, and please bring a water bottle!
[Full Disclosure: I am a current employee of the Kennedy Center. Any opinions expressed in this piece are my own personal views and do not represent that of the Center, its management, or its staff.]
I've had the incredible privilege of getting paid to present and watch amazing performances. The fact that I can also share these exact performances with you is even better! As I look back on my six years at Millennium Stage, I want to highlight some of the shows that I have loved and have meant a lot to me. Artists, if your particular show is not here, please know this list was very hard for me to put together. I've helped present over 1,700 performances here, and I love so many of them.
In no particular order:
Meena's Dream
This show stood out to me pretty early on in my tenure. Millennium Stage doesn't present theater often. Theatrical works are often longer than an hour, or require more production and setup than we can usually provide. Even though I was unfamiliar with much of the culture in the story, it was still easy to understand. The message is still very relatable, we all have to fight the Worry Machine.
For some reason, whenever I want to put on some music in the background while I'm working, this is my go-to. It's very calming and has an enjoyable, melancholy vibe.
This show was also very synergetic in a way that isn't accessed often. Tim Mislock was part of the band in the national tour of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the time, and performed this in-between his matinee and evening performances in the Eisenhower Theater. This seems like a no-brainer, invite visiting talent to perform for an hour on Millennium Stage, but this was the only occurrence during my tenure (the exception being the annual Alvin Ailey Dance Company's Revelations class). We regularly feature in-house groups, but it would be cool/interesting to see more touring talent.
BOOMscat! The Peace and Body Roll Duo themselves! One of my absolute favorite groups to work with. Both Asha and Patience are wonderful, genuine people, and have great chemistry and banter together. Their songs are so interesting and catchy. They also have a great band name that is so much fun to announce.
When I first heard of it, it sounded utterly absurd. Tuba...Christmas? Since then, I have fallen in love with TubaChristmas and have added it into my holiday traditions. There are tubas, sousaphones, euphoniums everywhere, filling the stage, overflowing into the tiers, beautifully decorated in their holiday finest. The performance is this deep, resonating surround-sound that fills your entire body. It's quite an experience.
The event was originally conceived by Harvey Phillips in 1974 to shine a light and celebrate this under-appreciated large brass family. After 48 years, it has helped create a players community and given the tuba family a moment to shine in the spotlight.
I've been lucky to see him perform on quite a few occasions. 2015's Appomattox, 2016's Ring Cycle, 2017 in a surprise-appearance performance with BANDALOOP and FLEXN during the JFK Centennial Open House Celebration, and 2019 during the REACH Opening Festival. His bass voice is unbelievable, booming, and beautiful. What a presence. And his speaking voice is right there too!
This clip is not a full show, nor is it a show during my tenure. However, once I viewed it, I knew it was instantly one of my favorites.
This show was a culmination moment. A lot of passionate people worked towards bringing shows to the Center that showcased the intersection between arts and gaming. They have all since departed for other endeavors. Hopefully, this intersection can be approached again in the future. There is really something exciting there.
I say this with full love and appreciation: we have some amazing dorks in our stagehand cadre, and they took full advantage of the moment in terms of the lighting. Imitating Tetris on the light towers was amazing. My own dorky heart was thrilled to the brim that day.
This show was also part of the annual Direct Current festival. The festival highlighted new, exploratory, contemporary arts and artists. The Millennium Stage threw out all the stops in the artists presented. It's an absolute trip of the strange and exciting. Any show that was part of the festival, I highly recommend checking out.
This show blew my mind. A 3rd grade class from Stedwick Elementary School wrote, composed, built, rehearsed, and performed their own opera. Their teacher, Mary Ruth McGinn, uses the opera creation as "a vehicle for learning everything that all third graders must learn." Every subject can be worked in. It's phenomenal. I would have loved to have been taught this way in school.
We had the honor of presenting 2-3 iterations of the kids opera company over my tenure. While we only get to see the final product, it's still an inspiring experience loading in the show and adapting it onto our stage. Students get to shadow our stagehands and learn how professionals create live performances. Everyone is so gung-ho, welcoming, and amazing. It's exciting to have a front row seat in impacting and inspiring the next generation of arts makers and lovers. And it all comes with a meaningful message.
What a show. The Kennedy Center has presented musicals that feature the art of drag, like Kinky Boots and La Cage Aux Folles. This was really its first authentic drag show, exclusively focused on the art of drag, so it meant a lot to everyone involved. It featured drag queens and kings from the local DC scene. Hosted and organized by D.C. drag legend Shi-Queeta Lee, Shi-Queeta has been performing in drag since the mid-1980's and was the first drag queen to be invited to perform at the White House. This show also showcases Riley Knoxx, one of the best Beyoncé impersonators around. She has since gone on to have an exciting career, including appearing in Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" music video.
Millennium Stage is really unique. Because we aren't worried about selling tickets, we can spotlight untraditional performance genres. We can present shows that other venues might turn away because its appeal is unproven, or deemed to be unpopular. Millennium Stage can truly be a celebration of everyone, for everyone. I'm glad the Kennedy Center has this program. It needs this sort of program.
Since this performance, Millennium Stage has presented at least one drag show a year (2020 being the exception). Drag is becoming more and more mainstream, and its exciting to watch its rise to power.
Top Notch is our annual b-boy and b-girl battle tournament we present in collaboration with Words Beats and Life Inc. The physical talent and artistry on display is so amazing. The video above is just of the finals, the preliminaries and other levels make it an all-day event.
This annual event makes my list for many personal reasons. When I first started interning at the Kennedy Center, I really hadn't had much exposure to Hip Hop. I grew up in a white suburban bubble, and never tried to look into the art form. I thought Hip Hop was only a dance style, and rapping was its own separate thing. This show and the events we presented alongside it in the WBLFest really opened my eyes to what Hip Hop is. Rapping and dancing are only parts of a larger-encompassing culture. The Kennedy Center Education Department has a great guide to Hip Hop Culture, I recommend you check it out.
Another reason. Top Notch always had a lot of moving parts, so it had lots of stressful moments. One year, I was definitely feeling it. I made one mistake that triggered a major downward emotional spiral in me. Looking back, the mistake wasn't a big deal, it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. The next year, there was a lot of staff turnover. My new supervisor had just started and was learning the ropes. I really needed to step up for this festival. And I did. I walked away feeling like I redeemed myself from the previous year. I felt like I was finally starting to ride the bicycle of my job without the training wheels. It was a great feeling.
Like drag, Hip Hop Culture was initially brought to the Kennedy Center through Millennium Stage. It is truly a success story, having become its own established genre with an exclusive programming director (Shout out to Simone Eccleston!!). I'm so proud of the work that has brought it here, and excited for what the future holds for it.
For many years, Millennium Stage held an Honors tribute week ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors performance gala. In 2019, Sesame Street was honored, and so we had a tribute singalong show! It was really sweet, brought back memories of really great songs I had heard and sang in my childhood. The show also had actual appearances from Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster! I was freaking out. My childhood, alive on my stage. (Well, Abby was after my time, but I was at least aware of her addition. I digress.)
I consider my announcement to this performance the peak of my Kennedy Center career. I got to be rolled out in a trash can and pop out wearing an Oscar the Grouch onesie. The idea was all mine. It was so much fun, honoring Sesame Street in my own way. And who else can say they did something this cool at a National Cultural Center?
In the agreement with Sesame Street, the Kennedy Center was allowed to livestream the show, but had to remove it once the performance was over. Which is all fine, Sesame Street is protecting their intellectual property. However, I later asked and was granted permission to post my announcement of that show, and can luckily share it with you!:
Thanks a million to Sesame Street Workshop and the Kennedy Center for permission to share this portion of the December 7, 2019 Millennium Stage "Honors Week Tribute: Sesame Street Singalong"!
We are so lucky to have Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. It is taken for granted by its free entry, its regularity, its size. But I truly think it is the heart and soul of what a national cultural center should be – showcasing the creativity, the diversity, the passion, the artistry, the humanity of the world, in a space that doesn’t discriminate race, class, or accessibility. It’s open to all, for all, by all. For anyone who hasn't checked out Millennium Stage, you are truly missing out.
I've really loved this stage. It's opened up my worldview and has showed me so much of the beauty of the human spirit. It's going to be hard to find a job that tops this.
Thanks to Diana Ezerins, Garth Ross, Bobby Hunter, Allen Brooks, Margot Pien, and Risikat Okedeyi. These individuals collaborated, influenced, relationship-cultivated, and/or programmed nearly all of the shows on this list.
[Full Disclosure: I am a current employee of the Kennedy Center. Any opinions expressed in this piece are my own personal views and do not represent that of the Center, its management, or its staff.]
Good evening, and welcome to Millennium Stage! Every day, the Millennium Stage celebrates the human spirit by presenting a free performance at 6pm. And now, please give a warm welcome to... the LEGO Millennium Stage!!
Millennium Stage has been my work-home longer than any other job I've had at this point. This year, I have missed playing my part in bringing excitement and life to the Grand Foyer. With all the recent stress, grief, and uncertainty, I wanted to create something of familiarity and comfort for myself. This manifested in designing and building a minifigure-sized LEGO Millennium Stage.
The stage I built is modeled off of the third and current iteration of the Millennium Stage proscenium, designed by Grimm + Parker in 2012. Specifically, the LEGO stage's setup is based off the South Millennium Stage by the Concert Hall, as that stage was the first of the two originally built back in 1997.
Because I wanted to recreate the proscenium arch's signature lean, I built a test model to figure it out.
Proscenium test #1
Another proscenium test
Test performance at the test stage.
The lean was achieved by placing an elevated 2x4 brick with pins underneath one end of the towers, then letting the other end rest on the ground.
Once the test model worked to my liking, it was off to build the real deal!
In progress: Stage level of Millennium Stage built
In progress: curtains hung, work starting on the grid
Banana Guy & BB-8 on the completed stage!
Overhead shot of the stage
Completed Millennium Stage next to the Test Model
And so the stage was complete! I had achieved my goal. But was that the end? My mind kept turning, kept asking additional "What If" questions to further expand the stage:
What if... there was a whole LEGO band performing with LEGO instruments?
What if... my stage reflected the diversity that the human-sized Millennium Stage regularly presented?
What if... I also built the tech booth?
What if... the video screen could actually work?
What if... the towers could light up?
So I did what any curious person who likes figuring things out would do -- I answered the questions.
Let me reintroduce you to the LEGO Millennium Stage:
LEGO Millennium Stage Version 6.0
Millennium Stage Booth
LEGO Band: I bought the Banana Guy Suit from the Series 16 Collectible Minifigures and fell in love with him. I found out there were more food suits, so I started to collect them. I've named this band "Unbalanced Breakfast."
Now presenting on the LEGO Millennium Stage: Unbalanced Breakfast! They will be performing songs from their sophomore album The Second Course.
LEGO Instruments: LEGO has trumpets, saxophones, maracas, guitars, and more already made in premade pieces. I needed a grand piano and a drumkit. The piano design came from Masao Hidaka on YouTube. For the drumkit, the bass drum & toms specifically came from Bricks4All on YouTube. For the other hardware, I took inspiration from other kits I saw and made my own.
LEGO Diversity: Millennium Stage has done a great job at presenting artists of different races, ethnicities, identities, and backgrounds. I thought it would be a disservice for my stage not to reflect that as well.
I didn't own any Black minifigures before building Millennium Stage. Almost all of my sets from childhood included yellow minifigures. Black and tan/white minifigures were only reserved for sets based on licensed properties or real life individuals. Of the licensed property sets, a majority of the minifigures they have created are based off white people. There is a great disparity in the levels of abundance for Black minifigures compared to the other colors.
LEGO has kept yellow as the default minifigure color. From a Gizmodo article, a LEGO representative stated "the yellow-headed minifigure was a conscious choice. Because of their ethnically neutral skin color, Lego [sic] people can be any people-- in any story, at any time."
1. I think this is a naïve way of looking at race. The world is full of diversity, and that should be celebrated. Our toys should reflect that for our children.
2. With LEGO adding diversity to licensed sets, it muddies their original message. They've already partially opened the door, you can't shut it back now. It may be time for a new message.
What bothered me the most when I was searching for Black minifigures was most of the ones I found were frowning or looked stern. Most of the yellow minifigures are smiling. This doesn't feel right.
LEGO Millennium Stage audience!
Changing subjects to talk about different kind of representation: LEGO introduced its first wheelchair for minifigures in 2016. As the Millennium Stage is accessible to all, so is my stage. The wheelchair is here too.
Tech Booth: This was fun to create, because of all the little details and props I could add. The booth door can swing open and closed. The drawer under the camera platform is also functional!
The Multimedia crew has given some of their gear and carts punny names. In keeping with the tradition, the LEGO Multimedia Rack is named "Shrak." Long live Shrak!
The LEGO booth resting on top of the human-sized booth, both facing the same orientation.
Drawer opens to reveal camera equipment and more! (They don't actually keep food or gold in the human-sized one)
Video Screen: Originally, the LEGO video screen was a stationary set decoration. Once I built the stage, it occurred to me I would like to watch actual Millennium Stage performances at my Millennium Stage. So I redesigned the video screen to be removable. In its place, I could set my phone down and play past broadcasts of Millennium Stage off of YouTube.
Taking the screen off of the proscenium
Watching Millennium Stage at Millennium Stage, on the ground in front of Millennium Stage. Still is from the March 12, 2020 "National Sawdust: Sonic and Womxyn Amplify" performance (Link).
Lights: This was one of my earliest What If's and the last one to come together. I used Light My Bricks, an Australian company that makes lighting specifically for LEGOs. They provide supplemental kits for official LEGO models, as well as DIY options.
The stage lights are string LED lights that cast a warm white glow. The towers use multicolor strip lights, which slowly cycle through the rainbow. There are also lights made out of LEGOS, but they are only there to add extra detail to the stage.
Adding the strip lighting to the towers
The lights are powered by two battery packs. These are housed backstage, where I have built a platform to hold them in place. This platform does not exist on the human-sized stage, but creative options for vertical storage like this would be beneficial there.
Picture of the backstage
Special thanks to Millennium Stage electricians Chandler Bryant & Josh Ingle for consultation on this aspect! I miss you guys. I miss the whole crew. We'll be together again one day.
A few more pictures of note before I wrap up:
Rare shot of the stage without the stage or proscenium during the lighting installation.
The Stage Left wing
View from the Stage Right wing.
The Stage Right wing and upstage crossover
Size comparison of the Millennium Stages
The LEGO booth and the human Millennium Stage
Comparing the proscenium tilts. I did passable work for remotely eyeballing the lean's angle.
FAQ:
The computer design of the stage used 867 bricks. The computer design of the booth used 404 bricks. I have added more detail since then to each, so I have absolutely no idea what the current totals are. I'd guess I've added over 200 bricks, perhaps even 300.
The stage was designed over one day in Late May. Pieces were ordered shortly thereafter. The LEGO Group can be slow to order custom brick orders from. The wait was agonizing. I received the LEGOs in early July, and built the stage in a couple hours. I then worked on and off on the What If's until Late November. All together, it took six months.
The audience features Mae Jemison, Mary Jane Watson, a blonde Peter Parker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Birthday Cake Guy from the Minifigure Collectibles Series 18, a skeleton (why not), and Nick Fury accompanied by a lady also sporting an eyepatch. A minifigure of me is hiding in the booth watching the show.
So, that's the stage! This will probably be my latest LEGO project for a while. I have two other projects on my plate, both I have put off for too long...
LEGO Millennium Stage and Me!
Thank you for joining us at the LEGO Millennium Stage on the Millennium Stage! For more information on upcoming Millennium Stage performances, please visit Kennedy-Center.org or on Facebook. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your evening at... the Kennedy Center.
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