6. The Ziegfeld Theater’s “Space Age” Console Operator

The current Ziegfeld Theater’s ultramodern technology, which the New York Times once described as “space age,” has allowed for its success. The theater has a computerized console at the rear of the orchestra, which is visible to the audience, that does just about everything. The console not only fine-tunes and controls the theater’s sound, but also changes lenses in the projection booth, opens and closes the doors and curtains, brightens and dims the lights, and even controls the temperature. The theater also has a closed-circuit television system.