Often I get asked by clients if we require a stage for our dueling pianos show. There are a few factors at play for the answer: Usually a stage is not required but it can be nice to have. My first question would be “How many people are you expecting”? If the answer is over 300 people then a stage is highly recommended and if it’s over 400 then a stage is required.
As I’m sure I will be going into further detail in a future blog, we don’t often do shows to more than 300 people, therefore it’s not totally necessary on most of our shows. It seems that if we do have a stage it is most likely for an event at a venue that either already has a stage that will work well, or they are having some sort of presentation where the speaker needs a stage.
The minimum stage size for our show is 20 feet across and 12 feet deep. Ideally, the height of the stage won’t be more than 24 inches (16 inches is probably best). We want to be accessible to your guests so they are able to reach and place request slips on the pianos. Also – the more we can make dueling pianos feel like we are playing in someone’s living room and are just part of the party, the better.
Sometimes, in cases where we are playing at a venue that has a built in stage we prefer to be on the ground. That stage might be in a less desirable area, or could be too high. As mentioned before, in these cases we would prefer to play on ground level or if there is over 300 people might consider having a portable stage brought in.
We usually don’t turn down a stage if offered and they can be a nice addition for any size of group. Please keep in mind the placement of the stage and correct sizing if you’re needing to have one at your event.