The Blue Room Interview with Jacco Vroom

We seldom hear or see people who are working behind the scene, specially the SPM or Stage and production Manager ‘coz most of the time they are working at the crow’s nest above or at the side of the stage. Right now we are featuring a dutch national who is exceptionally talented and experienced. This featured Artist is so precise, articulate and pays attention to every details, Get ready to accelerate your mind as we take you back stage with SPM Jacco Vroom.

• Full Name:   Jacco Vroom
• Nationality:   Dutch
• Work / Occupation or present position: Stage and Production Manager
• Years of Experience: 29 years
• Previous company and Work Experience:   Royal Caribbean Cruises, Cirque du Soleil, Stage Entertainment, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Disney Theatricals, Circolombia, Mark Vijn Theater producties, Ambassador Theatre Group, Musical van Vlaanderen …all stage management for musical and circus shows as: The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Elisabeth, Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida, Mamma Mia!, Lion King, Cabaret, The Producers, Disney’s Tarzan, Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, Cirque du Soleil’s OVO, La Cage aux Folles, We Will Rock you

• Which Show is your favorite among all the shows that you handled?   I have a couple; Disney Aida, The Musical Cabaret, Disney’s Tarzan and Cirque du Soleils Corteo.
• Why? Aida, because of the music, the shows design and the fantastic creative team. Cabaret, maybe the best musical ever. Great story, script and music. I did this show on tour, in Amsterdam and in Paris. Disney’s Tarzan is the most spectacular show I’ve worked on, which around 1000 cues, lot’s of performing flying and great design and I could work with Phil Collins. Corteo is the most beautiful of Cirque du Soleil’s show and I’m blessed to have worked on that one.

“Nothing is easy, but when you’re good in what you do it becomes easier in time.”

• Among all shows, which is the most challenging? Why? Disney’s Tarzan probably, because of the enormous amount of cues and performer flying. 
• Which is the easiest? Why?   Nothing is easy, but when you’re good in what you do, it becomes easier in time. 
• What kind or type of show you prefer to run as a PM?   I prefer musicals 
• What size of venue that you consider challenging?   Theatre with a stage too small for the production you have to put in there.
• They said that you are the best of the best of all the Stage and Production Manager, what are the challenges you had encountered and how did you handled them?   A tall person with a big voice, on the other hand gentle and caring person, humbly answered.. Who said that? then continued… Being under stuffed most of the time is the worst, also having a very young new hire who think they already know everything.
• That’s one thing being in this kind of job, be humble from start till the end. One could see if you are, maybe everyone’s busy but they do notice in lots of ways.

• I know that your work can be stressful, do you still have time to enjoy after all the pressure at work?  Certainly this person is showing great support to colleagues by spending time with them and this is his well deserved answer to this question. “I like to drink Whiskey in the crew bar.”
• How do you spend your precious time when you are not working?    Sleeping 🙂  
• If travelling is one of your interest, which place would you like to visit and why?   Philippines. And I would love to go back to some of the countries and cities I’ve visited like Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and New Zealand
• What is your favorite dish?     I eat everything.
• Since theater and concerts are mostly multi cultural already, based on your experience from 1 to 10, what rating will you give them and why?     It all depends on the person, not so much nationality. I will give 8, because there is always room for improvement.
• Will you work with them again?     Absolutely  
• What’s next for you after your career on board?     Vacation 🙂 ( After all the stress at work, he can still smile and make a joke. )  Seriously, not sure yet. Anything challenging. 
•  
• If there are questions and people wanna know more about you, where and how they get in touch with you?     Email at Jaccovroom@gmail.com or check Jaccovroom on facebook.
• You can also email us at admin@e-centralized.com

• Final question. What tips and advise will you give our aspiring production manager and the new entry level stage and production staff?
• Don’t want to go too fast, learn before taking more responsibilities.

No matter how good, experienced or technically knowledgeable, one must have this important traits that everyone should have is to be humble and respect for others. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know everything, none does anyway. People around you will always help no matter what, maybe not your closest buddy but the person that you hated most. It can be a struggle for the first timers but with proper training, tools, supervision and knowledge then you’re on the right track. No one really started on top, and no body started experienced. At some point we all started as a beginner, an entry level or a trainee. Jacco Vroom showed every good traits mentioned in this article, and maybe more to discover if you get to know him better. He is one of the few that considerably a master of this great industry, the art of stage, the Art of theater.

Actual Shows ran by Jacco Vroom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBHNhDrqvrg

Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, which Jacco Vroom did in the USA, Canada and Tokyo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vace3Ua38l4

Tarzan, the musical. He calls this “specific show” actually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvqe4DCX7ko

Aida the musical

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x07AwApyOBsEntracte – Cabaret, the musical I did in Amsterdam and Parishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG-wxEleijcWillkommen – Cabaret, the musical I did in Amsterdam and Paris