PRG's Fred Gallo Receives the Third Annual 'Backstage Legends and Masters' Award

NEW YORK, April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Production Resource Group, LLC. (PRG) extended warmest congratulations this week to Fred Gallo, President of PRG's scenic services division on receipt of the Backstage Legends and Masters Award. The Broadway Technical Theatre History Project at Purchase College–SUNY honored the industry renowned technical supervisor on Monday evening, April 21^st in a ceremony at the Performing Arts Center on the College's campus in Purchase, NY.  The award presented by the project annually recognizes an individual that is selected by a panel of distinguished professionals who represent a variety of Broadway production specialties.

"Certainly this recognition is no surprise to any of us at PRG," stated Jere Harris, CEO of PRG. "Fred's tremendous contributions to the approach and technology of theatre production have become industry standards well beyond Broadway. He is a consummate professional with an unrivaled depth of expertise. The industry worldwide has called upon and benefited from his talents. On a personal note, I myself have been honored for these last 40 years to call him my friend and colleague."

An influential force on Broadway for more than 40 years, Gallo's technical expertise has contributed to the success of numerous Broadway productions, including Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, The Who's Tommy, Wicked, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark; and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He has collaborated with and has been trusted to realize the designs of the top scenic designers for the last 40 years including Maria Bjornson, Bob Crowley, Peter England, David Gallo, Peter Larkin, Eugene Lee, Santo Loquasto, Derek McLane, David Mitchell, John Napier, Scott Pask, Doug Schmitt, George Tsypin, and Michael Yeargan.

Gallo comes from a family of Broadway stagehands, in that tradition he began building scenery at the age of 10. He completed a degree in architectural engineering and then returned to theatre, as a technical manager on a number of Broadway shows. He also worked as a shop craftsman for many major films shot in New York, including All That Jazz, King Kong, Moscow on the Hudson, Fame, The Money Pit, The World According to Garp, Sophie's Choice, and multiple Woody Allen films.

Along with his providing supervision and engineering design for countless scenic projects and space renovations, he helped to develop PRG's Stage Command, the company's patented scenic automation system that revolutionized the execution of scenic effects in live performance. Gallo holds two patents for theatrical equipment he designed and frequently serves as a consultant on the engineering of theatrical rigging systems for theatres worldwide. Gallo continues today, as he has for many years, to be a proud member of IATSE locals 1, 52, and 311.

Over the last four decades Gallo has worked on Broadway, as well as on films, themed attractions, industrials, major events, and global spectaculars. Though based in New York, Gallo's career has seen him involved with productions around world, most recently taking him to Melbourne, Australia for the premiere of the technically astounding King Kong. Over the past 12 years, Gallo has also overseen and been instrumental in the renovation of over 100 theatres to enable them to present large and technically sophisticated productions such as Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and King Kong.

Dan Hanessian, Associate Professor at Purchase, who launched the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project in 2011 explained, "The goal of the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project is to create a living history of the shops and technical personnel who have played a role in the realization of Broadway productions." Gallo, who joins previous honorees Artie Siccardi (2012) and Arnold Abramson (2013), not only fits the criteria of the award but exceeds it as Hanessian notes, "When your competition calls you 'the best technician of our generation' it really makes it clear just how deserving Fred is of this award. We are excited to be honoring Fred Gallo, a true master who has been enhancing Broadway theatre for many years."

For more information about PRG, please visit www.prg.com.

About Production Resource Group — Production Resource Group, L.L.C., (PRG) is the world's leading supplier of entertainment and event technology solutions to a wide range of markets, including corporate and automotive events, concerts, special events, theatre, television and film, trade shows, and installations, such as theme parks, museums, retail stores and performing arts centers. PRG provides integrated services and equipment, including audio, video, lighting, rigging, staging, and scenery and automation systems, for these markets from more than 40 offices in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia

SOURCE Production Resource Group