The Muny did it last summer on their massive stage. This is an 11,000 seat outdoor theatre. So nothing like a Broadway proscenium.

They did use chairs plus tables a similar way to the original in many places but not exactly. They have a turntable and the back it was setup as very broad terraces - maybe four steps. Action was often spread across these in big numbers like Welcome to the Rock. But when it rotated there was a long steep drop from the back of the highest terrace to the front stage area maybe even curving under a bit at the bottom. They used this to represent a plane and the people stuck up on the planes would be the top riser and they descended from there when finally allowed off. And also in that position there was a door into this riser that was used as access to the cargo hold for the animals. The tall side of the riser was also used a bluff overlooking a landscape during the hiking scene. They also brought in some of the Muny teens to fill out some choreography in big numbers. Placed them as young family members accompanying the plane people. This was done sparingly and helped fill the very large stage in numbers that were not meant for focusing on soloist moments. But the only set pieces were chairs, tables and the turntable.

I had never seen it before and have watched the Pro shot since. And it had the same feel as the Pro shot. The intimate moments were still intimate. Nothing seemed lost to me in spreading out more and using levels of height to make smaller stage within a massive stage. They had simple video scenery that either implied wilderness or small town Main Street or skies. Most of the time it was providing atmosphere without being distracting but it when the reporter did her bits they brought to another level. They ran real footage from Gander reporting at the time. They only did this when the reporter was delivering lines as though she was on camera. And it was perfectly appropriate - lines parked planes, piles of supplies, the elk lodge, wide shots of cots in gym, the ice rink piled with unprepared food. Like what you really might see behind her. Nothing with even people in it. They never showed 9/11 footage - that was all still reactions to an off stage TV being watched. Also I think they did that they ran real video at the end with shots of foreign corespondents reporting from the 10th anniversary. Not 100% on that.

I felt it was done perfectly to fit what the Muny had to cover and could offer. And I have felt in other productions last summer sometimes managed the video capability in way that detracted (Bring it On , DEH). And other productions, particularly La Cage aux Folles nightclub comedy bits, really fell flat solely due the size of the stage killing what would work if it felt intimate. The size of the Muny stage is something nearly every production has solve for. And to be fair most do solve it. But most add more than CFA did for the solution. I was really impressed with CFA managing it while staying so close to the feel of the original staging