Cyclorama

A cyclorama is a panoramic image on the inside of a cylindrical platform, designed to give viewers standing in the middle of the cylinder a 360° view, and also a building designed to show a panoramic image. The intended effect is to make viewers, surrounded by the panoramic image, feel as if they were standing in the midst of a the place depicted in the image.

Background

Panoramas were invented by Irish painter Robert Barker, who wanted to find a way to capture the panoramic view from Calton Hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland. He subsequently opened his first cyclorama building in Edinburgh in 1787.

Cycloramas were very popular in the late 19th century. The most popular traveled from city to city to provide local entertainment — much like a modern movie. As the viewers stood in the center of the painting, there would often be music and a narrator telling the story of the event depicted. Sometimes dioramas were constructed in the foreground to provide additional realism to the cyclorama. Circular and hexagonal-shaped buildings were constructed in almost every major US and European city to provide a viewing space for the cycloramas. For example, a 360° depiction of the land and naval battles of Vicksburg was completed and first exhibited in Paris. This work by Lucien-Pierre Sergent and Joseph Bertrand traveled to New York, Chicago and San Francisco and Tokyo. Hundreds of cycloramas were produced; however, only about thirty survive.

Cyclorama (album)

Cyclorama is the fourteenth studio album by Styx, released in 2003. This was the first studio album with Lawrence Gowan, following the departure of group co-founder Dennis DeYoung in 1999. It was also the last album to feature Glen Burtnik, and the only album released by the Lawrence Gowan/Tommy Shaw/James Young/Glen Burtnik/Todd Sucherman lineup. The album peaked significantly higher on the Billboard album charts than Styx's previous release, Brave New World, ending up 48 slots higher at #127.

The album's first single was "Waiting for Our Time". It failed to chart.

To date, this is the band's last album of original material.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Glen Burtnik, Lawrence Gowan, Tommy Shaw, Todd Sucherman, and James Young, except where noted. 

Personnel

Cyclorama (theater)

A cyclorama is a large curtain or wall, often concave, positioned at the back of the apse. It was popularized in the German theater of the 19th century and continues in common usage today in theaters throughout the world. A "cyc" (US theatrical abbreviation) can be made of unbleached canvas (larger versions) or muslin (smaller versions), filled scrim (popularized on Broadway in the 20th century), or seamless translucent plastic (often referred to as "Opera Plastic"). Traditionally it is hung at 0% fullness (flat). When possible, it is stretched on the sides and weighted on the bottom to create a flat and even surface. As seams tend to interrupt the smooth surface of the cyclorama, it is usually constructed from extra-wide material.

As the name implies, it often encircles or partially encloses the stage to form a background.

An infinity cyclorama (found particularly in television and in film stills studios) is a cyc which curves smoothly at the bottom to meet the studio floor, so that with careful lighting and the corner-less joint, the illusion that the studio floor continues to infinity can be achieved. Cycloramas or "cycs" also refer to photography curving backdrops which are white to create no background, or green screen to create a masking backdrop.