Kamala's Party - Producing Chicago The DNC covered nearly impossible ground to raise up Harris as the new hero.

At a political convention, power is rendered as geography. The rank and file are stuck in the rafters of the arena; the delegates jostle on the floor. Donors and VIPs are positioned up in a ring of luxury suites, their status-conferring badges and passes flapping from their many lanyards. The staffers toil down in the bowels, harried and molelike, their eyes on their phones. But at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, maybe the most important piece of real estate was a narrow space up metal gangway stairs at the back of the United Center, where Ricky Kirshner worked in front of a bank of a half-dozen flat-screens. The Democrats in the hall were extras in a televised event, and Kirshner was producing the show.
At 7:45 p.m. Chicago time on the convention’s third night, Kirshner took off his headset to talk for just a moment. “I’ve got Stevie Wonder coming,” he said. A veteran producer of awards shows like the Tonys and the Golden Globes, Kirshner had been tasked with creating compelling entertainment out of a four-day speech marathon, making the most of the precious hours of prime time that the television networks had committed to the Democrats each night. He was coordinating, chiefly through nods and signals, with two directors at his table, who were running the stage and the house cameras, while communicating what was coming next to the networks through his headset.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

The Trouble With Men
Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber lead a pair of plays about master manipulators.

A CHINESE-BACKED SOAP-OPERA APP IS KEEPING L.A. ACTORS EMPLOYED
SECRET BILLIONAIRES. AGE-GAP MARRIAGES. PLENTY OF REVENGE.

The Odd Man Out Who's Always In
Michael Cera was made for the Wes Anderson cinematic universe.

The Young Fellows Ball
Nearly 700 fresh-faced supporters of the Frick Collection dressed up in a \"Porcelain Garden” theme to celebrate the museum's long-awaited reopening.

You Just Can't Top Vaseline
WHILE WE'VE GOT nothing against tiny pots of expensive scented goo, the truth is that Vaseline Lip Therapy Original Mini ($3)-the classic, the staple-is the most effective everyday treatment for dry, cracked lips.

Oops, I Muraled Again
A crafty couple in Jackson Heights cover their one-bedroom apartment in floor-to-ceiling color.

HOLLYWOOD HAS LEFT LOS ANGELES
FOR YEARS, STUDIOS FOUND IT CHEAPER TO SHOOT ELSEWHERE. AND NOW THAT THE INDUSTRY HAS COLLAPSED, ELSEWHERE IS THE ONLY PLACE THEY'LL SHOOT.

EVEN NETFLIX IS JEALOUS OF YOUTUBE
MANY LIKE TO PRETEND THEY DIDN'T SEE THE PLATFORM WINNING THE STREAMING WARS. INDUSTRY INSIDERS SAY OTHERWISE.

Food With Some Tooth
Bánh Anh Em's soups and sandwiches are chewy, crunchy, crispy, and crackly—usually all at once.

Abundant Populism
The GOP is closing in on a massive wealth transfer. Can Democrats unite their warring visions?