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The director with five jobs, Jerry Jackson He never has fewer than about 20 people on stage at one time, and the show moves at such a fast pace he believes it necessary to choreograph costume changes' for each cast member. ?╟úI seldom yell or scream at them (the cast),?╟Ñ he says. ?╟úThe only thing I will not tolerate is a bad attVj tude or laziness.** ,r Jerry rejects suggestions of genius. ?╟úPeople say if you are a genius you are probably vague in other areas ?╟÷ Fm very precise in most things and work hard.?╟Ñ He is his own harshest critic, insisting on personal standards of perfection in every area of the show. However, he dislikes any suggestion of competition for public recognition. Awards he has received are used as doorstops. h ?╟úIf you win yod tend to relax, if you lose you are disappointed,** he says. His reward is the audience reaction. iwp ?╟úWhat we want to do is give them the substance and quality of New York but the spectacle of Las Vegas and Paris,?╟Ñ he says. PEOPLE who work with Jerry Jackson refer to him as a genius. Director is his arbitrary title. He actually conceives, choreographs, writes the music and designs the costumes for the entire Galaxies show. He is sensitive to the needs and moods of more than 100 cast members, regarding them as his friends and he, their confidant. While juggling all these elements, he is also driven to achieve perfection in his work. Jerry, born in a small town in Oklahoma, was crippled until he was 18. A deformation in his foot forced him to wear built-up shoes and he says he stuttered so badly he couldn?╟╓t even say his name. Determination helped him cope with his physical difficulties which he says he still has today. His arabesques around the stage to demonstrate form to the cast do not reveal a trace of difficulty. ?√φ ?√φ?√φ He gained a masters degree in music and taught at( university, dancing throughout to pay his way. He became caught up as a dancer in the Las Vegas hows and at one stage was Fred Astaire?╟╓s assistant choreographer. After directing the 100th anniversary show for the Folies Bergere in Paris, he moved back to America to direct and perform, most recently staging the Folies Bergere shows in Las Vegas. When Jim McDonald asked him to come to Australia for Starz, Jerry took the job because it offered him the opportunity to get away from ?╟ tinsel and feathers?╟╓. ?╟úThere is nothing like this show, even in the Slates,?╟Ñ he says of Galaxies. ?╟úParts of it are very surrealist, some of the dancing is like ballet and the music?╟╓s like the scoring of an opera. We?╟╓re taking a big risk because the show is more about four hours a night. He is otherwise researching costume details, language of the time, dance movements and set details. ?╟úThis is the classiest prison I?╟╓ve been in,?╟Ñ he says looking around the hotel. He has been outside the building only twice in almost 12 weeks. His ?╟ pet peeve*, he says, is the lack of authenticity which can occur in history scenes. Consequently, he understands the fashions of the day ?╟÷I how they were worn and the fabrics used. He spent weeks taking lessons in 13th century fan dancing at $100 an hour. He has read and re-read Tolstoy?╟╓s War and Peace to make sure his Russian scenes have the right feeling and he believes he knows more about Australian folklore and tradition than most Australians ?╟÷ he had to teach the cast the words to our national anthem for the Starz show. This means that the set and costume designers as well as the actors take all their directions and inspiration from Jerry. He notices every detail. ?╟úEverything is in here,?╟Ñ he says tapping his head, ?╟úand it must be translated for the cast and crew He will be working in this production with three horses which are being trained at Mudgeeraba to cope with bright lights, crowds and galloping on treadmills.