The Giggs Podcast: #31 Toni Globis | Wardrobe, Props, Lighting & Pyro: The Touring Swiss Army Knife

Welcome to The Giggs Podcast! Giggs is the career platform for live event professionals. We're starting this podcast because there's not nearly enough content out there about what it really takes to be on the road. Whether you're an aspiring tour manager, a seasoned backline tech, or just getting started in the business, this podcast is for you. We're taking you behind the scenes to explore the highs and the lows of life gigging on the Giggs Podcast. 

Toni Globis—stage manager, lighting tech, production lead, and all-around road warrior. With 25 years of experience across theater, touring, festivals, and stadium shows, Toni has done it all—from running lighting for Coachella and Bad Bunny to stage managing 3 Doors Down and working pyro for Pitbull. She’s a problem-solver, a calm presence in chaos, and someone who’s literally worked with everyone from royalty to rockstars.

Listen to the whole episode now! Click here to listen on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube!

The Road Less Traveled

Globis calls herself a “different breed of roadie.” Growing up with theater parents, she was exposed to the industry early, but there wasn’t a clear roadmap to follow. “You didn’t go to school for this—you just became a lighting designer or tour manager,” she says. That meant learning by doing, often under pressure, and pushing through extra hurdles as a woman in a male-dominated space.

Thrown Into the Fire (Literally)

One of Globis' best stories? Her lighting tech quit hours before a dinner theater show, so she grabbed the manual, sat in the booth with a sandwich, and taught herself the board. “I was mortified, but I figured it out,” she laughs. Since then, she’s done everything from running lights for Coachella to managing pyro for Pitbull.

Lead by Doing

Globis' leadership philosophy is simple: don’t ask anyone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. “If I’m making someone run feeder, I’m running feeder too,” she says. “It makes a huge difference when you’re in it with your team.”

The Chaos You Don’t See

From coordinating wardrobe changes to cueing pyro and running lights, Globis breaks down the non-stop backstage communication that keeps a show running. “It’s like having 10 people in your brain at once,” she says. And while things inevitably go wrong, most of the time the audience never notices. “Unless something explodes or someone dies, no one knows but us.”

A Changing Industry

Globis also shares stories about the extra challenges women have faced on tour—like being told to tone down their appearance or even lie about their sexuality to be taken seriously. “Things are definitely better now, but there’s still work to do,” she says.

Loving the Work (Even When It’s Hard)

Touring life isn’t glamorous—long days, no real sleep, endless hours on buses. But Globis wouldn’t trade it. “If it works for you, it works,” she says. “And when it doesn’t anymore, you move on.”

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Catch the Full Episode

For more stories and lessons from Toni’s time on the road, listen to the full episode now.