For the final scene in the production I directed, I had a technical director sent from heaven who built me a grand piano from light plywood which had a trick leg to fall on cue, causing all the prop items to fall into the floor and a large pre-broken & lightly reglued vase which seemed to always shatter on cue.  Other effects were a large swaying chandelier, a fireplace mantel which also fell into the floor into several pieces throwing pictures etc into the floor.  At back center stage. a columned opening had one column crash to the floor, then a set of french doors stage left, opened and closed repeatedly on their own as a large fan blew through the opening whipping at the drapes and a smoke machine poured fog onto the set.  Talcum powder & fake bricks & plaster fell from the flyspace.  Add lightning/thunder effects and sound and it all comes together.  The set was thoroughly "destroyed" in less than a minute. The audience loved it as did the cast.