"We positioned the Legend fixtures throughout the venue for maximum coverage with their textured gobos," said designer Kevin Mignone, president of KM Productions. "The fixtures' rotating and continuous scroll gobo wheels gave us a lot of opportunities to create some great looks to reflect different moods at this important event and warm up different areas. Plus its output ensured that we'd cover a lot of space throughout the venue. We used large soft focused patterns to achieve a complete room texture across all the entire seating area. We also made good use of the Legend's zooming capabilities."
Mignone also valued some practical features of the Legend 330SR Spot. "When you do an event of this kind, weight loads and power draw are always important factors to consider," he said. "So the size, weight and efficiency of the Legends were key to their being chosen for this project."
Among the most famous music venues in the world, the Apollo Theatre attracts 1.3m visitors a year. Soon after opening its doors in 1934, the classically designed building on 125th Street began showcasing iconic African-American artists such as Bessie Smith, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and later Duke Ellington and Count Basie, bringing them the international attention they so richly deserved.
Recognizing the significance of the building, New York State acquired it in 1991 and formed a non-profit organization to perpetuate the Apollo's legacy. As part of its undertaking as a non-profit, the theatre formed The Apollo Theatre Foundation with the stated mission to "honour the influence and advance the contributions of African-American artists; and advance emerging creative voices across cultural and artistic media."
The annual Apollo Spring Gala is a key fundraiser for the foundation and draws an elite list of guests along with star-studded performers. An event of this importance demands a lightshow that can be set up quickly and deliver a flawless performance. Mignone and his team have mastered this art quite well. This was the third year in a row KM Productions has been invited to illuminate the gala, which has become one of New York's most popular and prestigious charity events.
(Jim Evans)
