USA - A sense of foreboding runs through Murder Ballad like the creaking noise in a dark and unfamiliar house. The Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash rock musical tells the story of a love triangle gone bad, as it spins into a vortex of ever-increasing pain, betrayal and shattered emotions. In a recent production of the 2012 cult favourite at the Broward Centre for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, lighting designer Clifford Michael Spulock captured the apprehension of characters caught in a world turned upside down. Helping him evoke this feeling in powerful, unsettling fashion were the gobo capabilities of the Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 Spot fixture. “The show is really charged with emotion as it moves through the breaking and splintering of relationships,” said Spulock. “I wanted to portray this feeling as literally as I could, not just with color,
UK - West London lighting and video rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment has expanded its fleet of vehicles with a new artic and trailer – a Volvo FH460 Globetrotter Euro 6 tractor unit, complete with a 45' Schmitz Cargobull low-ride Tri-axle semi-trailer. This vehicle - chosen for its efficiency and dynamics - is an investment made for the convenience of trucking equipment to tours and festivals across the UK and Europe. It will also offer clients an additional element of cost-effectivity as Colour Sound can offer independent trucking services for large one-offs. The truck will be especially busy during the upcoming festival season and will help streamline overall production logistics by reducing the off-site pick-ups required. “All our vehicles have been bought with a view to making our operations as flexible and versatile as possible to suit client n
Mexico - Experiencias Xcaret is aptly named. A collection of majestic parks by the sea, this eco-tourist destination is intended for those who want not merely to visit Mexico, but to experience it in all its natural beauty and rich cultural traditions. Within its expansive grounds, visitors can enjoy over 40 attractions that afford them the opportunity to wander through lush jungles, swim in underground rivers, explore caves, contemplate evocative Mayan ruins, and enrich their minds and senses with an array of other activities. The winner of three consecutive Travvy Awards (the international tourism industry’s equivalent of the Oscars), Experiencias Xcaret is constantly seeking ways to enhance its offerings to visitors, while maintaining its earth-friendly environmental footprint. It did both recently when it upgraded the lighting in its theatres with Ovation E-260WW IP LE
USA - Singer songwriter Jackson Browne is takin’ it easy these days on lamp changes and power requirements by using an all-LED touring rig which includes High End Systems Sola Series. Lighting designer/director Steve Comer chose five SolaFrame 2000s from lighting vendor Bandit Lites on his springtime acoustic concert tour, which ran through 13 U.S. cities 22 March through 9 April. “Our acoustic tour is a scaled-back tour production wise,” Comer explains. “I had to design a rig that could fit in a minimal truck footprint and still go up easily on a daily basis.” The LD says using an all-LED rig has been an ongoing goal. “We have been pushing to go 100 percent LED with Jackson for a long time now. The fixtures that were always lacking were LED spot fixtures. I tried the SolaFrames because of their light output (at 26,000 lumens from a 600 watt LED sourc
USA - A Yiddish-language production of Fiddler on the Roof opened at Stage 42 in New York City on 21 February with direction by Joel Grey and lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski. Playing an important role in this version of the musical are Elation Colour 5 Profile LED ellipsoidal spots supplied by G Scott Designs. Associate designer is Ethan Steimel who says that Kaczorowski required a fixture that colour changed in a tight warm palette from no colour incandescent to gel colours L162 to L147. He adds that the designer also wanted to achieve a deep blue. The solution was found in the Colour 5 Profile LED ellipsoidal. Housing a 180W RGBAM (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, Mint) LED engine, the Mint LED enhances the production of variable white colour temperatures from 3,200 to 6,500K and increases the CRI. An exceptionally flat field of light, CRI over 94, and a professi
Europe - Ayrton and Lightpower have announced that, from 1 July 2019, Lightpower will take over the exclusive distribution of Ayrton in Germany. "We are looking forward to working with Ayrton,” states Herbert Marx, sales director of Lightpower. “Ayrton is an extremely dynamic brand with innovative, market-leading products of the highest quality. Ayrton's high-quality standards and product and portfolio strategy are a perfect match for Lightpower." “It is a big step for Ayrton to join forces with Lightpower,” comments Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s global sales director. “A short four years after introducing Ayrton to the German market, it is now time for the next distribution level. To have a broader sales approach, to develop new markets and to also offer convincing service on the after sales side.” (Jim Evans)
USA - At Lightfair 2019, the lighting and design trade show held in Philadelphia, TMB will show a wide and varied selection of products derived in large part from the company’s extensive experience supplying innovative products to the entertainment and production staging markets. New to the Firefly Festoon range of professional-grade LED festoon lamps are ‘Classic’ S14, glass, 120V versions. The classic Firefly G45 versions, available in 24V and 120V, are outdoor rated, shatterproof, and safe. Firefly Festoon lamps are well known for their bright consistent colours and whites, plus a selection of golden warm white ‘Filament’ versions. The new Mozart UV is compact and lightweight, is IP65-rated and delivers up to 40 Watts of LED UV power, outputting 100% pure UV light with ZERO visible light. In addition to the compact size, a remote PSU and easy to connect wi
USA - Ayrton, and its exclusive US distributor, ACT Lighting Inc, in conjunction with lighting equipment supplier 4wall Entertainment, supported Boston Ballet’s 2018–2019 spring season with the provision of Ayrton WildSun K-25 TC LED fixtures for Full on Forsythe, a trio of works from prestigious choreographer William Forsythe. The programme features Playlist (EP), Forsythe’s first world premiere to be created with an American company since 1992, the North American premiere of Blake Works I, and the return of Pas/Parts 2018. Boston Ballet’s lighting director, Brandon Stirling Baker, explains why he chose Ayrton WildSun K-25 TC: “As the lighting director of Boston Ballet it is my responsibility to maintain the work of over 100 international lighting designers in our repertory. I am always looking for creative tools and lighting equ
USA - On the North American leg of their current Timeless tour, multinational classical crossover group Il Divo is being supported by a smoothly flowing and versatile lightshow anchored by Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by Showtime Sound LLC. A collection of 22 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures, along with 20 Rogue R1 FX-B units and seven STRIKE 4 multi-formatted lights, are used in the touring rig. Flown on the upstage and midstage truss and hung on vertical truss towers, the Rogue R2 Wash fixtures bathe the stage in even fields of richly coloured light. While the overhead RGBW units bathe the stage in a variety of colours to reflect different moods, their 12° to 49° zoom range allows changes in the coverage area throughout each show to create a variety of different looks. The linear Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures are used to frame the stage. With their infinite pan an
France - Elation Professional’s French distributor, Best Audio & Lighting, is inviting lighting professionals to its studio near Paris 21-23 May for a chance to demo and get hands on with Elation lights, including the newest luminaires in Elation’s comprehensive product line. This is an opportunity to check out Elation’s award-winning product line and get up close with some of the newest offerings such as the Proteus Maximus, Artiste Monet, Rayzor 760, Proteus Smarty Hybrid and Fuze Profile. Lighting control products from Obsidian Control System like the NX 2, M-Touch and M-Play will also be available for hands-on examination. Registration is requested at info@bestaudio-lighting.fr (Jim Evans)
South Africa - DWR Distribution is hosting a studio lighting workshop presented by Peter Rieck on 28 May from 9am to 5pm local time. Peter is well known in the South African industry for lighting countless studio and television productions. His easy-going nature and wealth of experience will make this a training course not to be missed. The course will be hosted at DWR, 9 Zeiss Street, Laserpark, Honeydew. The cost is R450 and includes eats and refreshments. Bookings can be made here. (Jim Evans)
UK - At the beginning of May, a two-year project came to be realised for inspirational Guildford School of Acting lighting tutor Michelle (Mig) Burgess when her design installation Blackout was revealed to the industry. Harnessing the collective powers of light, sound and video in the hope of affecting genuine changes in an approach to mental health, Mig set about on her quest over two years ago. Mig is open about living with Bipolar II disorder – a condition with which she was finally diagnosed in her late twenties. And for the past couple of years, she has been formulating a plan to create a design installation to portray, in a sensory way, the mental journey inside a Bipolar II patient’s head as they transition through a manic episode. The result has been a highly provocative, moving installation, experienced alone for six minutes, and which, over
USA - Djembe! The Show is an energy-filled, theatrical concert experience that mixes traditional West African beats with modern takes on contemporary music that has toured Europe and even been featured on Ted Talks and Oprah’s Super Soul Sessions. It made its limited US debut at the Apollo Theatre in Chicago with lighting design by Zach Blane who used an all Elation LED lighting rig to accentuate the production. Support was provided by Elation dealer ILC. Djembe!, which opened 10 April and ran through 12 May, is a celebration of African culture with drumming and musical performances by a cast composed mostly of West African musicians. Guests of the show were handed a drum – a djembe – and invited to play along. The Apollo Theatre features a three-quarter thrust stage with the audience on three sides, a setup that gives guests an intim
Spain - Lighting designer Eduardo Valverde of Pixelmap Studios utilised the dynamic multi-functionality of Robe’s MegaPointe moving lights together with Robe LEDWash 800s and other fixtures to help create the atmosphere for Popland, a musical journey staged at the WiZink Centre in Madrid. The show was a diverse electronic and symphonic fusion illustrating pop, rock and dance music ‘moments’ from the last 50 years, presented by one of Spain’s most influential mix-masters, DJ Nano, in conjunction with Catalan experimental theatre company La Fura dels Baus and the Darevitam! Orchestra conducted by Bruno Axel. The event - three years in the making - was the brainchild of DJ Nano, who initiated with the concept together with Sharemusic! who produced this very special event with another two major Spanish promoters, Planet Events and Disorder. Eduardo and
Macau - Six Robert Juliat 600W LED Oz followspots have been installed as part of the recent upgrade of the spectacular Franco Dragone show, The House of Dancing Water in Macau’s City of Dreams. The powerful, long-throw LED models were supplied with push-pull, six-way colour changers and heavy-duty adjustable yokes in anticipation of the show’s extremely busy schedule. The House of Dancing Water has been seen by over 5m people since its premiere in 2010. It is probably the largest and most spectacular water-based show in the world and, after more than 3000 performances, the longest running show on the Cotai Strip. The show takes place in the purpose-built, 2000-seat, 270° in-the-round, House of Dancing Water Theatre and is directed by Franco Dragone. The story is focused around a huge 50m x 7m deep pool containing 3.7m gallons of water and involves 90
UAE/Europe - AO Technology has launched AO Drones, a new division in its portfolio of visual design services. Utilising advanced technology developed specifically for entertainment applications, AO Drones’ software facilitates flexible, fast show creation for both indoor and outdoor environments, says the company. AO Drones currently serves the Middle East region from its UAE hub, and Europe from its German HQ. However, with partnerships in America, Asia and Africa, the business is able to deliver shows worldwide. “We’re thrilled to bring AO Drones to the market,” says AO producer Marco Niedermeier. “Over the last couple of years we’ve merged 25 years of experience in visual design and entertainment technology development with this innovative new drone technology, to enable live visual design to achieve a who
Singapore - Concept System recently upgraded the ballroom and function rooms at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel with Martin by Harman RUSH LED light fixtures. Overlooking the picturesque Singapore River, the 30-story Grand Copthorne Waterfront is located in one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations. The hotel’s management recently decided to upgrade the antiquated lighting systems in the ballroom and function rooms with efficient LED solutions, and hired Concept System to outfit the property with Martin RUSH MH 1 Profile. "Elaborate functions like weddings and banquets require stunning visual effects," says Gerald Fong, senior sales manager at Concept System. "The Grand Copthorne selected Martin fixtures because of their quality, efficiency and Harman’s remarkable service, and specifically asked us to use Martin’s LED fixtures in their grand ballroom
Japan - It’s impossible to walk through the prefecture of Gion and not be swept up in its vibrant pace of life. The most celebrated geisha district in a city that is itself the cultural heart of Japan, the neighbourhood is renowned for its dining and entertainment attractions. Both of these offerings are found in the Kyoto Sushi Theatre, a lively venue that serves up a culinary and artistic feast for its customers. Creating a colourful and engaging backdrop for this dual experience is an Andy Hinago-designed lightshow that features a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by PRG Japan. Given that the ‘theatre side’ of Kyoto Sushi Theatre features not only traditional Kabuki, but also more modern, western-style Shingeki performances, Andy (who owns GOTTA, Inc.) placed an emphasis on versatility when putting together his rig for the venue. This led
Australia - Melbourne-based lighting rental and production company MPH Australia, headed by Matt Hansen, continues to invest in Robe products, with the latest additions being over 80 MegaPointes, 50 Spiiders and 50 BMFLs. These join a growing inventory of Robe moving lights, currently in the region of 700, including BMFL Spots and Blades, Pointes, LEDWash 600s and LEDBeam 100s. Hansen has made the commitment to Robe’s newest tech after having utilised the products on shows - including his own - for several years. He founded MPH (Matt’s Party Hire) in 2006 initially to stock LED products like SoftLED cloth and the company has grown into a much larger ‘party’. Having the new technology onboard has been “incredible” says Hansen. “They have been out constantly, and that’s set to continue; MegaPointes and Spiiders are both products ‘of the moment’.”
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds will present a first opportunity for GLP UK to showcase the five new products unveiled at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt last month. It will also demonstrate the degree to which the company has grown this past year. From the corporate end they have celebrated their 25th year by adding Fusion to their brand portfolio, while the UK operation, having moved to larger premises in Redhill, and recruited former Robe and TSL specialist, Greg Westwood as new technical manager. The full complement of UK staff will be present at the booth. In order to give full exposure to the new products GLP has moved to a new location at the Royal Armouries, occupying the main foyer of the New Dock. “This will provide us with a great opportunity to build brand awareness and engage in the kind of networking for which PLASA Focus is well known,” said head of GLP UK, Simon
France - Details of Showlight 2021, the unique lighting colloquium organised for lighting professionals by lighting professionals, have been announced. The next gathering for this quadrennial event will take place on 22-25 May 2021 in the French town of Fontainebleau. The main sponsor for the event will be the 100-year old French manufacturer of followspots and theatrical luminaires, Robert Juliat. The Showlight committee searched long and hard for a setting worthy of Showlight’s reputation for fascinating locations, and settled on the historic town of Fontainebleau which lies 55.5km (34.5 miles) south east of Paris. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its medieval Château de Fontainebleau, a royal and imperial residence for more than 800 years, and surrounded by former royal hunting park, Fontainebleau Forest, Fontainebleau is
Europe - ETC has given new roles for two of its employees. Jeremy Roberts has been appointed as regional sales manager for the UK and Mark White - as regional sales manager for Ireland, & UK rigging. Roberts will support ETC and High End Systems’ dealers, distributors and customers across the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa sales territories and provide strategic and operational client management whilst continuing to identify sales opportunities across these regions. He joined ETC 20 years ago having previously worked as the head of light and sound at Nottingham Playhouse Theatre. He had experience working in theatre for 15 years before starting with ETC in the London office. Mark White has worked for ETC for over 18 years. In his new position, he will focus on growing the business in Ireland whilst progressing ETC’s stage machinery offering across the UK. As the rig
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) knowledgeable staff will be on hand to demonstrate a number of leading brands and technologies from its one-stop portfolio at PLASA Focus Leeds next week (stand N-E02). Continuing Chroma-Q’s celebration of 15 years in LED innovation, the multi award-winning Color Force II will be on show to demonstrate stunning colour blending for a multitude of cyc, wash and effects lighting applications. The award-winning Space Force LED space/soft light will be illuminating the stand. It combines a powerful output with tuneable white control in a lightweight, internally ballasted design featuring low heat convection cooling. Using a homogenised LED source capable of delivering variable colour temperature, plus/minus green shift control and the ability to produce deep saturated colours when needed, the Studio Force II is specifically designed
Germany - Singer-songwriter Max Giesinger has been a regular in the German-speaking world of music for several years. Following the 2016 album The Boy Who Runs, Giesinger released the studio album The Journey in the Autumn of 2018. From mid-February to mid-March 2019, he embarked on the first leg of his eponymous tour, which led him through German arenas via four stops in Austria and Switzerland. Lighting designer Tom ‘Standtom’ Groß, who has been with Giesinger since 2016, produced an unconventional design for the tour. "In the run-up to the tour, I brainstormed this with the management and the artist,” he recalls. “I wanted a classic set-up of spot and wash lights, and to avoid a backdrop at the back. So all involved provided input, and the result was a three-dimensional design - minus a backdrop.” In addition to some spots that Standtom foun
