Lighting designer Anne Militello worked closely with director Daniel Ezralow, set designer Bruce Rodgers, and projection designer Amy Shock to create a show concept and concert style for a new artist who has never toured before. "This was definitely a more formal presentation than a loosely-based concept," commented Militello. "The look is clean, precise, and all the lights and truss are in straight lines producing a very simple and formal look. The scenery is very basic, employing mainly scrims and drapes. We definitely did a lot of planning and experimenting to come up with the final look."
"I'm primarily a theatre designer, so it is a familiar world for me," explained Militello. "And, while it was easy to light the show like a musical, the challenge was in taking it on the road where the venues vary from 2,000-seat theatres to a 14,000-seat arena."
"One of the main reasons why I asked VLPS to provide the equipment and crew is because I know I will always get excellence," said Militello. "When the show is on the road, I'm confident that everything will be handled professionally and efficiently."
"Due to budgetary and space constraints, I chose equipment with the best optics and the most flexibility," continued Militello. "I especially like the shuttering capabilities in the VL1000s and the width of VL3000's beam. I used Color Blasts [from Color Kinetics] because they are compact and can fit in small spaces. I also used a combination of tungsten and arc lights because I like the mix and variation of colour temperatures. It gives it a more traditional theatrical look."
Lighting director Wally Lees will be called upon to duplicate what the team put together during rehearsals. "I'm using the Virtuoso VX console because it's versatile and user-friendly," commented Lees. "It is also important for all the precise shutter cuts we're doing with the VL1000s."
Another big element of the show is the projection design. Black and white abstracts and shadow images of different textures and architectural designs were used. "Everything has been mapped out and choreographed to strike the fine balance between light and projection," said Militello.
"The theatrical style made it different from most of the other concert tours we work on," remarked Curry Grant, VLPS senior account manager. "All the equipment we provided, from the type of fixtures to the Le Maitre G-300 water-based foggers, was carefully selected to complement the style of the show."
In addition to the 70 Vari*Lite fixtures and the Color Kinetics Color Blasts the tour also utilizes 25 ETC Source Fours and G300 fog machines from Le Maitre.
(Lee Baldock)
