Germany - Munich’s traditional weekend of classical music, Klassik am Odeonsplatz, by Pro Events Veranstaltungs GmbH, which is held in the historic city-centre square named after the former concert hall on its north-western side, took place in mid-July 2022. Over two sold-out nights the event hosted a programme of classical music from the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra on the first night, conducted by Daniel Harding, and an evening of movie theme music played by the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle ahead of his three-year residency as conductor of the Munich Philharmonic next year. The performances were enjoyed each night by an audience of 8000 people and broadcast live to 1.5million viewers on Germany’s premier ARD television station. Assistant lighting designer in charge of programming and key lighting, Nick Schmitt, jo
UK - The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has hired Royal Albert Hall executive Ollie Jeffery as director of event operations and technology. Jeffery spent over 18 years with the Royal Albert Hall, most recently as head of production and technical. Jeffery’s experience at the Royal Albert Hall included developing the venue’s lighting and audio services, establishing an apprentice scheme, and supporting the delivery of around 400 events a year. EICC CEO Marshall Dallas comments: “As we aim to further establish the EICC as a globally-recognised conference venue, getting someone of Ollie’s international experience and know-how on board is a major coup and signposts our ambitions for the years ahead. We look forward to Ollie helping to drive continuing success during our next phase of growth.” Jeffery adds: “I am extremely pleased to be j
Creative Careers - The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a £950,000 careers programme aimed at giving young people from under-represented backgrounds opportunities in the creative industries. The Creative Careers Programme, which will include theatres, is being led by ScreenSkills, and will target 53 priority areas across the country, including Barking and Dagenham, Wolverhampton, Rotherham, Slough and Swindon, the DCMS said. Delivery partners include Get Into Theatre, One Dance UK, UK Music, UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre. The programme aims to help young people from under-represented backgrounds "break into the creative industries" and will offer guidance on careers, help pay for lesson plans, establish a dedicated careers website and provide training for careers advisers. ScreenSkills chief executive Seetha Kumar said: “I
UK - Rean has launched the Power X Series ‘ruggedized’ power connector harsh environment power connector series. Molded from V0 raw materials and rated to UL 94V-0, the IP65 certified Power X Series provides high levels of fire retardant, dust and moisture resistant protection. A CBC connector – a connector with breaking capacity – Power X Series components are certified according to EN/UL 60320-1, with the cable connectors accepted as a component for cord sets according to IEC 60799, ensuring true mains breaking capability. Power X Series is also certified as fully compatible with Neutrik powerCON True1 products. Rean product manager Tommy Huang says. “As a world-leading provider of connectors to the entertainment production industry, Rean’s Power X Series offers an amazing feature set at an unrivalled cost-performance point, providing for smart effi
UK – The summer season at Warwick Castle presented back-to-back challenges for Full Production, called upon by event producer Pixel Artworks to provide lighting, crew and expertise for the historic venue’s two big visitor attractions – Dragon Slayer and Sundown Spectacular. Warwick Castle, owned by Merlin Entertainments, hosted the two family-fun attractions in the spacious castle courtyard, just a few days apart in August. Pixel Artworks brought in Full Production having worked with them on a number of previous projects. Full Production’s director of live events and touring, Marc Thornton, served as lighting designer and led the company’s team under the guidance of Pixel Artworks’ production manager, Joe Kelly. The first show, Dragon Slayer, had two acts: the first - a live action extravaganza complete with knights on horseback battlin
South Africa - Located in the heart of Sandton, Johannesburg, Zioux is a fusion of food, drinks and music with a funky lounge vibe and interior design inspired by South African wildlife. Zioux manager Dino Constantinou is into technology and knew lighting would be integral to creating the right ambience in the restaurant. He was delighted when DWR specified 18 x Robe moving lights – 12 x LEDBeam 150s and six Spotes fitted with wide angle lenses – to help make the atmosphere extra special. Johnny Scholtz headed the project for DWR. Dino already had ideas about what he wanted, which was lighting to create subtle effects and texturing around the room for general dining, which could be ramped up to generate excitement and hustle for the later evenings and live DJ sets at the weekends. The venue is also used for events which have different and additional lighting requi
USA - A festival celebrating the earliest form of aviation was complemented by the very latest in aviation technology, when drone show specialist Verge Aero flew a series of spectacular light shows for the 50th anniversary Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF) in New Mexico. Known as “the most photographed event in the world”, the AIBF is a celebration of the oldest human aviation technique, the hot-air balloon, pioneered by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783 and capturing imaginations ever since. This year, the spectacle attracted around 900,000 visitors over its eight-day run in October – and the organisers were, as ever, pushing the boundaries of entertainment for their awe-struck audiences. “We’ve been interested in drones since we first saw them a number of years ago at Superbowl Half-Time,” says AIBF executive director Paul Smith. “The cost
USA - More than 350 touring professionals, students and mentors gathered at Nashville's SoundCheck rehearsal studios for the 11th Annual Touring Career Workshop (TCW). There they participated in workshops and heard from experts from a variety of fields including affordable health care, tax and savings advice, mental health wellbeing, personal safety, diversity and touring as well as giving back. Bandit Lites chair and founder, Michael T. Strickland delivered the keynote address where he addressed current legislation before Congress and the industry’s need of The Entertainment Association. “As we returned back live to our flagship event after a three-year hiatus, we were truly honoured to have Michael Strickland join us to talk about the work he has been doing with Congress and his fantastic initiative with the Entertainment Association,” said Chris Lisle, co-fo
USA - Panic! at the Disco kickstarted their Viva Las Vengeance arena tour at Austin’s Moody Center in September, with a 70s and 80s rock-influenced high-octane show. Conjuring up rich colours and sharp beams were 128 VL2600 Profile luminaires from Vari-Lite. Celebrated production designer Sooner Routhier worked closely with the band and their management to design and build the show, collaborating with Alex Specht as associate lighting designer/lighting director and André Petrus as associate production designer/lighting programmer. Together, they created a design that would take the audience back to the early days of large arena rock productions, as the band played their new album in its entirety in Act II of the show. (Acts I and III saw the group treat fans to their biggest hits.) “We resurrected pods of lights seen in vintage rock productions and added a
USA - Big concert tours were back in a big way this past summer and The Weeknd’s ambitious After Hours til Dawn outing is perhaps the best example. Lighting designer Jason Baeri is using over 450 Elation Proteus Hybrid and Proteus Excalibur moving head luminaires as workhorse fixtures on the tour, an elaborate, visually striking show that has been selling out major stadiums across North America since July. The first leg of the all-stadium tour kicked off on 14 July at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and concludes on 27 November at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The tour is also scheduled to visit South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. After Hours til Dawn is a monumental show that reflects the artist’s status as one of the world's best-selling music artists and is his most ambitious production to date. The conceptual show,
Germany - Cameo has introduced the P-Series. These LED profile spotlights are aimed at professional users from the theatre, TV and event sectors and are available in Tungsten, Daylight and Full-Colour versions. In addition to its light output and flexible handling, the P-series also features high CRI and TLCI values as well as a lifelike white light and colour rendering. The P series includes the P2 T (Tungsten, 3,200 K), P2 D (Daylight, 5,900 K) and P2 FC (Full-Colour, RGBAL) models. With a light output of up to 17,000 lm (P2 FC), the P2 profilers are the perfect replacement for conventional 1kW profiled spotlights. The units can be flexibly adapted to different stage requirements via a variety of optional interchangeable lenses. There is a choice of interchangeable lenses with fixed beam angles (19°, 26°, 36° and 50°) as well as zoom lenses for the ranges 15°-30° an
Belgium - Completed in 2002, the Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem designed Concertgebouw Brugge has been hailed the world over for, as one critic wrote, “its acoustic wizardry,” the result of a series of technological innovations that reduce the length of reverberations. In keeping with its commitment to providing the most pristine acoustical experience possible, Concertgebouw Brugge replaced its traditional tungsten moving fixtures with the Chauvet Professional Maverick Silens 2 Profile, a completely fan-less LED fixture designed to operate in total silence. Concertgebouw Brugge installed the first eight of its 20 Maverick Silens 2 Profile units during the COVID lockdown; the remaining dozen were added just recently. “We went ahead and acquired more of the fixtures, because we were so impressed with the original eight,” said stage manager Geerolf Jacques. “Ove
Estonia - Robe was the moving light of choice for the 2022 Saaremaa Opera Festival staged in a purpose-built tented arena erected beside the charismatic Kuressaare Castle in the south of Saaremaa Island which was the dramatic location for five days of popular opera and other performances, all presented this year by the Silesian Opera (Opera Śląska) from Bytom, Poland. The substantial venue measured 30m wide by 60m long and accommodated 8000 guests over five days. The event was organised by Eesti Concert and saw a repertoire programme comprising operas Romeo & Juliet and La Traviata, a gala show, a Mozart evening with a ballet production of his Requiem and a specially created children’s opera. Polish LD Dominik Ksol created a production lighting design to cover all five shows, and was assisted in Estonia by Andres Sarv and Tõnis Järs from
Malaysia - When a retailer staged its first public exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, it kicked off the event with a party for 300 VIP guests capped by a light and drone show in the heart of the city. Lighting designer Michael Chan of Singapore-based Lighting Insomnia designed the lights and lasers for the event using 120 Claypaky Mythos 2 fixtures mounted on the 6th Floor of Suria KLCC (the rooftop), which is connected to the Twin Towers on both sides. Guests attending the party at the nearby Sky Garden at Permata Sapura were invited into the garden at the close of the evening to enjoy the surprise of a thrilling aerial show. “As the first private event to be held at the Petronas Twin Towers, the idea was to have power light beams emit from the towers and create an awe-inspiring light and drone show in the heart of the city,” explains Michael. “I believe it was the fi
USA - The 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards gathered in Nashville ‘to celebrate Christian and Gospel performers, fellowship and honour God’. The performance packed night also saw Grammy Award-winning CeCe Winans named as Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for her No. 1 Billboard hit, Believe for It. While the theme of the awards was Sound of Heaven, production designer Scott Moore worked hard to make sure the visuals were just as phenomenal, selecting a linear design that gave the set a contemporary take on a classic Art Deco look. “I attempted to incorporate that linear concept into everything from truss layout, scenic choices and the Edgelight installation while leaving (lighting designer) Mark Carver the ability to insert lighting fixtures in a variety of locations,” said Moore. “The end result was a clean and efficient design aesthetic that accommo
Japan - Kennedy House, a noted nightspot in Tokyo’s Ginza area reflects the classic hits popular in Japan from the 1960s through the 1980s. The Hibino Lighting team kept this goal firmly in mind when redesigning the lighting rig at the club, which opened its Ginza branch in 1985. “Songs from the classic era make up most of the music at this venue,” said Hiroshi Adachi of Hibino Lighting. “Most of the clientele grew up in that era. They come here to enjoy a meal, listen to music, and have fun. So, we wanted to create lighting that contributed to this atmosphere without interfering with the artists on stage.” Evoking the right atmosphere was only part of the Hibino team’s mission. They also had to ensure that their design would be camera friendly, since Kennedy House videos these performances for streaming. They achieved both goals with a balanced, flexible r
Finland - A zactrack SMART real time tracking system has been installed on the Main Stage at the Tampere Workers’ Theatre (Tampereen Työväen Teatteri - TTT) in Tampere, Finland, where it is being utilised by both the audio and lighting departments. The building housing this 800-capacity stage was completed in 1985, its 20m width making it the second largest stage in Finland. The Theatre’s repertory programme presents Finnish plays, world literature classics and a diverse and vibrant range of musicals. In 2020, they invested in L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive audio technology which brought the requirement for a leading-edge tracking product that would work for both audio and lightin,g explained Pauli Molnar, sales manager from zactrack’s Finnish distributor, Intersonic based in Espoo. In the initial months of using L-ISA, it soon became apparent that accurate,
Singapore - Believed to be the first production in Singapore to feature Claypaky’s Tambora Batten, the revival of The LKY Musical recently concluded its run at the Sands Theatre at the Marina Bay Sands. Lighting designer Gabriel Chan chose 24 of the high-powered batten fixtures to provide backlighting and effects lighting for the show, presented by Aiwei and Singapore Repertory Theatre. The LKY Musical is one of the most successful Singaporean shows of all time and the first large-scale musical to play the Sands Theatre in more than two years. The production opened to a sold out run at its debut in 2015 and was nominated for several categories in the Straits Times’ Life! Theatre Awards, including best lighting design by Gabriel Chan. The production is based on the life of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. It spans about 30 years fro
Australia/UK – When UK-based lighting supplier Version 2 invested in dimming technology from LSC Control Systems, the new equipment paid dividends on its debut outing. Version 2 purchased 12-way GEN VI dimming modules from LSC, the Melbourne-based manufacturer, to go straight onto ITV’s 2021 production of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Managing director Nick Edwards has been an LSC customer for many years, and continued investing in them when he founded his own company, Version 2. “LSC’s reliability has always stood out,” he says. “Having used them for so long, I know it’s very rare to get a call from site to say an LSC dimmer’s gone down. It’s pretty much unheard of!” His faith in LSC’s technology – and its world-class customer support – was rewarded when Version 2 deployed 10 x 48-way GEN VI dimming racks on the production
Open Air Abba - Mamma Mia! is to perform outside at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre next year to celebrate 24 years since the show premiered in London in April 1999. The show will run at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the largest open-air concert arena in the UK, from 14-18 June 2023, as part of the show’s UK & International Tour. It marks the return of theatre to the venue, which has hosted music acts in recent years. More than 30,000 tickets are on sale for the six performances. Creator and producer Judy Craymer said: “We are so excited to be bringing Mamma Mia! to Scarborough Open Air Theatre next summer. With its heart-warming story told through the wonderful music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! lends itself perfectly to the outdoors.” Closure Threat - The future of a Manchester music venue which has hosted bands such as Wet Leg, Elbow and the Arctic M
USA - Following long careers of service to the entertainment technology industry, two of Elation Professional’s sales partners have announced their retirement effective at the end of the year. Jim Harrington of JLH Marketing and Richard Wilson of R.L. Wilson & Associates, both independent sales representative firms based in Southern California, will be retiring effective 31 December. The choice to call it a career after so many years in the industry was naturally not an easy one to make for either professional. “The decision took a lot of soul searching,” said Jim Harrington, who has worked in the entertainment technology industry for some 50 years, “but I believe it’s time.” Jim first met ADJ Group founder and chairman Chuck Davies in the early ´70s when both worked in retail audio, and he has been working with and for him ever since. In 2008, he started h
Germany - Astera Titan Tubes provided a solution for the lighting of a rolling ‘small stage’ scenic truck which was central to the action for the 2022 Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival’s production of Allessandro Nell’Indie by Leonardo Vinci, directed by Max Emmanuel Cancic and lit by David Debrinay from Paris and Lyon, France, based design studio, LJOMA. Three performances were staged at the Margravial Opera House (Markgräfliches Opernhaus), a UNESCO World Heritage site. David is well acquainted with Astera products, and he initially asked lighting specialist Kai Fischer, the festival’s technical production manager who co-ordinates all the lighting procurement, if he could source Astera AX1s or Titan Tubes for the task of lighting the small stage – which played an integral role in the narrative. The story is focused on Alexander the Great’s
Europe - The Rolling Stones took to the road this summer for their first European tour since 2018 with their new show, Sixty, in celebration of their 60th anniversary. The show had a new set design by Stufish and lighting by Patrick Woodroffe, the Stones’ lighting designer and creative director for over 40 years. “When designing a European tour, you must consider the vast range of weather conditions you might meet across the summer from beautiful sunny days to end-of-the-world storms,” says Terry Cook, associate lighting designer at Woodroffe Bassett Designs. “One thing Ayrton has become famous for is their high-powered IP rated fixtures. On the 60th Anniversary Rolling Stones tour we have 83 Ayrton Perseo Profiles over the stage. We have used these units on multiple shows and found them to be bright and reliable. “At FOH, for the first time ever, we specifi
USA - Joe Beardsmore and Jonny Gaskell channelled the power of contrasts when designing the light and video show for David Gray’s recently concluded USA leg of his 20th Anniversary White Ladder tour. Divided into two distinct parts, their client’s show was lit in “black and white shades of CTO cold whites and CTB” for one hour, as Gray performed back catalogue hits; then, following an intermission, concluded with saturated coloured lighting as the star played his seminal 7m sold album White Ladder in its entirety. (Gray changed outfits to mirror this contrast, wearing a black suit at the start of the show and a white one in in its concluding section.) “There were many different things we did to keep it interesting as we created this contrast, between black-and-white and colour,” said Beardsmore. “We relied on about eight different shades of white i
