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April 2023

Streaming The Last Rockstars at the Hollywood Palladium

The Last Rockstars, a Japanese supergroup, played sold-out dates in Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles. We speak with Lighting Designer Peter Morse about his rocking design that showcased the band in the best light, and with Video Director Kevin Garcia about capturing and livestreaming the Hollywood Palladium show globally, including to 100 movie theaters in Japan.

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Tove Lo ‘Dirt Femme Tour 2023’

Mason Ford, Lighting Designer, Programmer and Director for Tove Lo’s “Dirt Femme” Tour, noted how the cloud set pieces were “the main element” at the start of his discussions with Creative Director Charlie Twaddle and the Tove Lo team. They opted to focus more on lighting than video—with no complaints from Ford—with a rig provided by Premier Global Production, the lighting vendor that had supported this artist’s “Sunshine Kitty” Tour in 2020. “When I heard from our Production Manager Tyler Young that we were going with [PGP], I definitely breathed a sigh of relief,” Ford said. “With Mark Donahue out as our Lighting Tech, and the gear they sent us out with, I didn’t have much to worry about.”

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Vance Joy ‘In Our Own Sweet Time Tour 2023’

Vance Joy’s “In Our Own Sweet Time Tour” was Lighting Director Morgan Embry’s first chance to work with LD Sooner Routhier, which Embry called “an absolute pleasure,” noting that the design “has really served the show by allowing us to customize to each venue,” including arenas, stadiums, theaters, and amphitheaters. This tour was also the third where Embry worked alongside Lighting Crew Chief & Tech Quincy Stanton, whom Embry credited for expertise and leadership skill. She also gave kudos to programmers Dan Norman and PJ Carruth for “an excellent job of laying programming groundwork that would translate to clean cloning, regardless of which fixture types changed from show to show.”

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Willa Kim Scholarship & Exhibition; News from Perdue and USITT

The Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has announced the recipients of 2023 The Willa Kim Costume Design Scholarship, honoring costume designer Willa Kim’s legacy and her life’s work as a pioneer, legend, and inspiration for many of today’s theater artists. Kim’s iconic work in ballet, theater, opera, and television is also the subject of a career spanning retrospective at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts as noted in this month’s theater news, along with a new online course in Structures for the Stage from Purdue University. We also look at USITT’s Gateway Program and USITT’s 2023 Joel E. Rubin Founders Award honoree, Elynmarie Kazle.

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Bringing Down the Chandelier on Broadway’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’

Broadway’s longest running show in history, The Phantom of the Opera, takes its final bows and will go dark, closing in mid-April. PLSN speaks with some of the creative and production team who have been with the show since the beginning 35 years ago. Sharing their thoughts are Lighting Designer Andrew Bridge, Associate LD Vivien Leone, Head Electrician Alan Lampel. We also talk with Gary Fails about the fog system, which is integral to the overall impact of the show.

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