Call her “Deadicated.” Forty-seven years ago, in 1968, Candace Brightman lit The Grateful Dead for her first time at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Her first tour with them was in 1972, she recalls. She’s held the key as the overall production designer and lighting guru since then — keeping alive the psychedelic ballroom vibe no matter what the venue.
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We’ve all had those moments. A familiar face catches your eye and you think, “That guy looks just like fill in famous name. The thing about being backstage after a show is there is a pretty good chance that the person you’re seeing is actually who they look like. About 20 years ago, I met Sarah McLachlan after a show in Toronto. A pleasant conversation ensued between the two of us and a fellow crew member, who was lamenting on the length of our tour. When Ms. McLachlan commiserated, it got interesting.
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TOUR: “Carrie & Lowell” U.S. tour (April-June 2015); U.K./Europe (Aug.-Oct. 2015)
DESIGN: “I am operating the show that Marc Janowitz designed. The show has a simple and sexy look. Most songs are just one or two cues. I find it harder to do the simple looks — it can be difficult to make sure the lighting is stimulating and engaging enough for the audience while trying to not duplicate looks. However, during the last song of the show, ‘Blue Bucket of Gold,’ things get a little crazy.
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I have always had an affinity for strobes. Ever since I got into this biz, I have been fond of all kinds of these fixtures and watched them grow in wattage from small Xenon gas discharged units to Lightning Strikes to LED models that are just blinding. Strobe lights originated in 1931 using flashtubes with energy supplied from a capacitor, similar to a battery, but capable of charging and releasing energy much faster.
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There are a lot of great things about running a magazine publishing company. For one thing, it gives you a medium to engage in discussions with others when you have an important topic on your mind that you feel is beneficial to share with others. Through the years, when I have penned a publisher’s note, it has always been about something in our industry. However, this time I am going off-script. I want to chat with you about an organization I have become aware of that is doing very good work for sick children around the country that you might want to know about.
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Tony Award winner Scott Pask has tackled set design for large theatrical productions many times before, not to mention juggling multiple projects. He had five shows open this spring on Broadway, including the highly acclaimed Something Rotten!, the hilarious musical comedy about the birth of the musical genre in the Puritanical world of South England in 1595. The show was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won one for Best Featured Actor for the exuberant Christian Borle, and it is a true crowd pleaser that lovingly sends up the beginnings of musical theater through a satirical Shakespearean lens.
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