News

NEW YORK — WorldStage provided an extensive media-server driven video package for the Broadway musical, Dear Evan Hansen, which relies on the technology to tell the story of a high school senior coping with social anxiety disorder.  Before it opened on Broadway’s Music Box Theatre in Dec. 2016, the show was performed Off-Broadway. The musical premiered in July 2015 in Washington, DC. WorldStage supported those productions as well.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — For Heltemus Productions’ recent touring musical version of Ronja Røverdatter (Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter) in Denmark, LD Sune Verdier of b-ql.dk specified 14 of Robe’s DL7S Profiles, 24 LEDWash 600+ and 12 CycFX 8 fixtures.

NEW YORK – The Electrical Power Working Group of ESTA’s Technical Standards Program has written BSR E1.58 – 201X, Electrical Safety Standard for Portable Stage and Studio Equipment Used Outdoors, a new draft standard, in an effort to offer that guidance. It is being offered for public comment through June 19 2017.

NASHVILLE – With another packed festival season on the horizon, Bandit Lites has recently expanded its production inventory with a purchase of Iluminarc Ilumipanel 180 IP fixtures. The rugged exterior light is ideal for providing colorful washes on the massive scrims at outdoor stages in addition to giving vibrant looks during performances that take place during the day in bright sunlight to crowds that stretch out to the thousands.

PLANO, TX — “The Boardwalk,” a new development in a 90-acre multi-use commercial complex in Plano, TX’s fast-growing Granite Park area, opened with new restaurant, patio and office space totaling close to 29,000 square feet. The development is also luring visitors with a decorative lighting design that includes 1,000 feet of FloppyFlex LED neon. Dallas-based Hossley Lighting Associates and Studio e Lighting Design completed the project, using five reels of FloppyFlex’s large dome, 4000K white product, offering visitors a variety of dynamic looks.

NEW YORK— Blue Man Group is teaming up with Autism Speaks for the third consecutive year and will be hosting autism-friendly performances suitable for individuals and families affected by autism in New York, Las Vegas, Boston, Chicago and Orlando. In its fourth year working with Autism Speaks, Blue Man Group Chicago will also add a second autism-friendly performance to accommodate growing demand.

NEW YORK — Michael Stiller of upLight is using Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Squeek Lights for the U.S. tour of Rocktopia, a show that gives orchestral classics a hard rock edge and adds a symphonic touch to classic rock tunes. The rig includes Rogue, Maverick and other fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

JACKSONVILLE, FL — The Red Hot Chili Peppers, now touring in support of their latest album release, The Getaway, have an impressive visual design that incorporates the synchronized rise and fall of 1,040 LED cylinders on Tait Nano Winches. Gear from Whirlwind is also playing a key role powering the show, the company noted recently, citing the band’s use of its PowerLink Stringers and other gear (multi-pair cable routing, MultiSelectors and Bomb pedal) used for the shows.

RICHARDSON, TX — Bobby Dennis, technical director at The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson, TX, near Dallas, oversaw an upgrade to the lighting rig that replaced its old scrollers with 14 COLORado Batten 72 Tour fixtures, six COLORdash Par-Quad 18s, and six COLORado 1-Quad Zoom Tours, all in time for the church’s 2017 Easter services.  He plans to add two more Par-Quad 18s and two more 1-Quad Zoom Tours by summer.

NAPERVILLE, IL — Lighting designer Justin Litterio used Elation’s ACL 360 Bars for two of Calvary Church’s recent NXT Breakaway events. These events are annual winter weekend youth group retreats with activities, competitions, worship and music. Litterio used the rotating LED color-changing batten for NXT events in Lake Geneva, WI (Jan. 14-16) and Carlinville, IL (Feb. 18-20).