NEW YORK — Carnegie Hall’s Oct. 2 opening night gala featuring violinist Joshua Bell and the Philadelphia Orchestra was canceled due to a stagehand strike. At issue: a disagreement between the venue and IATSE Local 1 on whether an educational wing at Carnegie Hall, to be opened next year, would be employing the union’s workers.
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BOSTON — Boston Ballet presented its free Night of Stars performance on Boston Common Sept. 21. The event, which kicked off the company’s 50th season and drew an audience of more than 50,000, was supported by a theatrical lighting package from Advanced Lighting & Production Services (ALPS). The event featured the largest stage ever built on Boston Common, as well as a full live orchestra.
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AARHUS, Denmark — Peter Johansen, who joined RCF Group’s SGM in late 2010 and acquired the Italy-based lighting unit in early 2012, announced that SGM’s production is moving from Italy to Denmark, most likely by the end of 2013. The newly established SGM Manufacturing, a subsidiary to SGM Holding, will operate a 70,000-square-foot facility, with a funding boost from Industri Udvikling, a Danish investment firm that now has a 30 percent stake in the company. SGM also announced the appointment of David P. Meyer (former COO at Velux) as chairman of the board.
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DALLAS – Dallas-based theatrical and architectural lighting equipment manufacturer Syncrolite LLC is ramping up its management team to accommodate industry growth. Since Dave Keighley joined the company as executive vice president and chief operating officer in January 2013, the company is undergoing new product development, improvement of existing products, a heightened level of service for the concert touring/live event industry, and serious expansion into the architectural/installation and TV/film market. Hall Capital Partners, the new owner of Syncrolite, has brought in veteran industry specialists Jerry Trojan and Steve Washington, who were former colleagues at Vari-Lite/VLPS. The new team is joined by Jonathan Adamson, chairman of Syncrolite and a representative of Hall Capital Partners, which is supporting the growth.
Read More »LOS ANGELES — The jury for the civil lawsuit brought by the family of Michael Jackson against promoters AEG Live returned a verdict Oct. 2 that found that AEG Live was not financially liable for the singer’s death.
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BROOKLYN, NY — LDs Tom Kenny and Roy Bennett lit the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, and for Bruno Mars’ performance of “Gorilla,” they relied in part upon dozens of Showline SL Nitro 510 LED luminaire from Philips Entertainment Lighting. The rig also included 200 VL3500 Wash FX, 80 VL3500 Wash, 24 VLX Wash, 80 VL3500 Spot, and 40 VL3000 Spot fixtures from Philips Vari-Lite. VER supplied the gear.
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