FARMINGDALE, NY — The 1971 musical Godspell returned to Broadway in November at the Circle in the Square Theatre with a new show, new cast, new design. LD is David Weiner, whose lighting scheme showcases PRG-customized Pulsar LEDs incorporated into vintage fixtures to preserve the production’s continuity and set design.
More details from Pulsar (http://www.pulsarlight.com):
FARMINGDALE, NY —Godspell, the 1971 musical from Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak, returned to Broadway last fall to rave reviews. The new show, spawned from a 2006 production at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, is directed by Daniel Goldstein, and opened in November at the Circle in the Square Theatre with a revamped score, youthful cast and lighting design by David Weiner, whose two-decade resume includes recent Broadway productions such as “The Normal Heart” and “Reasons to Be Pretty.”
One of the challenges for Weiner was enhancing the context of the written word through the illumination.
“In a musical like Godspell, the storytelling is a bit more abstract and not so literal because it’s a very actor improvised creation,” he explains. “Also, because it’s a musical, the lighting is there to help amplify the energy and electricity that the cast is putting out. If you watch a musical number in a rehearsal room and then watch the same exact thing that’s been lit properly, I think you’re going to find that the version under lights is a lot more exciting. The lighting adds another layer to the production.”
Additionally, Weiner’s lighting scheme incorporated the fixtures literally into the set. Working closely with Lighting and Control Systems Technical Supervisor Scott Carpenter from PRG New Windsor, they conceived and built custom 2K Fresnels, Par 64 Cans and “Squirrel Cage Filament” footlight fixtures that incorporated RGB LEDs internally. Because of the direct-view application, Tricolor LEDs were essential for the project. Weiner spec’d Pulsar ChromaHeart-MR16 and ChromaPoint fixtures for their diminutive size, versatility, and evenly blended color effects. The result mimicked the appearance of the older lighting gear in keeping with the show’s rustic design vibe and continuity, but offered contemporary color-changing options.
Approximately 18 2k Fresnels from the 1960s were hung from hemp ropes around the stage. Carpenter replaced the original lamp and socket with the ChromaHeart fixture mounted to a custom bracket and filling the lens with an incandescent glow. The PAR 64 lamps were modified by cutting a hole in the back, leaving the lens and reflector parts intact but replacing the filament and base with the ChromaHeart.
In turn, the “Squirrel Cage Filament” footlights were constructed using a purchased sheet metal shell, a custom Vacu-form bulb and etched acrylic rod created by the Art Department at PRG New Windsor, and the Pulsar ChromaPoint fixture. The ChromaPoint fixture was attached to the shells with the custom mounting brackets. The light traveled through the acrylic rod, illuminating the etching on the acrylic rod, for a fiber optic-like appearance with the Vacu-form bulb covering the acrylic rod to complete the look.
