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this position they provide front light, texture across the stage, and scenic element lighting. Additionally, the Ovation fixtures along with a small number of the COLORado 3 units are positioned in a variety of side positions for cross lighting and template coverage. Ovation E-260W and COLORado 3 Solo units are also flown on truss over the video wall and are used for downstage and full stage back lighting. The backwall structure of the stage is uplit with 22 COLORado Solo Batten fixtures, while COLORado 3 Solo units provide downlighting. Adding another new dimension to The Muny stage are the massive back video wall and two side walls that are made with 238 F4 LED panels. “The entire new rig is my baby,” said Rob. “I have been working on the plot and design of the system for several years now. For me, the biggest thing I’ve noticed is the quality of light from all the fixtures, especially the E-910FC and E-260WW. They have an amazing colour and quality, so it that feels like you’re using a traditional tungsten lamp, but of course they’re LED units with all of the advantages. Plus, like the rest of the rig, they’re outdoor rated.” Rob also worked with CHAUVET to creat an IP version of their colour changing Leko: “I had already hoped and planned that they
would be able to do this about a year before it was even created!” However, a project this size does not come without its difficulties. “With it being an outdoor theatre, we also had to deal with the weather, we lost two nights of our four nights of focus due to rain, so not only were we behind, we were soon starting to worry a tad as weather was not helping. We faced many challenges during the installation but non that we could not conquer!” concluded Rob. Rob has also heard rave reviews of the new lighting system from his colleagues. “The rest of the creative team here has noticed a remarkable difference in the quality and ability of the lighting design,” he said. “Everyone agrees it opens new possibilities in storytelling.” Writing about the theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls, the critic for the St. Louis Post Dispatch singled out the LED system writing: “Particularly representative of the new technology is a scene set in Havana. It’s so richly evocative - and so brilliantly realised - that you’ll want to hop onstage and order a drink.”
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