Alice in Wonderland lit with Elation
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The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s version of Lewis Carroll’s timeless classic ‒ first created in London 20 years ago by a design team at the English National Ballet ‒ ran 10-19 February at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh.
“It was a fun challenge to update the work to a much more modern and vibrant aesthetic in collaboration with choreographer Derek Deane,” Goldman commented about his work on the ballet. “When Derek told me he wanted a modern Vegas feel to the show, [director of production] Curtis Dunn and I immediately began discussing adding LEDs to the plot. We were able to use 26 Elation Colour 5 Profiles and they were a workhorse of the show.”
Alice in Wonderland is a classical-style story ballet that the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre gave an imaginative, contemporary flair to. Alice’s peculiar escapades give ample opportunity for colour and creativity, an appropriate task for an intelligent luminaire with a wide palette of colours like the Colour 5 Profile, which Goldman incorporated into most scenes. He describes his use of colour: “Given the desire of the creative team and the themes of Alice in Wonderland, we started the ballet in a naturalistic light and then shifted into ever more saturated colours to enhance the story. The tea party was lit in a golden sunny amber and the Red Queen of course was a saturated blood red.”
He continues, “Set and costume designer Sue Blane and the choreographer definitely had strong opinions about the lighting. The costumes are gorgeous and take light so well that being able to put a bright saturated tonality on many of them really had an impact and refreshed the show to their eyes.”
The ellipsoidal Colour 5 Profile can emit nearly any colour desired from its five-colour LED engine but the fixture can also project variable shades of white light, something that Goldman took advantage of. He says at times he utilized other equipment to provide saturated colours from different angles and then used the Colour Profile fixtures to cut through in a clear white light. “I liked the fact that we could achieve a strong Tungsten white or a bluer daylight white from the same fixture,” he said.
“Next to the inventory at the Benedum Center, these fixtures stood up very well relative to the intensity of Source4 Lekos and other types of fixtures.”
Twenty-four Colour 5 Profiles made up three systems of pipe-end side light, four units on each side in three “ins” worth of side light systems.
During Alice in Wonderland’s two-week run at the Benedum Center there were reportedly no issues with the fixtures which are being considered for the ballet’s touring package as well.
(Jim Evans)
