Canada - A lighting designer isn't always asked to create more light. Sometimes the client's request veers more toward darkness. Such was the case this December when Pierre E. Roy was called upon to light the holiday show Parapapam at la Maison Symphonique in Montreal.
Roy explained how it transpired: "At the request of the director, we held back on some brightness. He wanted the stage to be kind of dark – but not black – to make it dramatic. He also wanted to make the solo artists more prominent by having most of the stage a bit subdued. When the soloists weren't singing, the orchestra, and/or choir, became more prominent and brighter."
The darkness also created challenges when it came to key lighting a cast that included 30 musicians and more than twice as many chorists. Complicating matters further, the soloists often roamed the stage.
"When the solo artists came to do their numbers, they had specific places to sing, but of course, they never stayed on the X, so I had to followspot them on the show," said Roy. "I had to rely on the fixtures on the FOH to follow them. In other words, I had their starting X and I had made myself an override sub that moved the fixtures from stage right to stage left, in addition to being focused on the operation of my show. Nevertheless, this was a very fun project and all of us were happy with how the five shows in the series turned out."
Roy's inspired use of colour was a big reason why the show turned out so breathtakingly beautiful. Throughout the concert, he created different depths, tones, and auras on stage through colour changes. "I used the colours that I felt best represented each song," he explained. "Another designer might have chosen different colours. The choice of colours is a personal signature for every designer."
Helping Roy write his colour signature in bold, vivid strokes at la Maison Symphonique were 38 Chauvet Professional Colorado 2 Solo RGBW LED washes, supplied by Solotech. Arranging the fixtures on three levels: the stage, Balcony One, and Balcony Two, he filled the entire venue in deep, vivid colours from cool blues and greens to soft ambers and purples, to powerful reds that popped beautifully against the relatively subdued stage. At some points, it seemed as if the stage itself was floating in a sea of colour.
Beyond setting the tone on stage, the colourful lighting from the Colorado fixtures accented the distinct architectural features of la Maison Symphonique with its curved balconies and walls and Quebec beach wood façade.
"This venue is already magnificent," said Roy. "So, all I had to do was choose the colours for each song with my Colorado fixtures, and the magic was done."
