Luc Peumans and his team at Belgian creative design practice Painting with Light captured the spirit of Hair's finale on the show's recent Netherlands tour, which was produced by Stage Entertainment, with an intense light display that featured 14 STRIKE 1 multi-formatted fixtures from Chauvet Professional. With their warm white glow, the LED fixtures were instrumental in evoking a natural sunrise for the thematic conclusion, which played out to the music of the iconic Hair anthem, Let the Sunshine In.
"Given that the conclusion of the musical is all about finding a way out of the darkness during a time a war, light was of crucial importance in this final scene," said Peumans. "The STRIKE 1s were perfect for creating a suitable atmosphere, thanks to their retro feel and excellent amber shift."
Placed either side of the stage on specially constructed trussing, the 230-watt single pod fixtures provided an immersive dawn lighting sequence. Peumans also concealed one of the STRIKE 1 fixtures in a centrally positioned coffin. This provided hard-hitting visual support when main character Berger searches for the other main protagonist, Claude, and opens the coffin to the reprise of Let the Sunshine In.
(Jim Evans)
