Constructed in 1929, the Casino in Avalon Harbor was an iconic entertainment spot during the golden era of jazz, when some of the most famous big bands were broadcast nationally from the ballroom. Hollywood celebrities and tourists from around the world visited the Casino during its heyday in the 1930s and '40s to dance to the sounds of Jan Gerber, Kay Kyser, Bob Crosby, Dick Jurgens and Jimmy Grier.
JazzTrax producer Art Good has chosen to hold his festival at this historic Catalina Island landmark for the past 24 years. With its rich music tradition and breathtaking scenery, there could be no more magical venue for jazz.
The ballroom is on the second floor of the Catalina Casino, a building that has undergone very little change in 80+ years. "Access to the ballroom is very limited because of the age of the facility," said Ryan Steidinger of Pacific Coast Entertainment (Huntington Beach, CA), which has handled lighting design/installation for JazzTrax for the past six years.
"You're dealing with the original 1929 elevator, which is the oldest operating elevator in the state of California. We have to use it to bring everything upstairs to the venue, or else haul gear up a set of 7 very steep ramps. We've learned over the years that we need equipment that's lightweight and gives us a lot of bang for the buck - something that's compact, versatile and bright."
The Casino poses other challenges as well. For one, it doesn't have 3-phase electric power. "I'm dealing with single-phase power, so I need fixtures that have low power consumption," said Steidinger. "I also have very limited rig points, as to where we can hang fixtures. There are three chain motors on the island that work, and we can't bring in any new ones because they're mostly 3-phase. So we have to use what's existing in there."
Given these physical limitations, Steidinger decided to use an all-Elation Professional lighting rig at JazzTrax this year. The festival's lighting consists of six Elation Power Spot 700 CMY-II; eight Elation Design Spot 250; 24 Elation Design LED 36 Brick; Elation DMX Branch/4 (4-way DMX distributor); and two Antari Fazer, which are distributed in the US exclusively by Elation.
One of the Casino's most notable features is a huge tiffany chandelier about 65ft in diameter, which serves as a centrepiece of the visual display. "All of our lights play off the chandelier," said Steidinger. "The facility has installed a dimmer system that addresses just the house lights inside that chandelier. We are able to gain control over it, so we can actually change the colors and adjust them to the moods of the rest of the lighting."
Art Good notes, "The effects were stunning - I think it's the best the ballroom has looked lighting-wise since its 1929 inception. I probably enjoyed sitting on the side of the ballroom watching the lighting as much as I did listening to the music. I look forward to the same effects next year. It was absolutely outstanding."
(Jim Evans)
