It was the second year running that HSL has been involved in the event, working for The Design Group, Israeli based technical production suppliers, who co-ordinated all production elements. The Design Group also built the massive venue in the middle of the desert for the 2010 launch of the brand new Dead Sea & Jerusalem Opera Festival, which featured Verdi's Nabucco.
Four containers of lighting kit were dispatched by sea freight from the UK and one by road for the production, which featured a creative stage and Mountain lighting design by Avi Yono Bueno (Bambi). HSL's crew chief on site was Ian Stevens and the project manager was Mike Oates.
Says Oates: "This event takes site specific work to new heights of innovation and ambition. It was a real privilege to be onboard again and work with Eyal Lavee and his team at The Design Group."
Lavee, the show's technical director said, "Working with HSL last year was such a great experience that we wanted to keep the same team this year. It was important on a high profile job like this to utilise the very best companies in the industry, and in HSL we have found a great partner."
The show incorporated nearly 200 moving lights. The majority were Robes, and HSL also purchased 52 new Martin Professional MAC 3K profiles with framing shutter modules specially for the show to fulfil Bambi's specific requests. There were nearly 300 ETC Source Four profiles with 10,19 and 50 degree lenses and over 300 other conventionals including ACL bars, individual PARs and Iris 1 floods.
Challenges included the usual environmental issues of working in a desert, with the sweltering heat, ubiquitous dust and frequent high winds. However, being the second time around, many things were easier. "We became acclimatised a lot quicker, the site was more familiar, and it was a question of knowing what to expect and therefore being better prepared and having the knowledge from last year's experience," explains Stevens.
He worked alongside HSL crew members Charlotte Stevens and Rob Starksfield, both also veterans of Masada 2010, and they were joined by local lighting crew chief, Tzafrir Dagan (Saffi) from Betty Bam, plus Itay Hafner and Ido Derei.
Verdi's Aida at Masada was another major success for the Israeli Opera. It was directed by Charles Roubaud, conducted by Daniel Oren and enjoyed by 60,000 people over eight nights to great critical acclaim. The site also hosted two other shows as part of the entertainment programme- a Verona Concert and a performance by Andrea Bocelli.
(Jim Evans)
