This technically innovative production makes extensive use of projections and LED screens, so precise control of the lighting was of paramount importance to lighting designer Ken Billington when he joined the creative team for the Broadway production. "The show is all projection; it is a beige box with a brown wood floor and all the scenery is projected. My design approach was to compliment the projection while avoiding having to go too dark. Luckily, the projectors were strong so I didn't have to keep dropping the lighting levels for the imagery to be seen. I found it was great fun to light and I am very happy with how the show turned out."
The lighting was supplied by Production Resource Group (PRG) and Billington chose to use the PRG Virtuoso console, "The choice of the Virtuoso was very simple," says Billington. "The whole show is being done with shutters; there are no irises; it is all VL3500Q and VL1000Arc fixtures. The Virtuoso deals with shutters better than anything I have seen. There was a lot of precise focusing for this show."
David Arch, the Virtuoso programmer for the production, adds: "We never wanted it to seem like there was a distinction between the lighting and the projection; rather that they really blended together. The moving light rig was 99 per cent shuttered units and the Virtuoso handled things very well. I have not worked on a show that went to that much effort to seamlessly blend the lighting and projection."
Arch programmed Sunday in the Park using the new v6.0 Virtuoso software. "I got to really play with it and I like it a lot."
(Jim Evans)
