In The Heights was staged at the historic Olney Theatre (photo: Maria Zhytnikova)
USA - New York-based lighting designer Cory Pattak never ceases to be awed by the sunsets over Manhattan. “You find yourself swearing ‘this can’t be real,’” said he says. “All those pinks, oranges and purples that can only exist in an Instagram filter, right? But your eyes don’t lie. This is how days often end in Manhattan. I used to be afraid that if I put those colours on stage, it would look too unreal.”
Pattak set aside this concern recently when he lit a fall production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award winning musical In The Heights at the historic Olney Theatre. Using a collection of Ovation, Rogue and Maverick fixtures from Chauvet Professional, he supported the production with vivid displays of colour, including one during the song Champagne that captures the surreal beauty of a Manhattan sunset.
Elaborating on the role of his fixtures in helping him paint the stage in vibrant colours, Pattak noted, “LED ellipsoidals have come a long way in just a few short years. The Ovation E-910FCs in our rig for In The Heights were bright and handled saturates and pastels very well. I never had any fade or mixing issues. The Rogue R2 Washes were workhorses; they did ballyhoos, flyouts, colour and strobe pops at different points in the show. They’re really bright too, which was perfect for all the saturated moments, including the sunset scene.”
“This is a super colourful show, which is why it’s a perfect fit for me,” concluded Pattak. “Even the lyrics of the show’s songs often reference the quality of light. No one calls me for subtle colour nuances. Our director Marcos Santana and I spent a great deal of time talking about colour and its role in telling the story of In The Heights.”
Pattak worked his color-mixing magic with a rig that was anchored by six Ovation E-910FC RGBA-Lime color mixing ellipsoidals and five Rogue R2 moving wash fixtures along with three Maverick MK2 Spot units and six Ovation E-260WW warm white ellipsoidals.
The Rogue R2 Washes were hung on a tail-down electric about halfway up the stage. Also adding zest to the club effect were the Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures that were hung over the stage in a triangle to mirror the configuration of the three-building backdrop.
(Jim Evans)

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