Students from schools across the UAE participated in the event directed by a team of Emirati professionals. This enabled them to showcase their talents in front of an invitation-only audience comprising high ranking government officials and locals.
The Robe lights - along with the complete technical production - were all supplied by Dubai based Lighthouse Productions of which Miranda is also a founder / director. Lighthouse has a large rental stock of Robe, and Miranda is one of the leading LDs in the country, working on a diverse selection of productions.
The stage design was based on a futuristic theme, with video projection mapped to a large backdrop setting the scene with dramatic visuals. This set up was also Miranda's starting point for the lighting.
The trussing lines mirrored the wedged shaped stage arranged in triplicate decreasing perspective, with each run of trussing a slightly different size all adding to the depth and perceived height of the performance space.
All the moving lights in the rig were Robe. The fixture count included 12 x Robin MMX WashBeams, 24 Robin 300 Beam Classics, six ColorSpot 2500E ATs, 12 ColorSpot 1200E ATs, 28 ColorWash 575E ATs, 18 x ColorSpot 575E ATs and 24 x ColorMix 240s.
The lights were programmed by Adrian Guzmann using Jands Vista T2 and L5 consoles. The show's production and video content designers were Lighthouse's Mohammad Tameem & Rizwan Zafar.
The operetta was televised live on Dubai TV & Sama Dubai and attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
(Jim Evans)
