Located in Mississauga, Ontario, Stage West is a Las Vegas style dinner theatre with around 500 performances each year - generally three musicals and two plays. The productions are changed out every three months, with a three-day turnaround in between. "The venue was in need of a new console so this presented a nice opportunity to put some new cutting-edge technology through its paces, in a very strenuous performance environment," said Stage West technical director Al McMillian.
"It was great to get the opportunity to do a full season of shows with such as quick turn-around," said Bell. "I was going to get to work with a great lighting designer, an Equity stage manager, a diversified rig with many different lights, real sets and real actors. Changing every three months is the perfect cycle for a software development team."
With a Wi-Fi high-speed Internet connection, Bell was able to sit next to McMillian as he programmed each show. On the Internet, Bell set up a live-chat with the remainder of the software development team in Pittsburgh, PA, and was able to make real-time updates to the desk through the Marquee ILC Ethernet connection. "It was invaluable to be able to sit and watch the programmers do their work," Bell continued. "One of the updates we did was a tweak to provide the ability to preview colour palettes before committing them to a cue. Al asked for it, and so we gave it to him."
"The tracking nature of the console was awesome, allowing fast updating to cues and it has a wealth of look masters available," said McMillian. "When they installed the multi-parting channel fade times within a cue, I was on the ceiling. I could not believe the service and support that came with the console. It was immediate."
Bell and McMillian continued working through the 2004-2005 season, which included the productions of Chorus Line, California Dreamin', Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, and Anne of Green Gables. When the crew changed out the lighting rig to accommodate each new lighting design, the software allowed McMillian to copy attributes between the different automated fixtures, allowing looks programmed on one light to be easily transferred to another. "The console really started to 'rock' with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat," said McMillian. "The show was programmed about 50% faster than the first time we mounted the production, and 99% of the reason was the Marquee ILC."
"It was perfect," said Bell. "The Marquee ILC gives the user a consistent experience regardless of what type of light that they are using."
On Friday June 10, 2005, Stage West took possession of their own Marquee ILC, with software version 2.1. Ready to make its official Stage West debut, the console will be used on the final production of the 2004-05 season, The Rocky Horror Show, opening 14 July 2005.
(Lee Baldock)
