Veteran lighting designer Bob Peterson is working closely with his team, Ken Hudson and Dave Butzler, to paint on set designer Bruce Rogers' lighting-friendly "canvas". "The goal is to create a lighting environment that helps establish each contestant's clear and distinct persona," said Peterson. "Throughout the rehearsals, we got a good sense as to each performer's style and personality." The show features live performances in a broad spectrum of country music styles from traditional Western Swing to Bluegrass to a blend of pop and rock.
"This is definitely some of the best lighting I've done," commented Peterson. "I think a big reason is that Ken and I are receiving enough time and resources from show producer Jon Small to excel without limitation. There aren't many television shows (especially live) where I have the opportunity to create such detailed close-up portrait, scenic, and graphic lighting."
The 1,800-seat theatre showcases a stage floor with an open space of approximately 50ft wide x 30ft deep. "The floor provides one big surface area for us to paint with various textures and colours," continued Peterson. "In addition to all new gobos we bought for this season, I also specifically requested the VL 3000 Spot luminaires because they are just phenomenal. The optical train and effects facilities within these fixtures are astounding."
Lighting equipment was provided out of the VLPS office in Nashville. "I've worked with VLPS on quite a few projects and I know that all the equipment I get from them has been meticulously checked and prepped. There is a caring factor from people at VLPS like Arthur Smith and Cathi Lloyd, that is rare these days," commented Peterson.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
