The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show is one of the largest trade events in our extended industry. The final attendance count for the 2012 show in Las Vegas was 92,112, up from 91,932 in 2011. Some 1,600 exhibitors occupied 815,000 net square feet of exhibit space, up from 1,550 exhibitors and 745,000 square feet the year before.

Regal Looks for Romeo Santos’ First Solo Tour

When Romeo Santos kicked off his Formula Vol. 1 Tour with three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the audience was treated to an elaborate design — and one that was conceived and pulled together in a mere 45 days. Creative producer and tour director Veikko Fuhrmann and production designer Eduardo “Wady” Rodriguez collaborated on the sourcing as well as the set, lighting, and video designs.

It’s quite understandable if you roll your eyes at the thought of yet another movie being transformed into a Broadway musical, but the outstanding Once is a rare exception. “I had seen the movie on my own when it first came out and loved it,” recalls Tony Award-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz. “I remember reading in the New York Times that they were turning it into a musical and hoped that somebody would ask me to do it. I don’t always feel that way, and I was lucky enough to actually have been asked.” Add a comment

How do you turn on a lamp? With electricity, of course!  Enough with the lame jokes. In order for anything to happen on stage, from running truss up to getting sound out of a speaker, you need power. Not just any power will do either, you need the correct type of power.

Spring is in full swing. The cherry blossoms have come and gone. The blistering heat of the summer is right around the corner. Just like the heat index, this summer tour season is going to be on fire. Production companies from around the country are preparing their tours as we speak. Here’s just a sampling of what production companies have in store for the Summer of 2012.

He was the voice of Woodstock, gently suggesting you avoid the brown acid.

Chip Monck is one of the most colorful characters in the business, a business he is considered the Godfather of. The lighting designer has been part of some of the amazing events ever staged, including the Ali/Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). He was tour and staging manager with the Rolling Stones for seven years and stage producer for Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden, one of the first big benefit concerts raising awareness and donations.

A Mountain of Color, Texture and 3D “Infinity” Looks

The album Lenny Kravitz is supporting with his 2012 tour may be called Black and White America, but the colors revealed in the jagged-edged lighting and set design, a collaboration between LD Steve Cohen and production and set designer Es Devlin, are anything but. Add a comment

In a crowded, competitive market, Reel Video Systems (RVS) has a real advantage: LED screens that roll up. Lighter, easier to use and with potential outdoor safety advantages as well — they and the company are getting noticed. Add a comment

I’ve worked with plenty of small consoles over the years. Some were single universe models, others consisted of various wings and gadgets attached to a laptop. Problem was, I never felt comfortable trying to program a show.  Well, that all changed when I stepped behind Martin’s new M2GO. For the first time ever, I didn’t find myself hunting and pecking on a new desk for parameters and ways to record cues. From the moment I sat behind this console, it all made logical sense. Add a comment

Like most manufacturers, Clay Paky is responsive to what lighting designers are asking for in the way of new technologies and fixtures, and the design for the company’s recent addition to its Alpha series of fixtures, the Alpha Spot QWO 800, is no exception — it was designed in response to what LDs are saying they want and need. Add a comment