Photo Archive for
MUSIC ACTS 2008 through 2009
Lighted by RICHARD BONNER

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Events are in reverse chronolgical order.)

Jazz That Melody
The Bella Rose Arts Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia
November, 2008

The Bella Rose Arts Centre An expectant audience awaits the show to start. Two 1000-watt, 37-degree ellipsoidals pool light on to the center of the curtain. The slight reddish colour to the side of that comes from front-of-house 1000-watt, wide-angle PAR 64s. Two of the fixture positions may be seen at upper right; the near is the ellipsoidal, the far is the PAR 64.

Soundtrax

This act is lit by red from the front and from above & behind in rose, both using 1000-watt, wide-angle PAR 64 lamps in short-throw fixtures. The blue on the rear is from two PAR 64, 600-watt Ray Lights positioned on the up-stage pipe.

For this close-in performance, the curtains are opened part way and the four are lit only by two front-of-house ellipsoidals in straw. Top/back lighting is from short-throw PAR 64s in rose. To complement that, blue is shone on a rear white curtain by two PAR 64 Ray Lights.

For Heaven's Sake

James Hill and Anne Davison

As with the above, the stage opening width has been reduced for this duo. Ellipsoidals once again light their faces, while top/back light is in steel blue from wide-angle PAR 64s.

Flesh colour illuminates the chorus from the front, while top/back light is in steel blue - all from the wide-angle PARs. Ray Lights splash pink and yellow on the rear curtain. Some of the fixtures for the top and rear may be seen above the girls.

The ScotianAires

The ScotianAires

This pink effect on the singers is done using blue and red together from the front-of-house wide-angle PARs. Notice how the addition of blue light really brings out the blue colour in the performers' costumes. Top/back light is again from PARs in steel blue; however the rear curtain is now washed by two, 1000-watt ellipsoidals, one from either side. These fixtures have wide-angle lenses, and patterns have been inserted so as to project two series of ovals. The pleats in the cloth coupled with the extreme side angle of each light, produce the unique shapes. A different pink colour was chosen so as to complement the front lighting and to contrast the blue in the costumes. The four white splashes come from PAR 36 pinspots on the proscenium pipe.

Rising Stars
The Bella Rose Arts Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia
November, 2008

Chelsea Nisbett and the "Chel-Settes"

The stage is washed from the front in red and from above & behind in pink. This is done via 1000-watt, wide-flood PAR 64s in short-throw fixtures. The rear fixtures are barn-doored to control spill into the audience. Individuals are spotted from the front in a straw colour using twin, 1000-watt ellipsoidals for each of the three positions. Two fixtures for each provide light from both sides, and are also a cautionary measure in case a lamp burns out. The shadow dividing the rear curtain is from the low proscenium arch and valance curtain.

A slightly closer view shows the same scene but with the addition of two turquoise spots on the rear white curtain. These are done using 600-watt, PAR 64 Ray Lights hung on the center-stage pipe and focused in a cross-stage manner to get the `slash' look.

In the image below, the stage is washed from the front in deep blue while the musicians are top/back lit in steel blue. Their faces and clothing are brought out of the deep blue by two front-of-house, 750-watt ellipsoidals, one each from an extreme side angle. Both are open white (no colour). The stars are projected from the proscenium pipe using 1000-watt ellipsoidals with pattern holders. The slight haze below each star is because theater lights were meant to project light and not accurate images. As a result, not all light rays fall exactly where they are supposed to. Normally, an aperture is inserted to clear this up, and one was used here; however employing a larger aperture allows some of that haze to appear. This gives the effect of each star "sliding" up to its final position. A yellow gel completes the look by matching the stars on the event's poster.

Duane's stage here is in blue from the front and light pink from above/behind. Turquoise and pink Ray Lights provide the back colour splashes. The former are cross focused, while the latter are almost directly aimed at the white curtain. His face is in a dim straw colour from front-of-house, 1000-watt ellipsoidals.

Duane MacLeod

This is the same lighting as above except that Duane is lit from above/behind in a dim steel blue and the back-curtain Ray lighting has been replaced by two patterns from extreme side angles. These are multiple-circle patterns, one each placed into a 1000-watt ellipsoidal with a medium pink gel. The extreme angles make for that elongated look.

The stage is in blue with lavender top/back wash, while the rear curtain sports strong turquoise and orange.

Julia Gannon

This is the same look a few minutes later as the song progresses. To brighten the scene, the light levels, as seen in the previous photo, have been increased and to highlight Julia, a front red wash and straw key lights are added. As well, the top/back wash has been changed to pink.

The Finale The performers have entered from various parts of the wings to pause up stage before walking into the straw-coloured pool of light at center downstage. That pool is from the two central, front-of-house, 1000-watt ellipsoidals. That same area is lit with a steel blue top/back wash. From the front is a deep blue while the trees from set designer, Bianca Bl de Rozari, are illuminated for this scene using small grain-of-wheat style lamps. This adds spaciousness and atmosphere when coupled with the amorphous shapes on the back curtain. The side-curtain stars are also from Bianca, which glow slightly under the deep blue front wash. The rear-curtain shapes are done using two 1000-watt ellipsoidals with out-of-focus foliage patterns, no apertures, and an almost no-colour, light blue gel. Their positions are at the extreme sides of the front pipe immediately behind the proscenium. The effect is one of wispy brush strokes "painted" with light.

Rock `N' Roll Reunion
The Corvettes at
The Bella Rose Arts Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia
November, 2008

The Corvettes

Here is the show opening with the band lit brightly. Instruments are 1000-watt, wide-flood PAR 64s in short-throw fixtures for both front and rear. The front has a flesh gel while the rear uses steel blue. A hint of the latter is seen above the shadow of the keyboard player's head on the back curtain. These rear fixtures are barn-doored to control spill into the audience. The shadow dividing the rear curtain is from the low proscenium arch and valance curtain. These can be seen at the top of the photo. Shadows of the motorbike and keyboard player are from the low-angle photo lights on stands, as seen at Lower Left and Lower Right.

The band is reduced to five pieces for this number. As above, the front and rear use the same fixture model, but have deep blue and a medium pink for colours. The rear turquoise spots are done with 600-watt Ray lights from a mid point pipe above stage center. More of the proscenium arch can be seen in this photo.

A more subtle look is seen here in the second part of the show. The band is in red with blue backlight, while the curtain has green and turquoise Ray lights on it. The curtain colours are muted here because the black curtain has been closed to hide the white one seen in earlier photos.

The band, lit only in front red, watches as Ken works out on the drums. He is highlighted in side-angle dark lavender, while two mauve spots hit the rear, black curtain. Notice how the band members blend into the background when no back lighting is used. This gives an apparent depth-of-field decrease, thus flattening their look, while the drummer is seen to be more three-dimensional. Such a technique makes the highlighted person stand out even more.

This effect is done with very simple lighting. The guitarists are lit almost solely from above with a low-intensity steel blue and the drummer in an equally dim, side lavender. The rest is provided by projecting out-of-focus foliage in steel blue on to them and the rear white screen. The latter is achieved with two 1000-watt ellipsoidals using foliage patterns, no apertures, and a steel blue gel. Their positions are at the extreme sides of the front pipe immediately behind the proscenium.