THE STORY OF KÀ , PART I Copyright Lighting &Sound America April 2005

MAGIC IN A CATHEDRAL

The designers of KÀ

discuss the concepts

behind their work

By Mike Falconer

32 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America (Editor’s note: Even by its extraordi - Of course, if you take a risk, you’re nary standards, the new Cirque du certain to be criticized. Some journal - Soleil production in Las Vegas, KÀ , ists have commented that KÀ ’s represents a rarely seen fusion of emphasis on a story has caused it to design ideas and sophisticated tech - sacrifice its soul. To quote the late nology. For that matter, it’s often diffi - Douglas Adams, this is “a load of cult to tell where the production’s fetid dingo’s kidneys.” Although it design ends and the theatre’s design may be more difficult to read some begins. For this reason, we are pre - kind of deep spiritual meaning into senting a trio of stories, examining the assembled craziness of KÀ — different aspects of KÀ .) compared to the assembled craziness of other Cirque productions such as Yes, it’s another Cirque du Soleil O or La Nouba —it’s only because the show in Las Vegas. This time, the audience member has a general idea venue is the MGM Grand, in the of what is going on and why. space vacated by the extravaganza The bottom line is that KÀ is sheer known as EFX . In case you haven’t entertainment and spectacle, rather been counting, KÀ is the fourth than entertainment and spectacle Cirque entry to open along the Vegas masquerading as something else. In strip; many have wondered how many KÀ, the story drives the acts and the Cirque productions this town can technology. And what technology— bear. This time, however, the French- the Sand Cliff Deck may not be the Canadian troupe has redefined itself; star of the show but it is certainly in it has also managed to bowl over this line for a best-supporting role. overly critical journalist—not an easy Then again, each aspect of KÀ ’s task! staging, projections, lighting, and All it took was $165 million… sound design features unique ideas One thing that instantly sets KÀ and innovative technology, as a chat apart from other Cirque du Soleil with each of the designers reveals. shows is its linear storyline. Unlike many other Cirque attractions, this is Mark Fisher: Decompressing no dreamscape with acrobats; the Las Vegans various feats are built into a story Mark Fisher, who designed both KÀ about a pair of Imperial Twins who and the theatre that contains it, first undergo a series of wild adventures sat down in April 2002 with before their enemies are vanquished writer/director Robert Lepage to dis - and peace comes to their kingdom. cuss a new show for Cirque du Soleil. Another unique feature is a piece of Lepage is probably best known for stage machinery that many will con - his work with Peter Gabriel on the sider to be the star attraction; the 25’ 1992 Secret World tour and the 2002 x 50’ Sand Cliff Deck (much more Growing up Live tour. He is also the about this later) is simply awe-inspir - creative force behind such avant- ing—from the moment it first appears garde theatre pieces as The Seven in the guise of a canoe to its Streams of the River Ota, The Far T O

M Catherine-wheel curtain call. Side of the Moon, and The Busker’s A S

M Opera . Fisher, of course, requires no U S

C introduction; he has created some of I

O The Imperial Twins enlist of the help of N I C the Forest People in their fight against the most spectacular rock shows ever O the Archers. seen: The Wall and Division Bell for

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 33 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART I

Pink Floyd, Steel Wheels and Bridges decided he would need to “decom - ogy, where the physical laws of to Babylon for the Rolling Stones and press” them. With martial arts and a nature and gravity do not apply, Popmart and Elevation for U2, to Far-Eastern influence already in place Fisher and Lepage were keen to cre - name a few. as key components of Lepage’s ate a live show that would challenge “Robert had a neat diagram with a vision, the designer showed the the special-effects expertise of film. In squiggly line,” remarks Fisher, stand - director a picture of a 16th-century their vision, the traditional theatre ing in the transformed and completely temple, in Kyoto, standing off the side experience, where the physical rela - themed foyer of the KÀ Theatre. “It of a cliff on a vast undercroft of tree tionship between stage and audience started in the sea, then on a beach, trunks. “Imagine what it would be like member does not change, would be then up a mountain, then down the if we carved our theatre out of this radically re-envisioned. “When you go mountain, into a forest, a meadow, undercroft, so that we created a to a movie, the director moves the and finally ended up in a city. This cathedral-like space?” says Fisher, camera everywhere and gives you dif -

squiggly line was to be a journey, and remembering his conversation with The Post and Beam network of catwalks, the journey a metaphor for the transi - Lepage. “You would recognize it highlighted by Color Kinetics LED units, tion of a child—eventually a set of instinctively as a cathedral, even connects the stage area and auditorium and is central to Fisher’s immersive design. twins—from childhood to adulthood through it wasn’t one. It would have a through a series of tests.” Thus he rhythm, an uplifting sensation, height, ferent points of view,” explains Fisher. was introduced to the first Cirque openness, and spirituality. That is “We had to defy gravity, and the per - show with a true narrative. what the audience needs to feel in formers had to defy gravity. My job Fisher’s design has two main order to be in the right frame of mind was to provide the armature upon goals. First, to tell this story to an for the show.” which Cirque could do all this.” audience overstimulated by the fre - Second, with Hollywood churning The end result was a “stage” area netic pace of the Vegas Strip, Fisher out movies, typified by the Matrix tril - that is, in fact, a void; its dimensions

34 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America are 120’ wide, 120’ deep, and 149’ thing that is much more. We couldn’t rotate it by 360° and tilt from flat to high. The distance from stage level to really change the structure of the 100° simultaneously. It first appears the high grid is 98’, with the lowest building, because the casino was all as a canoe, becomes a beach, then a floor level at 51’ below that. Although around it.” Nevertheless, the designer cliff, and so on. The effect is an the theatre has a proscenium arch— removed the false ceiling of the EFX incredible suspension of disbelief. Fisher pointed it out to me—the theatre and increased the width of the From the opening moments of the designer has gone to great lengths to auditorium, essentially leaving only show, it is obvious how the Sand Cliff disguise it. The performers appear on the front and rear walls of the theatre Deck works, yet it still astounds, even an array of five stage lifts, the 30’ x intact. However, given the enormous when performing the most obvious 30’ Tatami Deck, and the enormous amount of open space in the the - actions. 25’ x 50’ Sand Cliff Deck. atre—almost 2,000,000 cu. ft. when “Way before anyone else knew the Bridging, literally, the staging area you include the stage area—the fur - project even existed, we were dis - cussing the proposal that the beach would turn into a cliff,” says Fisher, Fisher : “We had to defy recalling an early meeting with Lepage. “I asked, ‘What do you do gravity, and the per - with the sand?’” The reply: “We will tip the sand off, and in the process of formers had to defy the deck becoming a cliff, the audi - ence will see the sand tip off.” It’s a truly magical moment, worthy of the gravity. My job was to applause it receives. Nevertheless, says Fisher about provide the armature the deck, “It is only the framework that the performers use to make their upon which Cirque performances on. It is not the star of the show. It came about as a piece of could do all this.” equipment from the analysis of this storytelling proposition. It was not at all the kind of process where we said, ‘Let’s think up the most ridiculous T

O thest any audience member is from machine we can and then build a M A S

the stage is 116’. This creates an show around it’. It was absolutely the M U S

C incredibly intimate performance reverse. Robert is a very technology- I O N

I space for a 1,950-seat theatre aiming savvy director and I have obviously C O for a cathedral like ambiance. spent most of my life doing this kind Onstage, the various platforms are of thing. Our conversations were very the key set elements. Of them, the solution-driven and we just took it for and the auditorium is a network of Sand Cliff Deck arguably provides the granted that neither of us was going columns and catwalks called the Post most visually stunning moments in to sit around talking about things we and Beam, which covers each side of the show. It is supported and con - did not know how to do.” the theatre. It is central to the immer - trolled by an inverted gantry crane—a Although at first Fisher may seem sive quality created by Fisher’s mechanical arm attached to four 80’ like a something of a left-field choice design. hydraulic cylinders that run along two for a piece of acrobatic theatre, it “I wouldn’t have done it like this plainly visible support columns. does crown a growing trend in his had we been starting from scratch,” Controlled, like all of the show’s career. Since 1997, he has been says Fisher; “I think we would have automation, by a Stage Technologies involved with circus and acrobatic had a much more immersive experi - Nomad system, the gantry crane can shows. In addition to the Millennium ence. Not in-the-round, but some - lift the Sand Cliff Deck up and down, Dome in London, which featured a

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 35 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART I

central Cirque-style show with music Förterer, you are forgiven; neither had Deck—standing vertically on end. by Peter Gabriel, the designer has I. I suspect, however, we may be Sixteen artists, suspended on wires worked on two large circus shows in hearing a lot more about him in the perpendicular to the ground, move Japan with a Russian company. “It future. Originally a computer-science across the battlefield in this gravity- was a fantastic opportunity to go to student from the southwest of defying sequence. High-speed wire - another level with something I’d been Germany, he has installed his inter - less remote-controlled winches are very interested in,” he says. active projection system in several used by each artist to control their “Otherwise, I never could have held museums in that country. However, movements and complete the illusion my own against the other creative the KÀ installation is five times larger

guys—it would just have been a than anything he has done before. The performers appear on an array of five complete nightmare. Although there Förterer’s interactive projection stage lifts, the 30’ x 30’ Tatami Deck, and have been a lot of other creative system uses infrared-sensitive cam - the enormous 25’ x 50’ Sand Cliff Deck. T O M A S

M U S C I O N I C O

people involved, it is not that differ - eras sensor tiles built into the Sand of looking down on the field of battle ent, in the end, from working with a Cliff Deck to follow an artist’s move - from above. As each artist ‘steps’ band like the Stones or U2, where ments and turn the stage into what is onto the battlefield, the deck reacts they are really involved. By the time essentially a huge touch-screen. The like liquid, pooling around their feet you are spending these amounts of information that the cameras gather and creating an effect not normally money, it is always a highly interac - is used to influence the imagery pro - seen outside of a movie theatre. tive process.” jected onto the stage. “To get the audience into the land - The most obvious example of this scape, we are showing them some Holger Förterer: Interactive takes place during the extraordinary basic elements and these elements Projections battle scene at the end of the show. reacting to people,” remarks Förterer. If you have never heard of Holger The battlefield itself is the Sand Cliff “All the images are generated by the

36 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America computer at the instant they are elements, including the stage(s), shown. No video has been taken and can—and do—move. no pre-recorded material is used; it is “I’m always a little skeptical of all done live.” automated lights,” smiles Lafortune. Förterer has been developing his “I like automation because it can get handcrafted software since 1998 and you out of a jam really quickly; you customized it for KÀ with his team of need light there, you move it there. four programmers. The software, But an automated system would not which is written in C++ and runs on a have been able to achieve what we conventional dual-processor, PC- have achieved with KÀ. This is why I compatible computer, outputs went for the kind of lights you’d find images at 1,280 x 1,024 to three in a parking lot. This is why I went T O

18,000 lumen Barco ELM R18 DLP M and bought 48” neon tubes and A S projectors mounted at the rear of the M beam projectors from Mole- U S C

theatre. I Richardson.” O N I Fisher, in particular, is significantly C Lafortune’s eclectic choice of fix - O impressed with what Förterer as tures is plainly in evidence as you been able to achieve. “If I didn’t have walk around both the backstage and the privilege of working with Holger, A view from above of the final battle, in front of house. The use of significant I’d be up to my eyes in trying to fig - which the audience’s perspective is numbers of smaller fixtures is proba - manipulated to emulate a cinematic ure out how the Sand Cliff Deck point of view. bly the single most important factor could be a beach, a this, a that, and in creating the show’s cinematic look another without being able to change and feel. The Post and Beam is lit, it,” says Fisher. “In the end, all I have for the majority of the show, by 436 had to do is paint it grey. I think pro - Luc Lafortune: Sourcing the Color Kinetics’ 6” ColorBlast fixtures. jection makes my job much easier. Cinematic The walls backstage are dotted with Particularly the interactive stuff that Luc Lafortune is a constant in 400W HTI floods, fitted with custom Holger is working with, you just Cirque du Soleil shows. His keen dousers from Wybron, plus fluores - couldn’t do it any other way. The sense of the theatrical has defined, in cent tubes and neon. Noting these underwater scene is absolutely fan - many ways, the look of Cirque over choices, Jeanette Farmer, lighting tastic. You couldn’t do it with light - the years. It is, therefore, all the more director for KÀ , adds, “Luc does this ing—it is so dynamic—it puts it on a astonishing to see what he has been very fun thing with unusual fixture different level.” able to achieve with KÀ . types in that he enhances the stage The underwater scene Fisher is Many designers look to films, setting not only with the light coming referring to is a moment when the such as Ridley Scott’s futuristic out of those fixtures, but also with female Twin and the Nursemaid, after thriller Blade Runner , for inspiration— the physical looks of the units.” being shipwrecked, are shown but few of them come up with any - “The number of fixtures is just an drowning. Förterer’s interactive pro - thing as successful as the originals. arbitrary number,” remarks Lafortune. jection system allows for bubbles of Lafortune has created a future-noir “In order to keep things three-dimen - air to escape from them as they look on a live stage without relying sional, you need a lot of fixtures—but descend underwater. on the sleight of hand that is avail - sometimes it can be a lot of very Förterer’s work is remarkable—all able in film. As the saying goes, it is small fixtures. They define the space the more so because it is so under - the quality, not the quantity. The and create a sense of depth. We stated and subtle. It augments the designer has disproved this para - talked about cinematography a lot scenic design, but unless you are digm, however, by using 3,238 light - when creating this show, but you looking for it, you will be hard ing fixtures, of which only 44 are can’t really use fixtures from the cin - pressed to find examples of its automated. This is all the more ema, because there you are working unique nature before the battle that astonishing when one realizes that, in a 16 x 9 format and you don’t care is the climax of the whole show. other than the walls, all the scenic what happens out of the frame.

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 37 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART I

Lafortune: “An auto - Theatre is very different. You care basement, they are on the walls, they what happens everywhere because it are on the Post and Beam. We con - mated system would is part of the environment.” taminate the auditorium and, ultimate - Nowhere is the depth of the envi - ly, the lobby with what is happening ronment that Lafortune creates more on-stage. The theatre is a major not have been able to in evidence than in the penultimate investment, so we have to make sure sequence: the Slave Cage. Two artists that it looks good.” Farmer adds, achieve what we have balance and control a “Wheel of “The single largest element that need - Death” from their opposing cages on ed to be lit was the Post and Beam; it achieved with KÀ. This this spinning apparatus. The Wheel of was decided early on that this ele - Death is placed at center stage; ment would be considered theatrical, is why I went for the Lafortune shows us the depth and rather than architectural, lighting, so space of the stage area by using the Luc and the lighting team [including rear of the KÀ Theatre as a scenic associate lighting designer Nol van kind of lights you’d find element, with the shape being high - Genuchten] took on this massive proj - lighted and accentuated by lighting. ect.” ) In fact, continuing on the in a parking lot.” “In a space such as this, you want theme of the venue’s size, Farmer fixtures that have character,” com - says, “The stage area is so big that ments Lafortune. “It helps define the some of the cueing has to be taken space. A normal spotlight defeats that off of video monitors.” whole purpose. Despite the fact that With 3,238 fixtures requiring Another view of the Forest People: With there are over 3,200 fixtures, you look 22,528 control channels and 2,260 no stage as such, each performer must up and say, ‘Where are they?’ Well, dimmers, lighting control is a major be suspended on wires or standing on a they all over the place, they are in the issue for Lafortune and his team. A moving stage element. Strand ShowNET fiber-optic network is used to distribute DMX throughout the theatre. The main conventional control is in the shape of two Strand 550i consoles, three Strand 520i con - soles, and two Strand 510 consoles. According to Farmer, the use of the consoles breaks down this way: One Strand 550i is used to control dim - mers, scrollers, and Color Kinetic’s LED units. One Strand 520i is in charge of smoke, pyro, flame effects, and theatre air handling. An additional Strand 520i is used to handle 750 DMX-controlled relays used for non- dimming power for lighting, projec - tion, and special effects. The Strand 510 controls dimming for architectural units, rehearsal looks, stage manager cuelights, and the front lobby lighting T O

M looks. Moving lighting and strobes are A S

M controlled via a Flying Pig Systems’ U S C

I Wholehog II console. A Dell Precision O N I C 650 workstation is used for projection O image feed. Each control unit has a

38 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America tracking backup. A Le Maitre Surefire colors. I think it is a more intuitive to do a certain amount of crystal-ball is in charge of pyro cues. aspect of lighting design.” gazing and covering his bases. (As Lafortune’s approach to KÀ is a Leafing through Lafortune’s book well as designing the show, Lafortune response to the very different working of ideas, it is easy to see why he likes worked with Farmer, specifying the method of the clasically trained working like this. It provides him with theatre infrastructure.) “It is always a Robert Lepage. “Robert works with a safety net of sorts with his director, bit of a challenge,” he laughs. words and is very literary,” he says. a method of checking that they are “Contractually, we have to make “My approach is less literary because both on the same page. “It is scary some decisions early on in the of my background, but I have learned when you don’t have this,” he says. process. We want to be financially to work like him. I started picking “The technology is not rocket sci - responsible, so we don’t delay the groups of characters and writing a ence; it is not that intimidating. It is decisions too much. However, there is small dictionary to define them.” intimidating when you don’t know an old expression: ‘You can pay me Using these words and sharing what to do with it, when you don’t do now or you can pay me later—but if them with the rest of the creative your homework, don’t know the char - you pay me later, it is going to cost team, Lafortune hunted on the acter of the space, or what it is going you a whole lot more.’ We try to Internet for images that would visually to look like, and you are then faced design a system that is fairly conven - convey the emotions of each group of with purchasing fixtures.” tional. We knew with KÀ what the characters. The protagonists, who Lafortune knows what he’s talking throws were going to be, so we knew ultimately become the Emperor’s about, because, typically with a that we were going to be using small - Court, were summed up by such Cirque production, he begins working er apertures. We also have a great words as “lightness of being,” in a vacuum. Since construction of relationship with the various manufac - “warmth,” “flow,” “incandescent,” and the theatre commences before there turers when it comes to swapping out “a midsummer’s night.” The antago - is little, if any, idea of what the final equipment.” nists, who would ultimately become show will look like, the designer has In KÀ , Lafortune has designed a the Archers and Spearmen, were summed up by the terms “industrial,” “oppressive,” “immensity,” “monolith - ic,” “arc sources,” “structural,” and “architecture.” “Once I’d defined the space in terms of words, feelings, and emo - tion, it was easy to pick the types of fixtures I needed to make it happen,” remarks Lafortune. “When you sit down with the director, you discard images—sometimes a lot are dis - carded. At some point, you say, ‘Okay, this is it. This is the show; this is the character of the lighting. Now, how do I make this happen technical - ly?’ It goes way beyond illumination and way beyond the technology; you are having a conversation at a whole different level with the director before T O you start talking about fixtures and M A S

M U S C I O

Let battle commence! The Sand Cliff N I C Deck is raised into place to become the O battlefield for the production’s finale.

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 39 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART I

cinematic experience for theatre. The the show.’ To which I’d reply, ‘Do you irony, of course, is that he has done it have to?’” at a time when more and more At the heart of the audio in the KÀ movies are creating theatrical effects Theatre is an LCS Variable Room using moving lights. Lafortune’s use Acoustics System (VRAS) which was of fixed instruments—I hesitate to use specified by acousticians PMK the word conventional, considering (Pelton Marsh Kinsella) Consultants. the disparate sources—makes this Forty microphones placed in the achievement all the more remarkable. auditorium and stage are used to Perhaps the greatest compliment that capture the sounds of the room. I can pay him is to say that, for the These sounds are fed through a mul - most part, the lighting is not notice - titude of magic boxes and reverbera - able, even to those looking to review tion algorithms and are sent back it. It blends in effortlessly with the rest through the loudspeaker system. of the production and is integrated to Unusually for VRAS, Deans is using such an extent that it is difficult to the KÀ loud speaker system rather know when the lighting design ends than a separate loudspeakers and and the scenic design begins. amplifiers. “The cost savings are huge as Jonathan Deans: Focused opposed to other systems, where the Sound Design speakers and amplifiers are sepa - “As a sound designer, one thing rate,” says Deans. “I worked closely that I have always wanted to do is with PMK to make sure that the put speakers in the seats,” laughs speakers were compatible and what Jonathan Deans. the intention of each speaker was. And so he has done it. Each seat That way, we knew what I wanted to in the auditorium has a pair of drivers do, and what they needed. If I was mounted into each headrest, which missing an area that they needed, or T O makes up the lion’s share of the I was doing something that they did - M A S

M

2,296 loudspeaker cabinets, using n’t need, we’d play around to see if U S C I

over 4,700 drivers, employed in KÀ . we could balance the system while O N I C

In addition, the designer also has a using the same speakers and ampli - O Meyer MILO line-array system in fiers.” place as the main PA, which is aug - The KÀ Theatre is a dry room, as mented by Nexo, EAW, Turbosound, Deans demonstrates by clapping his and additional Meyer cabinets hands in the auditorium. VRAS, how - around the theatre and backstage. ever, allows him to change the “Ninety percent of the time, there room’s acoustics and create an envi - is audio going into the seats,” says ronment as the audience enters the Deans. “You are only aware of it 15% auditorium. “Cirque wants to be able of the time; however, if you turn the to have the infectiousness of audi - seats off, everyone notices. I would ence members being aware of the go into all these meetings with peo - person next to them when they ple saying they could not hear the applaud—while still having a dry seat speakers. I would run the sys - room. That way, we can produce the tem for them without the main PA, levels that one needs without it and say, ‘This is the level it is running sounding like we are in an aircraft at during the show.’ They’d say, ‘No, hanger. VRAS is an acoustical tool this can’t be; we don’t hear it during that got put in because it allows us

40 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America subliminal hint as to where the audi - installation handled by Advanced ence’s attention should be, so as Entertainment Systems. Mat not to miss anything in the vast Dillingham of AES notes that six environment of the KÀ Theatre. The months were required to install the auditorium is split into 16 separate special effects into the theatre. zones, each with a left and right Several companies were involved output. Each zone is as short, front- in this aspect of production. to-back, as possible, normally four Dillingham says that 60 MDG or five rows, depending on auditori - machines were installed to create all um’s curve. A zone is defined by the of the show’s atmospheric effects. point where the time delay goes Sigma Services installed the beyond what is controllable. propane gas equipment and the “We can be in the middle of a spark effects were created by Phil scene, enveloped by it, and then Cory Special Effects. DMX distribu - zoom out,” remarks Deans. “It tion is handled by the Strand should be a subliminal addition to Shownet system. Mist, he adds, “is support the story. It is actually bet - created by atomized water vapor—a ter than headphones, because we system built and installed by us.” are able to move or pan the sound The wind effects, adds out of the seats overhead, into the Dillingham, consist of “approximate - rear, into another zone of seating, ly 40 fans placed in strategic places, T

O into the side walls or into the line mostly to distribute the fog and M A

S arrays. With headphones, you are smoke effects.” Perhaps the biggest

M U

S still trapped within them. It is as if challenge, here, he says, was get - C I O

N we are using a zoom camera but in ting fog effects into the elevators I C O audio terms.” distributed around the set. “We The sound for KÀ is superb. needed a hose delivery system that Listening for the seat loudspeakers, could distribute fog up to 35’.” The Above: The Archers make plans on the Tatami Deck. Below, left: The Wheel of one can be aware of the subtle system, he notes, “is based on vol - Death in motion. acoustic manipulation taking place. ume chambers placed under the That said, for the majority of the elevators, equipped with fans. to do that. We can basically tune show, I sat immersed in the world Injections of smoke are pumped up the room to simulate any space of that Cirque du Soleil has created . through hosing into these chambers, this size.” Even being aware of what was which contain machines to add sup - VRAS, however, is not just an going on technically does not plemental smoke.” Dillingham also environmental tool, as Deans con - detract from the overall experi - notes that a six-man crew, headed tinues to explain. “VRAS is cue- ence—and in some ways it by Jeff Schaen, is required to keep able. We can tell it what kind of enhances it. on top of all the show’s effects. reverberation time we want it to be KÀ is entertainment pure and and we can also have early reflec - A world of special effects simple; it is also live technical the - tions. As a designer, I can choose In addition, the story of KÀ is punc - atre at its very best—pushing the to break VRAS; I can do something tuated by an extensive lineup of envelope of what is possible while and it says ‘No, you can’t do that. special effects, including show, never losing sight of its goal: to You are going to have early reflec - mist, wind, atmospheric haze, enhance, rather than detract or tions and echoes,’ and I say, ‘Oh ground fog, smoke, propane gas, overshadow, the performances on- yeah, cool.’” pyro, and showers of sparks. These stage. By manipulating the time delay of were designed by special effects KÀ is worth every extortionate the seat loudspeakers, Deans focus - master Gregory Meeh, of Jauchem penny the box office is asking. I’ll es the sound to provide an extra and Meeh, with engineering and see you there.

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 41 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART II A M I R

P I R Z A D E H HOW DID A look at the scenic automation,

By John Huntington

After 20 years in the business, it’s rare that I see a live show and A M I

R say, “Wow—how did they do that?” But when I saw KÀ , I was

P I R so amazed that I felt compelled to write a behind-the-scenes Z A D

E detail piece, something I haven’t done in many years. H Under the brilliant creative leadership of Robert Lepage and the Cirque team, the technology in KÀ is completely at the serv - Above: performers rehearsing one of the vertical battle scenes under ice of the art. While KÀ certainly could be called a spectacle, it work light on the Sand Cliff deck. Above right: The Sand Cliff deck rotated to a different position. certainly is not a case where the technology trumps the art, like one of those depressing high-concept special-effects action movies. In many ways, KÀ is an example of the kind of show I’ve been hoping would exist—and have been advocating for—for many years, because the performers are often in control of the technology, rather than the other way around, and the technolo - gy is integral to the performance, not a gimmick. In KÀ , the tech - nology allows the show to connect with and reach the audience, extending the performance; it doesn’t get in the way.

Scenic Automation There is no stage in KÀ . There is simply a huge pit, from which enormous performance spaces rise, descend, track, tilt, and swivel. The scenic elements were conceptualized by Mark Fisher; the Tatami Deck and the Gantry were designed by the entertain - ment team at the McLaren Engineering Group in West Nyack, New York, starting in late 2002; McLaren also engineered the

42 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America Sand Cliff deck, which was designed simulation software. However, enormous structures. McLaren by Tomcat. (The other scenic pieces Nastran “was designed for mechanics Engineering was initially told that were done in-house at Cirque du and assembly lines and so forth,” these tubes could be connected to Soleil, with the company also han - explains McLaren’s Murphy Gigliotti, the massive existing structure of the dling the integration of the pieces.) “so we actually had to write a cue MGM’s roof, but, partway through the “Mark is a very clever man,” says automation front end for Nastran in design process, compliance with McLaren Engineering president Excel.” seismic regulations resulted in a new Malcolm McLaren. “He thinks motion The smallest amount of power answer of no. Therefore, the team through, and he has a very good needed to make the gantry lift work had to come up with an enormous understanding of the mechanics that as desired was “just less than a loco - bracing structure for the tubes, creat - it takes to drive these things. So motive,” says McLaren. After calculat - ing a sort of freestanding 75’ tall when he gives us his thoughts on ing all the trade-offs and determining “building within the building,” accord - THEY DO THAT? projection, and show control systems in KÀ

how something could be actuated, he the maximum move velocities, the ing to Stephen Sywak of McLaren. respects the laws of physics.” resulting KÀ hydraulic power plant Many details were considered; the was designed for 1,250 HP continu - enormous vertical tubes are even fit - The Gantry Lift ous from electric pumps, and, ted with acoustical dampers to keep The enormous 50’x25’ Sand Cliff according to McLaren, about them from acting like “pipe organ Deck is actuated by the Gantry Lift, 6,000HP stored as hydraulic pressure tubes.” the largest and most incredible ele - in giant accumulators for peak usage A massive 6’ diameter cross tube, ment of the scenic automation sys - during high-power cues. “The called the “torque tube, connects the tem—a mechanism you’d be more hydraulic power plant,” explains two ‘hammerheads,’” says Tomlinson, likely to see in an aluminum smelting James Tomlinson, the head of “which are guided by 75- and 150-ton plant than a theatre. The Gantry Lift automation for KÀ , “will fully pressur - capacity Hilman rollers traveling on mechanism can rotate the Sand Cliff ize the accumulators (approximately steel wear plates on the columns.” Deck 360° at 2RPM (which is 12° per 1,700 gallons) in about five minutes. The rollers, made by the Hilman com - second) tilt it from flat up 100° The accumulator bank is reminiscent pany of Marlboro, New Jersey, are (beyond vertical), and track the whole of the missile tube scene from [the generally used to move massive thing up and down vertically nearly 1990 film] The Hunt for Red Octobe r.” loads, like oil rigs components, entire 70’ at 2’ per second. Determining the The Gantry Lift mechanism itself buildings, and bridges. maximum speeds of the Gantry Lift tracks on two enormous 4’ diameter Perpendicularly attached to the cen - mechanism was a critical part of the steel tubes that run from the lowest ter of the torque tube is an arm which design process, since a faster move floor of the building to the roof, made, goes out, towards the audience, to a meant more horsepower was needed. along with the rest of the “static” pivot joint called the “wrist,” which, To make these horsepower calcula - steel, by Fabriweld, of Salt Lake City, according to Tomlinson, “includes a tions, McLaren made extensive use of Utah, a company whose primary 10’ diameter Rotek bearing typically sophisticated MSC Nastran design business is roller coasters and other used in tower cranes,” and connects

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 43 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART II

A view into the pit at one of the safety nets.

ture and deck system; it’s configured so that you can have technicians inside to service all the pieces.” During one part of the show, adds Tomlinson, “an 8 x 16’ ‘refuge’ plat - form flies in from the grid and attach - es to one end of the vertical Sand Cliff Deck, then moves with the Sand Cliff Deck as it rotates, tilts, and descends to the basement. It has a trap door for access to and from the Sand Cliff catwalk system.” In addition to lifts and other fea - A M

I tures of the deck, there are 80 pegs, R

P I R each roughly 2’ long, manufactured Z A D

E by Microtrol of Montreal, that can H shoot out at 8’ per second. At that velocity, the pegs appear to the audi - ence in a quarter second, which is to the Sand Cliff Deck itself. The “No one wanted to be moving parts of the Gantry Lift were surprisingly fast since they are run by electric linear actuators. These pegs made by Timberland Industries from the one to flip the Woodstock, Canada, a company were designed so that performers can whose primary business is offshore slide, swing between, and catch them and timber harvesting equipment, switch the first time. when the Sand Cliff Deck is vertical. giant winches and other huge mecha - Many performers slide more than 60’ nisms. The whole torque tube assem - The system was so from this platform to their “deaths,” bly and arm gets lifted, says where they land on an enormous, hydraulically tensioned safety net in McLaren, “by what we understand to expensive and massive be the longest cylinders ever pro - the pit, out of sight of the audience. Some falls are so extreme that air duced in North America—a 70’ that there was no room stroke. When they are fully extended, bags are placed on top of safety nets the cylinders are 145’ long.” The to break the performer’s fall. cylinders are so massive that they for error.” In one stunning scene, the Sand must only ever be in tension—if put Cliff Deck is covered with “sand;” under a compressive load, they might then the deck is raised before our buckle.The cylinders were made by The Sand Cliff Deck eyes and the sand pours off. Real Parker, of Cleveland, Ohio and sup - The 80,000lb. Sand Cliff Deck was sand was originally considered but plied (with the rest of the hydraulic manufactured by Tomcat USA in abandoned, due to weight and dust system) by Atlantic Industrial Midland, Texas. Longue Vue Scenique issues. The team considered walnut Technologies, of Islandia, New York, of Montreal, according to Tomlinson, shells and Santoprene, but eventually working in conjunction with GS-Hydro “supervised the artistic treatment of chose cork. The material is contained U.S. Inc., of League City, Texas. Even the playing surface by Tomcat staff.” on the edges of the deck by 3” “flip - getting the cylinders to the site The deck is over 6’ thick, and, pers,” run by 18 electrical actuators, proved a challenge. “We had to get according to William Gorlin, McLaren which are retracted when the material special trusses fabricated,” says Engineering VP, consists of, “a steel is dumped. McLaren’s integration project manag - primary truss structure that bolts to er, Jay Reichgott, “just to support the the slew ring. Mounted to that steel The Tatami Deck 75’ hydraulic cylinders during transit.” structure is an aluminum outer struc - The 30 x 30’, 75,000lb. Tatami deck is

44 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America an amazing feat of engineering and S7_400 PLCs, and the entire safety The majority of the time, we are run - construction, but it’s actually the Estop [emergency stop] system is ning 20-25 axes at once. In the event “small” piece on the show. The deck done using a Siemens safety PLC. In of a motor failure, we can continue to was named, according to Tomlinson, addition, we have two extra proces - run the lifts right down until only two “because the opening scene with sors, one for the interlock system and are left. The lifts are the show, so Tatami mats was to play there,” but the other to run the 3D flying of the there is a huge amount of redundancy that scene was later moved to the bird. The consoles are connected there.” Sand Cliff Deck. The Tatami deck is over the primary command network, supported by a giant, 65’ long, two- which is Ethernet, and the MaxisID Hydraulic Control stage “drawer slide” mechanism, internally positioning drives connect While the Stage Technologies system which is tilted at a 4° rake towards to the node PLCs over ProfiBus. A provides overall control of the the audience from its anchorage separate high-speed deterministic scenery, the hydraulics control is han - upstage, with 45’-6” of cantilever. network is used for synchronization. dled by Tisfoon Ulterior Systems, of The Tatami deck and mechanism is The crew uses four desks during the Raleigh, North Carolina, using a Delta actuated by 75 and 150 HP electric show, with a fifth backup in the event Tau motion-control system as a basis. motors, and was built by Show- of a failure, and, happily, we have had “We provided Tisfoon with a spec at Canada in Montreal, with scenic treat - no desk failures to date. In addition, the beginning of the project,” explains ment again by Longue Vue Scenique. we provide a local backup network Taylor, “to enable us to make it mimic with a completely independent path standard axes [in the Nomad control for controlling axes via a hand held Scenic Automation Control Controlling all this scenic automa - HMI in a crisis. In the worst case, dur - In this work light shot, the massive Sand tion equipment was the daunting ing the climb scene using the pegs, Cliff deck is at about mid-height, with the challenge taken up by Stage we could be running 90 axes at once. Tatami deck retracted upstage. Technologies, which has offices in London and Las Vegas. The compa - ny’s Nomad system for KÀ controls over 40 arbor winches; 16 high-speed winches for the performers in the bat - tle scenes, each axis with individual radio control; five lifts controlled by 26 motors; a giant bird flown over the audience, controlled via five 2,200lb winches with wings flapped by per - formers; the 80 pegs in the Sand Cliff deck; three small pod lifts [called “sand traps,” according to Tomlinson]; 12 winches for the forest scene; 18 hydraulic safety net winch - es in the pit; and 16 actuators for the Sand Cliff deck’s edges. Control is highly distributed throughout the system. “We have 17

nodes in the theatre, each controlling C O U up to 40 axes,” explains Kevin Taylor, R T E S

Stage Technologies’ director of elec - Y

O F

trical engineering. “The desk sends M C L commands to the nodes, and the A R E N

nodes do the housekeeping, whilst E N G I the axes deal with actual position N E E R

control. There are the Delta Tau I N [hydraulic control] nodes, 12 Siemens G

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 45 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART II

Performer Winches Some of the most incredible scenes in KÀ are the “vertical battles,” where performers appear to defy gravity while battling on the Sand Cliff Deck in an almost vertical position. In fact, they are supported on high-speed winches supplied by Stage Technologies. Each of the 16 per - formers controls his own movement through a radio control, with the transmitter in his costume, using a handset controller. “The winches”, explains Stage Technologies’ Taylor, “are capable of running at up to 14’ per second, and accelerating and decelerating in .75 seconds. The radio units are a standard component supplied from Germany, meet the very highest standards, and, in the event of [interference], shut down to C O U

R prevent unauthorized movement.” T E S

Y Malcolm McLaren, summing up

O F

M the team’s experience on KÀ , says, C L

A “When the Ford Motor Company R E N

releases a new car, they design it, E N G I

N test it, crash it, run it around the track E E

R a few thousand times, tweak it, alter I N G it, and value-engineer it. We have to build one prototype and it has to work, with time and budget con - load balancing is a closed-loop sys - McLaren's schematic view of the Gantry straints. It’s not easy, and the tricks Crane mechanism and bracing structure. tem on top of the regular positioning just keep getting bigger and bigger.” loop. This system uses the load cell information from the four cylinders to system]. The operator can instruct the Projections lead or lag an upstage axis (relative to axes to move to a different dead [tar - One of the most groundbreaking downstage) for proper load balanc - get position] at a different speed for aspects of KÀ is Holger Förterer’s ing.” The Tisfoon system incorporates every cue as he so wishes.” The interactive projection design. “I a “VCR” feature, where all data relat - Tisfoon system takes it from there, attempt to express poetry, emotion, ed to the hydraulic systems is logged and also provides a local controller so and content in the language of math - every 100ms continuously for 24 that the hydraulic systems can be run ematics and algorithms,” he explains. hours; if a problem develops, precise independently of the Nomad. To pro - “This is my artistic language, and the information is later available for trou - tect the cylinders, the Tisfoon system result on-stage is referred to ‘aug - bleshooting. “No one wanted to be provides “a closed loop ‘charge-up’ mented reality.’ We do not use any the one to flip the switch the first of the rod side of the cylinder before real video footage in the imagery of time,” says Pirzadeh, only partly in releasing the brakes,” explains the the production—all images are gener - jest. “The system was so expensive company’s president and chief soft - ated on-the-fly by the projection com - and massive that there was no room ware engineer Amir Pirzadeh. “This puter in real time using physical or for error. I was not only the developer, insures that the valves are operational artificial simulation. Water, stone, but became the de-facto operator, as and that there is oil in the rod side clouds, air are all completely synthe - well.” before the brakes are released. The sized by the image computer—at the

446 6 •• AApprriill 22000055 •• LLiigghhttiinng g &&SSoouunnd d AAmmeerriicca a McLaren: “When the Ford Motor Company ers fall off and “drown,” descending almost the entire stage space, fol - releases a new car, they design it, test it, lowed by a trail of bubbles. Förterer is tracking the performers, creating the bubble images in real time and pro - crash it, run it around the track a few thousand jecting them onto the scrim . “Here, we are using camera tracking,” times, tweak it, alter it, and value-engineer it. explains Förterer. “We are lighting the actors with invisible infrared LED We have to build one prototype and it has light. The IR camera acquires their movement through a scrim onto to work with time and budget constraints. which we project the bubbles. The use of infrared light is necessary to avoid feedback of the projected It’s not easy, and the tricks just keep getting image into the camera and be able to light the scene brightly without the bigger and bigger.” audience noticing anything. My track - er picks up movement in the scene and generates bubbles based on the size and motion of the objects caus - ing it. This is one of the scenes where projection helps in telling the story.”

Scenic Interactions In “The Climb”, “The Blizzard,” and— the most astonishing scene of the show—“The Battle,” Förterer not only tracks the performers themselves, but can sense how they are interacting C

O with the scenery. For example, under U R T

E the Taraflex performance surface of S Y

O the Sand Cliff Deck, are sensing tiles F

M

C manufactured by Les Ateliers L A R

E Numériques of Montreal, which turn N

E

N the entire deck into (to overly simplify G I N

E for the purposes of explanation) a E R I N

G giant touchscreen. Förterer uses this information to create graphical waves and other images that radiate out

McLaren's schematic view of the enormous some general predictability to the from where the performers’ feet con - Tatami Deck "drawer slide" mechanism. performers’ motions for story and tact the deck, or to create interactive safety reasons, Förterer says, “We falling “rocks” that they must dodge. give the performers the freedom to “The system of sensors in the deck same instant they are shown—and improvise and follow the set wherev - was specifically created for this show react to the action on stage.” This is er it moves.” by the interface designer and inventor the hallmark of Förterer and his Tracking the Performers Philippe Jean from Montreal,” team’s work on KÀ —the performers The freedom to which Förterer refers explains Förterer. “It works on a tech - are actually controlling the imagery is quite apparent when you see the nology comparable to the musical that surrounds them in a fully interac - show. In one example, a scene instrument theremin, which allows tive and meaningful way. While, of called “The Deep”—a giant ship full musicians to control electronic course, there is a tight structure and of performers is raised, and perform - instruments by moving their hands in

wwwwww..lliigghhttiinnggaannddssoouunnddaammeerriiccaa..ccoomm •• AApprriill 22000055 •• 447 7 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART II

Förterer: “I attempt to express poetry, something you could never pre-cue or plan, since every show will not emotion, and content in the language of only be slightly different on the artis - tic, but also on the technical side.”

mathematics and algorithms. This is my artistic Projecting it All Three converged Barco Director R18 language, and the result on-stage is referred DLP projectors are used to give the required brightness and project from to ‘augmented reality.’” the back of the auditorium to create a canvas across a large part of the performance area. “Theoretically, we could project onto any moving sur - the air. The deck is literally able to the various systems, and potential face within the show,” explains ‘sense’ the proximity and presence of encoder error, Förterer says, “We Förterer. “We are using different con - the artists to and on the surface. The actually use an adaptive physical vergence files [which call up different maximum sensor depth is approxi - model that predicts the position of projector settings] to take care of the mately 4”. So it makes a difference if the stage into the future and smooths depth ranges. We are also using you are very close to the surface, tip- those values correctly to avoid both dousers in the drowning scene to toeing, or sliding across it at a certain lag and jitter, so we’re always on. I avoid hard edges of video black distance.” JT Tomlinson, Cirque’s was surprised myself to see this work resulting of the coupling, and to be head of automation, adds, “The sens - smoothly after punching in the maths able to kill all projection in an emer - ing tiles system detects performer for a month, but I think we mastered gency.” All projections on the main locations on a 6” grid pattern all across the deck and can simultane - ously report every one of those coor - dinates, at 60Hz, via Ethernet.” With all that imagery created in real time, Förterer then projects it onto real, physical, three-dimension - al, moving scenery, and the approach is so effective that many in the audi - ence won’t even realize they are looking at projections. To accomplish this, Förterer must track the move - ments of the scenery exactly. The projection system “listens to posi - tions that multicast out through the Nomad system,” explains Kevin Taylor, Stage Technologies director of electrical engineering. “The positions from this system are sent every 50msec, and because of the size of the pieces a lot of the data is sent in 1,000th or 10,000th of a degree reso -

lution.” To cope with the latency of T O M A S

M U S C I O

Förterer's projections can be seen clearly N I C

in this photo, although to fully appreciate O them you have to see them in motion.

48 •• Aprriill 2005 •• LLiighttiing &SSound Amerriica moving stage use 3D modeling, “but ing if projections should fail—and if a we use a technique [similar to] the certain part of lighting should, we are bubbles in the drowning scene to still ready to go.” match the position of the actors one- by-one,”says Förterer. “A two-dimen - Show Control sional distort[ed] image would not As a show control guy who has seen have hit the main stage without caus - and enjoyed almost every Cirque ing warping on the close or far production since 1991, it has always edge.” bothered me that some of the cue timings across and between depart - Infrastructure ments were not as tight as they Förterer needed a lot of computer could have been. This is not the C O horsepower and I/O for this project, case on KÀ , and this is partly U R T E and also had to ensure that the sys - because of the use of show control S Y

O tem can be maintained and updated for certain aspects of the show. A F

S T A

over the projected 10-year run of the widely misused and misunderstood G E

T show. “We are using dual-processor term, show control simply means E C H N

PCs,” he explains, “to ensure fast interconnecting more than one pro - O L O calculations and display of all virtual duction element control system G I E simulation and imagery. We kept (scenery, projections, sound, etc.), S away from most proprietary pack - and on KÀ , says Förterer, “our sys - ages. Windows-dependency was tem is networked to quite a few sys - Two screen captures from the Stage reduced to a minimum; we are using tems in the theatre.” The projection Technologies Nomad scenic automa - OpenGL, and we skipped using the system receives positional data from tion system showing some of the Intel Performance Libraries, since I the scenic automation systems as show’s systems. strived for minimum dependency on detailed above, and then also com - the platform or processors used. Not municates via Ethernet to sound. way forward, and is one that I hope too many portions of the code would “We get data from projections,” we will see more of in the future from have to be rewritten if the [IT] market explains sound designer Jonathan Cirque and others. went berserk for whatever reason.” Deans, “and then convert it (via MAX Everyone I know is tiring of me With projections so critical to the MSP [software]) to MIDI to trigger talking about this show, but I have to show, Förterer had to also ensure our effects.” In some scenes, this say that KÀ is now Mecca for any - that there was sufficient redundancy structure allows performers to not one interested in the intersection of in the system. “We have a backup only generate imagery interactively, art and technology for live perform - PC for all vital systems,” he explains. but trigger sound effects as well. ance. You should make the pilgrim - “Switching to backup systems is Cirque has recently been implement - age yourself, and it’s worth plopping partly automated. On a crash of the ing show control systems on its down $150 for the ticket, as I did. main computer, the backup computer cruise ship projects. However, for the KÀ sets a new standard in artistic would automatically take over within more traditional shows, KÀ is “the use of technology, raising the bar so a maximum of two seconds, causing first attempt for two departments to high I’m not sure who will have the the Barco projectors to smoothly link,” according to Deans, who has imagination and resources to exceed fade into the new system’s video out - worked on many Cirque productions it. put. This would be much faster than for more than 10 years. (John Huntington is an Associate the operator could diagnose the Rigid, time-based control is what Professor of Entertainment problem and react by himself.” most people think of when they think Technology at NYC College of The front end for the system is of show control, and this approach Technology, and is author of the first actually a lighting desk, and, says has become routine in many shows book on entertainment and show Förterer, “we are not connected to today. However, the distributed and control: Control Systems for Live the rest of lighting, to avoid both sys - interactive interconnection seen on Entertainment. He can be reached tems going down at the same time. KÀ and other recent projects is an through his consulting company at Luc Lafortune prepared backup light - even more interesting and powerful http://www.zircondesigns.com/.)

www..lliighttiingandsoundamerriica..com •• Aprriill 2005 •• 49 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART III M A R K

F I S H E R / C O U R T E S Y

O F

C I R Q U E

D U

S O L E I L INSIDE THE THEATRE How a Vegas showroom was remade into the home of KÀ

By David Barbour

The theatre that houses KÀ has been Stéphane Mongeau, technical direc - Pelton Marsh Kinsella has provided described here as a unique space; its tors Paul Bates and Matthew Whelan, services for numerous theatres and most extraordinary aspect may be vice-president/production Luc performing arts centers across the that it was achieved within the con - Plamondon, assistant vice president, country as well as venues such as the fines of an existing building. The for - production Gabriel Pinkstone, and Golden Moon Hotel and Casino in mer home of EFX was reduced to a senior supervisor/theatre projects Choctaw, Mississippi Marnell Corrao shell and a completely new theatre Don MacLean, among others. In addi - has worked for such hotel/casino and lobby put in its place, accommo - tion, architectural lighting was players as Harrah’s, MGM/Mirage, dating the design and production designed and specified by Auerbach and Wynn Design and Development. requirements of Cirque du Soleil. Glasow. The two Auerbach firms will As has already been stated, per - Although Mark Fisher is the be familiar to readers of this maga - haps the most unique aspect of the designer of the theatre, its execution zine—their many credits include the theatre is that it lacks a traditional was an ensemble effort, involving Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall at stage. Instead, the show takes place architect Marnell Corrao Associates, Carnegie Hall, the Borgata Hotel within a 50’ deep cavity filled with theatre consultant Auerbach Pollock Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, and moving scenic elements. (According Friedlander, acousticians Pelton the theatre for Zumanity, another to Michael McMakin, project manag - Marsh Kinsella, production manager Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. er, a basement was already in place

50 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America from the building’s previous life, but, including an 82’ long hoist-support ers. Here is another instance in which he adds, “A fair bit of excavation was structure in the arbor pit, as well as a the performers control the technolo - required for the gantry lifting 37’ long “battle-hoist” structure on gy: each of them controls his or her columns.”) Because the performance the grid. A series of new company own hoist via a wireless controller extends into the audience, the switches and equipment power were integrated into his or her costume. boundaries are blurred between show distributed throughout the theatre, for Using this system, one can travel up and spectators, a unity that could chain hoists, special effects, and spe - or down at a maximum of 4’ per sec - probably only be achieved in a situa - cialty equipment. And a new multi- ond. There are also 18 high-speed tion where the theatre and set design - tiered rigging system was developed mooring hoists to enable the rapid ers are the same person. at the grid level to allow for sophisti - deployment of the safety nets used in First, the floor area of the stage cated stage automation systems. the battle sequence. These hydraulic was removed, creating an abyss (Jaque Paquin conceptualized and hoists can deploy the safety nets in housing the five stage lifts, resulting designed, with Pierre Mase the the - less than 10 seconds. Then there are in a total of 4,950 sq. ft. of flexible atre’s rigging and acrobatic systems; the 80 high-speed scenic pegs, men - staging area. In addition, the theatre project manager Jeremy Hodgson, tioned earlier, which are actuated configuration was altered, from a working with Tom Neville of from within the Sand Cliff Deck. cabaret space filled with booths, Auerbach, developed the system). The implementation of the Gantry tables, and chairs, to a theatre that Also, three high-speed data and and Sand Cliff Deck was also a group seats 1,951 audience members. In communications networks were effort. Jay Reichgott, the systems addition, a new set of catwalks and installed in the space. These inde - integrator of McLaren Engineering, grid decking over the seating area pendent systems are set up to ensure coordinated the installation, tuning, was added for performer access and that the automation, lighting, and and acceptance-test procedures of lighting and technical systems in the hydraulic systems can function sepa - the Gantry. Jeremy Hodgson, front-of-house area. The control rately and also be synchronized. Each Cirque's automation project manager booth was reconfigured to allow system is provided with a minimum kept an eye on the project. Project space for the production’s extensive RAID-1 shared-drive array to help manager David Prior coordinated the lighting, audio, projection, and ensure system redundancy. fabrication, installation, and integra - automation controls. The control suite In order to achieve many of the tion of the Sand Cliff Deck, working features 2,850 sq. ft. of booth space staging effects discussed in the previ - with Tomcat. During the acceptance and 170 linear feet of glass; it offers a ous articles, Auerbach Pollock test procedures, Tom Neville of view of the entire performance area. Friedlander developed an infrastruc - Auerbach, served as facilitator. The Meanwhile, the building’s infra - ture for the stage machinery to Sand Cliff Deck system, the largest structure had to be totally reworked Cirque’s criteria. This included a num - ever installed in a theatre, makes it to accommodate the production’s ber of elements, such as the five possible to move a 280,000lb. scenic extensive technical needs. All spaces, stage lifts previously referred to. Also, element at 2’ per second. including rehearsals halls, technical 40 individual counterweight-assist There were extensive rigging and offices, training rooms, dressing automated hoists were mounted in automation issues to be addressed, rooms, shoe and costume mainte - the newly configured arbor pit area. as well. The theatre’s fly tower was nance areas, green rooms, and a new These hoists automate the operation re-rigged with manual and counter - annex (housing Cirque du Soleil of lighting pipes, special effects, cur - weight-assist linesets. The working offices, support facilities, and a tains, and scenic elements. Five areas over the stage and audience rehearsal room with a full-span over - 1,000kg specialty hoists were were equipped to support motorized head gridiron) were interconnected designed for flying human scenery in spot winches. with sound, video, and communica - a circular path over the audience and Working together, the lighting staff tions from the stage area. New struc - back into the stage area and six at Cirque du Soleil, including lighting tural supports were added for the 1,000kg specialty hoists were designer Luc Lafortune and lighting extensive automated rigging system, designed for large scenic transitions. director Jeanette Farmer, and An additional 16 high-speed Auerbach Pollock Friedlander devel - hoists are used for flying human oped one of the largest and most Mark Fisher’s stunning picture of the the - scenery for a dynamic encounter complex theatrical lighting networks atre reveals many key characteristics, including the Post and Beam structure. sequence involving several perform - ever designed for a single venue. A

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 51 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART III

completely new dimmer system was and/or a remote wireless notebook also used to control the stage moni - installed, consisting of 24 Strand SLD for console video displays anywhere toring system with a 112 x 80 matrix. series dimmer racks in three dimmer in the theatre. (Michael Lay was proj - Modular Cue Console control sur - rooms. Two thousand twenty-six 20A ect manager for Strand). faces are used for sophisticated live dimmers and forty-five 50A dimmers All network equipment is housed in mixing and routing control of micro - are network-controlled. All dimmers nine racks interconnected with three phones and other musical instru - are status-reporting, with local PCs fully redundant fiber-optic backbones. ments and effects sources. The LCS running Reporter Pro for this purpose All network switches/hubs are man - Virtual Room Acoustics System in each dimmer room. In addition to aged and patch bays are included for (VRAS), as has been previously dis - the main dimmer racks, two remote all taps and nodes. AMX-based card cussed, is used to enhance and aug - dimmer packs are located in the racks are also located in the racks for ment room acoustics, providing real- Sand/Cliff Deck and are controlled via use of touch screens for network, time ability to alter reverberation time wireless Ethernet. house, and work light controls, and and delay characteristics as needed, There is extensive distribution of network video distribution electronics using a 40 x 128 routing matrix and 20A and 50A dimmed circuits, utiliz - for touch screen feeds. In addition, special DSP processors. ing custom-fabricated plug boxes. A the racks include space for system Much more gear was specified for wide-ranging system of cable trays file servers and rack-mount consoles. the production. Eighty-eight channels was installed throughout to allow Remote AMX-driven color touch of Aphex remote-controlled micro - multi-cable distribution from these cir - screens, in both fixed and portable phone preamplifiers are provided. cuit boxes to virtually any light fixture configurations, are located throughout More than 90 primary and surround hanging in the theatre. Emergency the theatre for use by stage managers loudspeaker systems by Meyer power transfer to selected architec - and lighting technicians to control cue Sound (MILO, CQ, and UPA series) tural circuits is handled with six 24- lights, rehearsal lights (featuring digi - Nexo (PS series), and EAW are locat - circuit, UL 1008-compliant emergency tal virtual sliders) and to view remote ed throughout the stage and auditori - transfer panels. All networked power stage video feeds. um. Effect processors are by t.c. circuits for consoles, PCs, and other Beyond lighting, extensive sound, electronic, Presonus, dbx, Klark sensitive computer-grade compo - video, and production communica - Teknik, and Aphex. Sennheiser pro - nents are on dedicated centralized tions systems were designed for the vided 16 wireless mic channels. UPS circuits. A large system of space in close cooperation with In terms of communications sys - switched loads of 120V single-phase Cirque du Soleil’s audio staff and tems, a 72-port Clear-Com Matrix- and 280V single-phase are distributed Jonathan Deans. The Level Control Plus-3 digital intercom system is throughout the theatre and are under Systems (LCS) computer-controlled interconnected with a Clear-Com network control. audio matrix and processing system 72x8 analog matrix and 24 channels Lighting control is provided by two is in three sections: front-of-house, Strand 550i 54-submaster consoles, stage monitoring, and VRAS. The In Fisher’s design, even though the the - each with 6,000 channels and quad front of house system controls 144 atre is quite large, it retains a notable video displays; four Strand 520i 24- sources in 184 matrix outputs. LCS is sense of intimacy. submaster consoles with 6,000 chan - nels and dual video displays; two Strand 510i rack-mount consoles with 6,000 channels, and two High End Systems Wholehog II consoles with Strand ShowNet network nodes. Forty universes of DMX can be mixed and matched to any of the 100 dou - ble-network taps distributed through - out the theatre. Sixty portable SN 110

nodes are available, all using power N I L S

over Ethernet ports. There are five B E C K

wireless data access points allowing E R use of handheld wireless remotes,

52 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America of Telex wireless intercom. More than Zooms with gels light the lengths of 16 channels of in-ear monitors and 10 the harp strings. Mole-Richardson IFB monitor channels feed 100 Nooklites mounted to the exposed receivers. Backstage monitoring is structural beams are inspired by the provided by a BSS Soundweb com - Post and Beam design. Surface- puter-controlled monitoring and pag - mounted MR16 monopoints, by BK ing system. The lobby playback sys - Lighting, are recessed into the floor to tems use Tascam 2424 hard-drive reinforce the shape of the curved players and BSS Soundweb comput - glass wall and uplight the glass fins. er control and routing systems, which Openings in the vessel wall led to feed Electro-Voice special effects the concession counters and public M A R

loudspeakers. Custom theatre seating rest rooms. These spaces have an K

F I S was supplied by Irwin Seating; as industrial feel, with metallic painted H E R / Leonard Auerbach himself notes, finishes and glow acrylic panels in C O U

“The customized chairs were critical the ceiling, walls, and the fronts of R T E S Y

to the integration of a stereo pair of the counters. Fluorescent strips with O F loudspeakers for each patron con - dimming ballast and T8 lamps are C I R Q cealed in the back of each seat.” mounted so as to be visible behind U E

D U

Also, more than 25 production the acrylic panels. Prescolite S O L fixed-focus and remote-controllable recessed adjustable MR16 down - E I L color video cameras are routed lights with colored lenses light the through a modulated video system for counters. Compact Shaper Lighting monitoring performers, musicians, fluorescent sconces with dimming An early Fisher sketch shows the absence and critical backstage systems. An ballast create a sense of glowing of a stage with one of the deck’s rising up, FM assisted-listening system for the portholes leading to the rest rooms. bearing performers and scenery. hearing-impaired is provided. Entering the audience chamber The theatre is designed to provide from the lobby, one passes through a lighting that will begin transporting sheet of saturated blue light into a catwalks above the house and have audience members to the magical glowing blue entry vestibule. The narrow or medium distributions world of KÀ as soon as they enter the blue light is created by a fiber-optic based on throw distances. ETC theatre. Guests enter from the casino narrow beam wall-grazer by Glass Source Four PARs mounted to the into a dark, low-ceiling space with Illuminations mounted in the ceiling Post and Beam structure and lights the color of glowing embers. behind the first set of doors. Prescolite recessed adjustable down - Large tree trunks, banded with light, Mounted on the ceiling line at the lights under the control booths sup - marks the edge of the main lobby, side walls are Color Kinetics plement the catwalk fixtures to pro - where the ceiling soars to expose the ColorBlaze fixtures with blue LEDs to vide uniform lighting. Bega low-volt - full height of a wall, which appears to fill the void with blue light. Recessed age halogen step lights are recessed be an inverted ancient ship’s hull. Prescolite adjustable MR16 units with into the walls for egress lighting. Colored light plays on the surface of blue glass filters provide pools of Tivoli warm white LED seat lighting, the vessel wall. Before the perform - light at the entry doors. on dimmers, provides egress lighting ance, musicians located in the trees In the audience chamber, the ramp during the performance. (Again, divi - play the strings of a giant harp. is lit with Architectural Area Lighting sion of labor was key; Auerbach’s The main lobby theatrical lighting, Occulus fixtures above the entry house lighting system, with the designed and project-managed by doors. Architectural MR16 and PAR exception of the Occulus fixtures and Farmer (drawing inspiration from lamp fixtures are integrated into the a few others, is mostly used as work Fisher and Lafortune) is provided by Post and Beam structures. The light; Lafortune designed the pre- ETC units, using color and pattern house lighting system uses Kurt show lighting). projectors to light the floors, metal Versen fixtures mounted halogen All this happened in a very short mesh wall curtains, and stringed downlights, each customized with a 12-month schedule. It’s another case harp. ETC Source Four Zooms light yoke and top relamping feature. The of typical Cirque magic, with a little the vessel wall. Other Source Four fixtures are mounted to the technical help from their friends.

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 53 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART III

Production Team Founder/CEO: Guy Laliberté Projections Project Supervisor: Seating: Irwin Seating, Grand Rapids, Creator/Director: Robert Lepage Steve Montambault Michigan Composer/Musical Arranger: René Dupéré Projections – Programmers: Mykel Brisson, Choreographer: Jacques Heim Daniel Fournier, Peter Ibrahim, Scenery Theatre/Set Designer: Mark Fisher Alain Trépranier Sand Cliff Deck: Tomcat USA, Midland Texas Costume Designer: Marie-Chantale SFX Project Supervisor: Markus Maurette Longue Vue Scenic Vaillancourt IT Project Supervisor: Brad Guilbault Les Ateliers Numérique, Montréal Lighting Designer: Luc Lafortune Moving Light Operator: Hubert Tardif Microtrol, Montréal Sound Designer: Jonathan Deans Costumes Coordinator: Interactive Projections Designer: Geneviève-Isabelle Caron Tatami Deck: Holger Förterer Videographer: Marie-Pierre Guay Show Canada Puppet Designer: Michael Curry Scenic Painter: Christine Giguère Cirque du Soleil Props Designer: Patricia Ruel Longue Vue Scenic Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer: Theatre Design Jaque Paquin Senior Supervisor, Theatre Projects: Forest: Arcofab, St-Foy, Quebec Aerial Acrobatics Designer: André Simard Don Maclean SM Hydraulic, Montréal Makeup Designer: Nathalie Gagné Supervisor, Theatre Projects: Eric Liston Cirque du Soleil Project Supervisor, Theatre Construction: Assistant to the Director: Neilson Vignola Richard Dobbie Pillars: Cirque du Soleil Assistant to the Set Designer: Ray Winkler Project Supervisor, Lighting and Electrical: Assistant to the Costume Designer: Charline Jeanette Farmer Post and Beams Onstage: Service d’acier Boulerice Interior Design Supervisors: International, Montréal, Quebec Associate Lighting designer: Nol Van Gabriel Pinkstone, Luc Plamondon Cirque du Soleil Genuchten Sound, Video, and Communications: Assistant to the Sound Designer: Leon Jonathan Deans Lantern: Show Canada Rothenberg Sigma, Orlando, Florida Assistant to the Interactive Projection Project Architect: Marell Corrao Associates Designer: Madeline Jean, Domink Rinnhofer Structural: Bennett and Jimenez Hydraulic Crane Arm: Cirque du Soleil Assistant to the Acrobatic Equipment and Theatre Consultants: Show Canada Rigging Designer: Pierre Masse Auerbach Pollock Friedlander Assistants to the Makeup Designer: Florence Acoustics: Pelton Marsh Kinsella Scenic Hand Rails: Great Lakes Scenic, Cornet, Marie Regimbald Architectural Lighting Design: Burlington, Ontario Flame/Special Effects Consultant/Supervisor: Auerbach Glasow Gregory Meeh Lighting Pods: Pyrotechnic Consultant: Christophe Infrastructure and Stage Machinery Great Lake Scenic Berthonneau of Groupe F Stage Lifts: Gala Systems, Montréal, Quebec Spinning Sun: Copper Creek Studios, Las Vegas Technical Department Gantry Crane: McLaren Engineering Group, Production Manager: Stéphane Mongeau West Nyack, New York Acrobatic Assistant to the Production Manager: Atlantic Industrial Technologies, Islandia, Harnesses: Cirque du Soleil Anh-Dao Bui New York Climbing Sutra, Las Vegas Production Stage Manager: Neilson Vignola Timberland Industries, Woodstock, Ontario Production Coordinator: Lucie Doyon Hilliard Corporation, Elmira, New York Nets: Magneto Hydraulique et Magnétique, Technical Directors: Paul Bates, Fabriweld Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah Boucherville, Quebec Matthew Whelan Parker/Hannafin, Cleveland, Ohio Banonetti, Milan, Italy Technical Coordinator: Nathalie Rail Sick Stegmann, Dayton, Ohio Cirque du Soleil Set Project Supervisors: Guy Lemire, GS Hydro US Inc., League City, Texas David Prior, Jean Thibault Siemens Air Bags/Stunt Devices: Precision Safety Automation Project Supervisor: Delta Tao, Citrus Heights, California Stunt Specialties, Universal City Jeremy Hodgson Stage Technologies, London, England Rigging Project Supervisor: Joel Svoboda Tisphoon Ulterior Systems, Raleigh, North Bird: Cirque du Soleil Acrobatic Project Supervisor: Carolina Curry Design, Scappoose, Oregon François Laurion Rigging Supervisor: Ewen Seagel Tatami Deck Drawer Slide: Boat: Atlantix Innovations Marines, Montréal Costumes Project Supervisor: Johanne Allaire McLaren Engineering Group Falko, Montréal Props Project Supervisor: Jasmine Catudal Show Canada, Montréal Cirque du Soleil Sound and RF Project Supervisor: Steven Dubuc Post and Beams in House: Wheel of Death: Cirque du Soleil Head Draftsperson: Michel Hébert WW Steel, Las Vegas Show Canada Assistant to the Head Draftsperson: PCI, Las Vegas Simon Limeux Forest: Cirque du Soleil Draftspersons: Marcel Lamy, Nathalie Ouimet Masking: J.D. International, Montréal Microtrol Acrobatic Draftsperson: Philippe Rivrais Gerriets, Allentown, New Jersey

54 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America Acrobatic Pegs: Microtrol Electrical Contractor: Bombard Electric. FOH Console Position: LCS Acrobatic Winches: Stage Technologies Foreman: Ron Hatte Fisher Technical, Las Vegas Lighting Equipment: PRG Lighting. Project FOH Sound Effects Manager: Maggie Bailey Position: LCS, Lorg, MOTU, Apple, Aphex, Acrobatic Mats/Padding: Qued (div. Lighting Cable: TMB Associates Yamaha, Sierra Automation, Compaq Seaway Plastics Ltd.). Montréal Distribution Sports et Loisir, Montréal Operations Team Console Processing: t.c. electronic, Helicon, Speith Anderson, Toronto, Ontario Lighting Director: Jeanette Farmer Presonus, dbx, MIDI Solutions, Peavey, Robes and Cables: Sécurité Landry, Montréal Assistant Lighting Director: Nils Becker Denon, Henry Engineering, Littlite Cordage Barry, Montréal Lighting Operations Crew: Larry Carrasco, Samson, Ferndale, Washington Selina Davenport, Chris Escher, Cliff Loudspeaker Control Chaines et Elingues St.-Pierre Ltd., Montréal Guiterrez, Danny Grose, Gabriel Processing: EAW, Klark Teknik Hernandez, Martin Isaac, Bernie Lehman, Theatrical Rigging: JR Clancy, Syracuse, Curt McCormick, Jon Mytyk, Majid Power Amps, Stage Stage Technologies Khazal, Liz Koch, Chris Kortum, Jeff Surround: Crown, Crest AMC Fabrication, Las Vegas Kyrish, Alan Pilukas, Stuart Pitz, Jon Engineers/Consultants: McLaren Pullen, Doc Roth, Tony Saurini, Mike Loudspeakers: Meyer Sound, Turbosound, Engineering Group Wescoatt, Susan Wilson NEXO, EAW Martoni Cyr et Associé, Montréal Seneca Expert Conceils, Montréal Dimming and Control: Strand Lighting Paging System: BSS, 83, Solotech, QSC, SBSA, Montréal Electro-Voice Geiger Gossen Hamilton, LIAO, Suffern, Lighting Equipment: ETC, Selecon, Altman, New York James Thomas Engineering, Strand, Fiber-Optic/Cat 5 Cabling: Leviton, D-Link, Bennett and Jimenez, Las Vegas McMaster, Mole-Richardson, Robert Corning Cable, Black Box Sadec, Inc., Montréal Juliat, Pani, LTM, Arri, Hubbell, Clay SRS Technologies, Montréal Paky, Vari*Lite, Martin Professional, Intercom System: Clear-Com Insta Design, Montréal Lightning Strikes, Rosco, Gamproducts, Steve Killing Yacht Design, Midland, Ontario City Theatrical, Color Kinetics, Digital Stations: Clear-Com Encapsulite, MGM, McAllister, Wybron Special Effects Wireless Intercom Pyrotechnics: Advance Entertainment Projection Equipment: Barco, Dell, Equipment: Telex, Sennheiser, Professional Services, Millersville, Maryland Wybron, Cisco Wireless, David Clark

Flame Effects: Sigma Systems, Orlando Sound IFB Listen-Only Assistant to the Sound Designer: Leon Equipment: Sennheiser Products Used: Le Maitre, Port Huron, Rothenberg Michigan Audio Consultants: Auerbach Consultants Analog Units: Clear-Com, Sennheiser RES Specialty Pyrotechnics, Belle Plaine, Senior Audio Consultant: Paul Garrity Minnesota Audio Consultant: Matt Ezold Wireless In-ear Monitor: Sennheiser, Shure Sound Contractor: Solotech, Inc. Smoke Effects: MDG, Montréal Project Manager: Bob Barbagallo CCTV: Panasonic, Leitch, Marshall Interesting Products, Chicago, Illinois Sales Director: Mario Duchesne Electronics, American Dynamics, Blonder Look Systems, Ronnenberg, Germany Inside Sales Coordinator: Mathieu Tallion Tongue, Rane Onsite Supervisors: Patrick Marleau, Various Effects: CITC, Lynnwood, Washington Mario Lamy Announcement Mic System: Symetrix Mee Industries, Monrovia, California Electrical Contractor: Bombard Electric Reel EFX, North Hollywood, California Control Room Monitors: Panasonic, Peerless Sound Equipment Automation FOH Cue Console Mixing/ Dressing Room Monitors/ Control System: Stage Technologies Processing System: Level Control Systems, Receivers: Sony, Panasonic, Peerless Sierra Automation, Klark-Teknik, Aphex, Lighting Solotech Microphones: Shure, Neumann, AKG, Assistants to the Lighting Whirlwind, Sennheiser, DPA, Audio- Designer: Paul Copenhaver, Alexandre Tougas Monitor Control/Equipment: LCS, Apple Technica, Ultimate Ears, Beyer. Moving Light Programmer: Hubert Tardif Lighting Consultants: Auerbach, Pollock, Monitor Console Position: LCS VRAS Equipment: LCS, Apple, Marathon Friedlander Computer, True Systems, Middle Atlantic, CDS Infrastructure Design: Luc Plamondon, Backup Switching: Sierra Automation, Whirlwind, Tannoy, Crown, Shure, Gabriel Pinkstone, Don Maclean, Eric Liston, Klark-Teknik, Yamaha, t.c electronic, Solotech, Audio-Technica, Crown Rick Dobbie, Jeanette Farmer Akai, Tascam Wireless Mic System: Sennheiser General Contractor: Marnell Carrao and Associates. General Foreman: Randy Kuiper Signal Processing/Recording Electrical Engineering: JBA and Associates. Playback: Presonus, True Systems, Alesis, Project Lead: David Magdefrau Avalon

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • April 2005 • 55 THE STORY OF KÀ , PART III D D E E N N T T T I I S S O O O E E M M M

T T A A A R R S S S U U Z Z Z S S

R R R C C O O O E E S S S L L L L S S S O O A A A

Left to right: Members of the design team include Holger Förterer (interactive projections), Luc Lafortune (lighting), Jonathan Deans (sound), Mark Fisher (scenery/theatre design), and the director Robert Lepage.

Michael Garrett, James Hutcherson, Steve Oxford, Joseph Percelly, Show Staff Company Manager: Jerry Nadal Aaron Hutsch, Nicholas Kreway, David Piccola, Alex Poline, Glenn Priestly, Assistant Company Manager: Victoria Webb Micharl Mansfield, Michael Mattox, Sergio Ramos, Dan Rowland, Operation Production Manager: Ray Forton Dale Medina, Josh Misegades, Joseph Sabo, Vincent Schonbrodt, Production Assistant: Christina Petras Raul Mullera, Mark Myatt, Michael Norris, Frank Simpson, Scott Stanley, Artistic Coordinator: Eric Heppel Ronald Reed, Wayne Robinson, Joshua George Stingel, Jose Tejada, General Stage Manager: Armand Thomas Russell, Scott Smith, Jack Stanford, Vinicio Vazquez, Juan Vazquez Stage Managers: Julie Aucoin, Dallas Tankersley, David Turnbull, Rodriguez, Joseph Voelkel, Sylvain Collette, Stacey Myers Christopher Velvin, Anthony Vergot, George Wilson, Brendan Yeager, Assistant Stage Managers: Grace O’Brien, Catherine Walsh Wilson Zamudio Mikhail Petrov Lead Electrician: Michael Wescoatt Head of Wardrobe: Ruben Permel Administrative Assistant, Technical Assistant Lead Electrician: Chris Kortum Assistant Head of Wardrobe: Sandra Fox Department: Kirstine Palmer-Tveleneva Electrics Technicians: Lawrence Carrasco, Wardrobe Attendants: Ryan Chin, Technical Director: Dave Churchill Selina Davenport, Chris Escher, Paul Franklin, Marina Goubenok, Assistant Technical Director: Martin Crawford Cliff Gutierrez, Gabriel Hernandez, Sarah Haman, Jennie Hollander, Technical Buyer: Rhonda Roueche Majid Khazal, Jeffrey Kyrish, Paul Ludick, Jo Ann McKee, Production Runner: Andy Ray Bernie Leman, Curt McCormick, Bridge Savadge, Yelena Tokey, Head of Audio: Mark Dennis Alan Pilukas, Stuart Pitz, Jon Pullen, Margaret Uesugi-Oh Assistant Head of Audio: Brian Hsieh David “Doc” Roth, Tony Saurini, Wardrobe Costume Technicians: Audio Monitor Mixer: Kevin Owens Susan Wilson Jason S. Brass, Kelly Burton-Gilmore, RF Technician: Gary Trenda Moving Light Operator: Danny Grose Kelly Lance, Mary Ann Racheau, Audio Technicians: Michael Atwood, Projectionist: Jon Mytyk Liann Rawlings, Teresa Soto, Jonny Lee Tempest Lead Spot Operator: Martin Mawalimu Cathe Sowin-Puckett, Elisabeth Wilson, Head of Automation: Jem Hodgson Kawakou Isaac Eric Wood, Kathy Wusanack Assistant Head of Automation/Show Lighting Console Operator: Head of Props and Puppets: John Gallagher Operations: Bonnie McDonald Elizabeth Koch-Lichter Props and Puppets Technicians: Automation Technicians: David Ball, Head of Rigging: Tony Galuppi Jason Armuo, Gracie Buckner, Jason Burges, David Geving, Kyle Howe, Assistant Heads of Rigging: Albert Gregor, John Rager, Drew Reardon, Joe McCunney, Lloyd Monteiro, Joel Svoboda Jannelle Rivers, Sam Souza, Jason Potter, Rick Sylvester, Jay Withee Riggers: Eric Anderson, Kevin Candiotty, George Verbinski, Merrill Whittenberger, Head Carpenter: Scott Stevens Vincent Cavaretta, Jason Cavazos, Gary Wong Assistant Head of Carpentry: Eric Davis, Reid Draper, Robert Fejer, Head of Special FX: Jeff Schaen Kenneth Ramsey Michael Ferraro, Charles Haga, Assistant head of Special FX: Richard Friday Carpenters/Technicians: Bill Allen, Mike Harbin, John Hegyes, Special FX Technicians: Eric Johnson, Byron Barker, Russell Bruce, Andrei Kazantsev, Vladimir Lagrev, Melvin Lovelace, Karl Seymour, Frank Coombs, Stephen Emmerson, Tom Lapp, Curtis Legacie, Douglas Talley Scott Fadale, Timothy Frankfort, Marcus Minguela, James Moran,

56 • April 2005 • Lighting &Sound America