BONN, Germany - The long-running cult musical The Rocky Horror Show is back
on stage for a 6-month tour of Germany and features an array of HARMAN
Martin Professional lighting fixtures to underscore the production's more
distinctive elements.
Since its first performance at the Royal Court Theatre in London 40 years
ago, more than 20 million people have seen Richard O'Brien's bizarre story
about a newly engaged couple, the mad transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter and
his artificial creature, Rocky Horror.
For the German tour, lighting designer David Howe specified a rig mostly
comprised of fixtures from Martin Professional, including MAC Viper Washes,
MAC Viper Performances, MAC Auras, MAC 700 Profiles and Stagebars.
"The lighting designer is always the guy who has the wild ideas," said Howe.
"However, rather than creating an overwhelming light show, I wanted to draw
the audience's attention to the story, the characters, and the bizarre
atmosphere in Dr. Frank-N-Furter's house."
No stranger to the production, this tour will be Howe's sixth time working
on the Rocky Horror Show.
"I used to specify the MAC 2000 Wash but this time I wanted to try out the
MAC Viper Wash," he said. "Its ability to blast colors out onto the stage is
perfect for big venues and arenas."
Howe refers to the MAC Viper as an upgrade over the MAC 2000 and speaks
highly of the fixture's benefits, especially for this particular production.
"The MAC Viper features beautiful, saturated colors and due to the high
output, it really brings power to the lighting design- ideal to stage this
crazy cocktail of classic rock 'n' roll, eccentric people and broken
conventions," he said.
Howe replaced the MAC 401, which he used to illuminate the curtains on
previous shows, with the MAC Aura.
"The MAC Aura's LED technology makes it such a versatile fixture," said
Howe. "It's great for lighting actors' faces, which I could never have done
with a traditional LED fixture. The MAC Aura's tungsten adds a realistic
quality that makes the light move in a fluent, natural way."
However, technology and innovative features are not the only parameters Howe
considers important. Since a successful show also needs reliable equipment
and experienced partners, he recruited Showconcept, one of Germany's leading
full-service providers of technical equipment for touring, stage productions
and TV-shows, to provide the lighting equipment, rigging and on-site
assistance.
"My team of three doesn't have time to concentrate on broken fixtures," said
Howe. "Showconcept's team is completely professional. They make sure that
the lights are always functional so that we can focus on the design."
Andreas Rescheneder of Showconcept acted as technical director on the
production.
"The equipment must usually endure eight shows per week plus rehearsals,"
said Rescheneder. "If, for instance, I have 100 fixtures in the rig, I can't
risk half of them falling out and having to be repaired. I only invest in
reliable and high-quality products, like Martin fixtures, which have been
thoroughly tested by the manufacturer."
The Rocky Horror Show is on tour in Germany until Aug. 2, 2015. For more
information, please visit http://www.rocky-horror-show.de/
For more information, please visit: http://www.showconcept.com/default.html
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