During the dark cold days of the COVID-19 lockdown, this Kansas-City based designer found one small consolation. Cut off from his busy pre-pandemic touring schedule, he was, for the first time in many years, able to sit back and, as he puts it, “listen to music recreationally.” For Cathcart, the act of listening to music […]

Anticipation accounts for 90-perecent of his job as a lighting designer, says Peter L Spadaro III. Good thing too, considering this Nyack, NY based LD’s improvisational approach to design. Working for a diverse range of clients like Stick Figure and Matisyahu, Spadaro busks virtually every show, but that’s just the tip of his creative iceberg. […]

Some of Europe’s leading concert venues made a significant upgrade during the coronavirus lockdown, and when audiences return, they aren’t going to hear a thing about it. From France to Norway, these sites have enhanced the listening experience by installing our new generation of silent and ultra-quiet fixtures. At the stunning Frank Gehry designed Luis […]

Like love itself, creativity is one of the most elusive of all human qualities. Difficult to define and impossible to measure, it dwells within the realm of infinite space that resides in each of us. This award-winning Nashville designer never tires of exploring this endless labyrinth, viewing it as a journey of open-ended possibilities and […]

Theatres are set to reopen, however gradually, in the US, UK and other markets. But when shows return, what form will they take? Will they return to “normal?” If not, what will they look like, and how will this affect the role of lighting in productions? To get a sense of these issues, we asked […]

Much of the story of a life can be told in music. The songs that lift the spirit in joy and comfort it in sorrow, resonate through the years that mark our time on earth. Claudio Mazzucchelli was inspired by this great voice to create “Papa Watch My Fly” a livestreamed multi-media operatic work performed […]

As the lighting designer at The Muny, an 11,000 seat outdoor theatre, this New York-based LD was instrumental in the massive 2019 upgrade that took place at the 100-year old St. Louis facility. A long list of issues turned over in his head when he evaluated plans for the new rig: How versatile would it […]

In the world of television, where success can vanish in the blink of any eye, Wheel of Fortune stands out as a paradigm of longevity. Debuting in Hollywood 46 years ago, the word puzzle quiz show, is the longest-running syndicated series in US history. The Belgian edition Het Rad van Fortuin, has been around almost […]

Almost as soon as the pandemic lockdowns went into effect, some lighting professionals began converting sections of their warehouses into improvised studio space where they could produce livestreams and videos. Initially, this was done primarily to keep busy, but as time passed these spaces were doing paid projects, primarily musical performances at first, but later […]

Martin Dudley Recalls Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa. The owner of Reading, UK-based Martin’s Lights has acquired a trove of memories in 30 years of touring as a lighting designer and director. Over 50 countries on five continents have been stamped on his passport. Still when asked about his most memorable venue, […]

“His work has influenced me!” We heard this sentiment from more than a few LDs when we mentioned that we would be doing a feature on this Danish lighting and set designer. Bjerregaard’s outsized creations for his principal client, the Grammy-nominated multi-platinum band Volbeat, are indeed the sort of sweeping, visionary outpourings that fire the […]

Across the world clubs have been shuttered since the start of the pandemic. How has this affected the lives and careers of those who work inside as house LDs? What adjustments did they have to make after their venues closed? Now that those clubs are showing signs of reopening, how are they readying themselves? We […]