TORONTO — Tina Turner’s current tour is getting more than a little extra spark with attention-getting visuals engineered by Pyrotek Special Effects. Vice President Lorenzo Cornacchia collaborated with LD Baz Halpin to add everything from Dragons to Gold Flitter Mines, Red Mines with Glitter, Aqua Mines, Blue Mines and an all-fire cue of 20-by-20 Gerbs firing upstage at the conclusion of Turner’s song, “Hero.”
Pyrotek implemented the designs with Halpin during the tour’s four-week rehearsal period. Pyrotechnic crew chief John Arrowsmith introduces the effects in each show.
The theme and choreography of the set for Hero is based on the classic action thriller film, Mad Max. “It’s a real powerful song and we focused on adding a barrage of distinctive looks that truly highlight the heavy riffs,” said Cornacchia.
Additionally, for “Better Be Good,” eight Dragon Heads are positioned upstage and inline with the video wall, and the effects act in synergy with the video visuals.
At first, the audience sees theatrical curtains displayed on the video wall, which blends into the set of curtains surrounding the stage. As all eight Dragon units are cued, creating 15-foot flame columns, the illustration of the curtains on the video screen ignites, portraying flames running up the curtains.
The show includes a set list with over 20 of Turner’s hit songs throughout her career. The first leg of the North America tour will continue through until December 13 ending in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. Its European leg begins mid-January, 2009.
For more information, please visit www.pyrotekfx.com .
