CHICAGO – “The Package,” the current New Kids on the Block tour includes more than just the members of the band. It also includes two new pieces of gear that merge lighting and special effects from Strictly FX. Production Designer Butch Allen and New Kid Donnie Wahlberg, who is very involved in the production, wanted something fresh. “Butch and Donnie wanted a party atmosphere for the production, and we had something new that fit the bill perfectly,” notes Ted Maccabee, partner and visuals director at Strictly FX.
More details from Strictly FX (www.strictlyfx.com):
The first effect, and an integral part of the show, is the LED Cryojet, which enhances “Block Party,” “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “The Whisper,” “Heat it Up,” “Cover Girl,” “Games” and the finale, “Hangin’ Tough.”
“Our proprietary LED Cryojet is a color changing, DMX controlled unit that gives designers the ability to create an endless variety of cryojet looks,” Maccabee explains. The LED Cryojet is a 27 pound unit that is 18 inches tall, and runs on either 110 volt or 240 volt power. The six units are located around the main stage, which is out in the audience.
There are also six large LED Confetti Duster units around the main stage. “The LED Confetti Duster is a fan-based, small confetti unit that shoots white confetti but also has an LED ring around it that lights the confetti. It gives designers the opportunity to change the color of confetti without actually purchasing colored confetti, which can be quite the cost-saving measure,” explains Maccabee.
The LED Confetti Duster is comes in three different varieties. The large unit, which weighs 27 pounds, features colored LEDs and sends the confetti 20 feet into the air. The unit is controlled by an a/c box, and is ground based. The short unit shoots confetti 15 feet into the air, weighs 21 pounds, has colored LEDs and is controlled by a 3-pin DMX connection. Finally, the white LED unit features only white LEDs, shoots the confetti 10 feet, and is also controlled via DMX. All units are for use with 110 power only.
More effects include the 16 Double Barrel Streamer Launchers, 6 MKll Venom Flame Units, 6 Confetti Cobras, 30 x 3 ft latex balloons, 2 RGB Arctos Diode Lasers, 1 Blitz Laser, and a myriad of pyro, including silver gerbs and silver waterfall gerbs. There are effects of one kind or another- and sometimes several – in more than half the show.
“This is our third year working with The New Kids on the Block, and their creative use of effects really makes the show memorable,” says Maccabee.
The New Kids on the Block tour continues until the beginning of August. The crew includes Duane Nowak, Richard Brisson and Michael Scheirer.
