Moving up from lighting director to lighting designer can be an organic process. Or there could be an unusual story involved, as there is for Scott Pearson.
Here’s his story: Pearson has spent 28 years in the industry, starting as drum tech for Manowar to lighting the last inception of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow in 1996. For more than 11 of those years, he got off the road to work at a Connecticut casino. “That’s where I met and programmed the console for LD David Manion and Kansas in 2006,” he explains. “We kept in touch since then. Fast forward to this past July, I had since moved on from the casino and was back to touring.”
In September 2014, he got the call from Kansas. It seems that band member Steve Walsh, the original vocalist and keyboardist, announced his sudden retirement. Longtime LD Manion, who is an accomplished piano/keyboard player, was approached to fill that slot for the band. “And of course, he jumped!” Pearson said. “They asked David if he could recommend anyone to fill his shoes. My name was given, and I couldn’t believe it.”
Manion had been lighting Kansas on and off since 1991. His initial reaction — from controlling the lights to playing under them onstage — was “complete euphoria and sheer panic,” he told PLSN. Contrary to what one may think, he does not critique the lighting while he is now on stage. “I knew it would be in great hands with Scott and so I welcomed the relief of it. Although it’s funny — I am now the guy who thinks the lights are too bright. But that is good.”
Pearson adds, “One of the best things about all of this is, when you are recommended into a job by a friend to take over for that friend, you never see them, they’re gone. I get to see my friend all the time now!”
Pearson, by the way, is also a drummer…
Quick Cues
LD Scott Warner is preparing for Tinashe’s tour as lighting designer/director. The run kicks off in February in Dubai, followed by Australia. March sees shows in Europe, the Philippines and Japan. In April-May, Tinashe supports Iggy Azalea and Nick Jonas.
Keith Hoagland continues on the road as lighting designer/director for Jason Aldean’s tour, which kicked off Jan. 31. He tweaked last year’s design for this 2015 run, which hits arenas/stadiums in the U.S. and some in Europe. “It will be still the original layout, but [I’m] changing fixture types to assist in getting our power needs down per show. There are some very cool and special things in the horizon here with Jason.”
Craig Rutherford, lighting director for eight months now with Alan Jackson, said this year’s tour marks the 25th year for the country superstar. He’s in command of “lots of moving lights” for this special “Keepin’ It Country” tour.
Lighting director Chris Smith has been carrying out LD Steve Bewley’s design for London Grammar’s U.S. tour, which runs until Feb. 8.
LD Brett Lorins embarks mid-February through March for a European run with Ryan Adams. “We will tour with a similar rig to the one we had in the States, depending on gear we can get. After that, it’ll be festival season,” he said. Next up on Lorins’ touring itinerary: Akon. “Akon has come on record about releasing a new album, so I anticipate many one-offs with him coming up.”
LD Bryan Hartley clued us in on Chris Brown’s tour, which kicked off Jan. 27 for a U.S./ Canada run. Tom Marzullo production designed the show. “It’s all about a huge video screen,” Hartley said, although he said his role will be to focus exclusively on the lighting. After Hartley’s big holiday runs with Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s tour, dealing just with the lighting would be a nice break, he said.
LD Steve Fallon returns to TV’s Nashville series in its third season. He is also lighting a new live-streaming show called Skyville Live. “Google it and you will see what it’s all about. A very cool idea,” he said.
LD Ben Stanton is gearing up to design the lighting for the Broadway musical Fun Home at Circle in the Square Theater in New York City. Tech and previews start in March, with opening April 19. Catching us up from 2014, Stanton was most recently the touring LD for The National, finishing the final European leg in July/August and American festivals in September. After all that, he still found time for another important gig with his +1: his Oct. 4 wedding day.
Kirk Garreans spent the month of January traveling with a corporate show, using a new screen switcher just released to the market. “Four shows in four cities over 21 days, and things are going well with the new system so far,” he reports.
LD Jim Fitzpatrick was recently out with Weezer and Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s tour.
LD Oscar Dominguez notes a busy TV season already with “just a few shows at the moment.” He’s designed The Voice, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, 500 Questions, I Can Do That and a pilot here and there. He also co-designed The Bachelor with Dennis Weiler.
Production designer Paul Normandale reports a slow touring season at a chilly -10° C (14° F) in London. His design for One Direction’s world tour continues onward with lighting director Dave Lee.
Scott Cunningham is the lighting designer/director Florida Georgia Line’s Anything Goes tour, which started Jan. 22. Mike Swinford served as production designer.
Seth Jackson and his 3srCreative team are in rehearsals again for Barry Manilow’s “One Last Time” tour. Jackson is show/production designer; Brent Sandrock handles media/content design; D3 programmer is Nathan Scheuer, and Lighting Director is Nate Alves. US/Canada dates announced start Feb. 11, ending June 17 on Manilow’s birthday in his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y.
LD/Lighting Director Justin Kitchenman said his “My Kind of Night” tour design for Luke Bryan runs until March. A new production kicks off the tour in May. See “On the Road,” this issue, page 12 for more on Kitchenman and his design for Luke Bryan.
Reach Debi Moen at dmoen@plsn.com.
