When the iconic 9/11 Tribute in Light was initially canceled in New York City because of the pandemic, an uproar surged across social media. The art installation of two light beams piercing the night sky represents the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
One of those “in the chorus of many” who felt it was the wrong time to cancel a moment of unity in our country was LD Cosmo Wilson. As one who has made the spiritual trek to the site since the ceremony first started in 2002, Wilson believed it was a necessary memorial especially now in these divisive times. He contacted a friend at Michael Ahern Production Services (MAPS) to share the feedback he had seen and to express his disappointment.
So when the ceremony was back on again for this, its 19th year, his passion and positivity for the project was noted. MAPS asked if he would like to join the voluntary team to help as a lighting tech. “I was told I helped light the fire, that’s all,” Wilson says. “There were no shortage of volunteers. They had IATSE Local One guys, IBEW, security and EMTs to make sure we were all healthy, but at the end of the day, people wanted to be there. I was honored.”
Just for the record: Situated at Ground Zero were 88 lighting fixtures at 7000 watts each, divided in two adjacent squares to create the two columns of light. With safety a main concern, they wore masks, maintained social distancing when they could, and ate pre-made lunches and dinners. But those two light beams meant more to him and many others whose hearts needed the memorial. And according to news reports, a movement in New York is already hoping to make the installation permanent with lighting held in below-ground storage space, ready to be raised annually on Sept. 11.
Seeing Red in Canada
LD Howard Ungerleider originally planned to help light Toronto red for the
#RedAlertRESTART movement, held Sept. 1 in the U.S. But another coalition was in the works for a Day of Visibility for the Live Event Community in Canada for Sept. 22, headed by Rob Duncan and Morgan Myler, so he joined the cause. Among his many efforts in Toronto, highlights were bringing the CN Tower on board and putting lasers for the first time in the Four Seasons Centre Opera House. More than 400 venues across the country were expected to participate. “The event is the same as in the US,” he says, “but the ‘ask’ in terms of governmental assistance Is different here.”
Up On a Roof
The Killers took social distancing to a new high — above The Strip on the roof of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. They performed Sept. 21 for the halftime show for Monday Night Football, celebrating the first home game for the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team in their new Allegiant Stadium. The band’s LD, Steven Douglas, was unable to leave his home in Ireland because of travel restrictions/quarantining, so lighting programmer/director Josh Spodick operated the performance to his notes.
“It was an interesting challenge trying to design a rig remotely without ever seeing the site or being on location myself at all,” Douglas explains. “Being on a balcony deck on top of Caesars Palace gave us limited space to play with, and also restrictions on the amount of power available. Thanks to LMG’s Juliana Stern for being our person on the ground. She was able to do remote site visits and give me the full low down of space and so on, so we could maximize the space available when we still had to fit six musicians comfortably onto the stage.”
More Vegas Rooftop News
Team Imagination’s Michael Veerkamp contacted Designer Watch while in quarantine. The lighting designer and 20 electricians were preparing to safely shoot season two of the CBS reality series, Love Island. Singles looking for love were not on an island this time, but holed up at a Las Vegas hotel, The Cromwell. The season premiered Aug. 24 with live episodes airing nightly for a month. “We are occupying three entire hotels in Las Vegas,” Veerkamp says. “The crew quarantined for two weeks in the hotel are not allowed to leave their rooms, then together with a crew of several hundred, they built an ‘island’ on the roof. No one comes or goes from our bubble. Even our equipment was sanitized in the shop in Los Angeles and fogged again here before it entered the building. Easy commute — we just go up four floors.”
Six safety compliance consultants were hired to keep the crew Covid-safe. “The logistics of Covid-19 management, weekly testing and managing all of this is a huge test for ITV Entertainment and CBS,” Veerkamp says. “I give them credit for what and how they are doing this and, frankly, the money they are spending to keep us safe.”
A few fun facts: the project required 1,000 festoon lamps, four miles of distributed power and 292 control channels spread over three floors. Joining Veerkamp is lighting director Adam Portelli, chief lighting technician Ryan Land and equipment manager Kevin McElroy, along with a union lighting and grip crew.
Beck Gets Back to Ellen
LD Tom Beck has also returned to the studio, resuming his sixth season as LD for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Things will be a little different for Ellen’s 18th season, he describes. “We will have a Zoomed audience [in which televisions replaced the seats for a virtual audience], very few in-studio guests, a new Covid-19 compliance department and regular testing.” The taping schedule ramped up, and now they manage five shows in a four-day run. “Spirits are high, and I feel blessed to be back,” Beck says.
Open for Audiences in Tennessee
LD Susan Rose is working again at the Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. As lighting designer and programmer, she collaborated with house lighting director/video designer Marshall Whaley on the lighting and creative elements for the show’s new season. The venue requires masks and temperature checks. At half capacity, they’ve blocked off the first three rows and every other row, with three seats open between each party. She’s hands-on at the console on Whaley’s day off, uncharacteristically avoiding guests by walking laps around the venue for fresh air during breaks. “At least I am getting to do what I am passionate about: music and lighting.” (For related story, CLICK HERE.)
Corporate Gigging with EWF
Since April, LD Jef Benjamin has been playing with lights in his office/jam room to “keep my chops from rusting the hinges off,” he says. In mid-September, he was called to light just his second Earth, Wind & Fire gig of the year. It was a corporate anniversary party, being held virtually in a Burbank, CA hotel.
Acknowledging the contagion of the pandemic, the Washington LD refused to fly but requested a rental car for the trip. He drove from Bremerton, WA to Missoula, MT to pick up J. Bradley, his lighting and media server programmer, then drove to Burbank for the gig. He checked in with Designer Watch, reporting being “tired and stinky from the road, waiting for our second Covid test,” he says. “It is now a bureaucratic nightmare of medical testing and red tape limbo lines to maneuver to do a production in this day and age. But I am a LD. This is what we do.”
Mozart at the Drive-In
While work has been “pretty dead” for LD Rachel Mullen, she is playing a part in keeping the classical masters alive. She’s designed a lighting plot for San Diego’s Mainly Mozart outdoor drive-in Festival Orchestra. The Del Mar Fairgrounds is setting up an outdoor stage Oct. 17-24 to include members of various orchestral groups.
Marionettes and Marley
LD Joël Huxtable is designing and programming a walk-through exhibit at The Bob Baker Marionette Theatre in Los Angeles. He’s also lit a couple of streaming concerts including local rock band Wallows at the Roxy Theatre for four nights/four livestreams; and a Bob Marley 75th birthday tribute broadcast with son Ziggy Marley, an event which topped Billboard charts for streaming with 9.4 million views in the first seven days.
Keep Debi Moen posted on your latest gigs and news. Send email to dmoen@plsn.com.
