Lighting programmer/designer Cosmo Wilson has taken on a new role as director of lighting services for the new Gateway Studios & Production Services in St. Louis, MO. “I have been honored to have been asked to be a part of this incredible project to construct the largest facility of its kind in the U.S.,” he says. While the team is creating the lighting, audio, video and rigging services division, the rehearsal facility portion of the project is set to open in 2023.
In the meantime, the Gateway Production Services side of the business is supplying lights, sound and video for tours, and Wilson has already been busy staffing and equipping the lighting shop, hiring Wayne Boehning as the shop lighting operations manager, as well as hiring some lighting crew for tours. “Our first big tour out is Hall & Oates,” he says. “I crewed that with Kevin Tyler as crew chief, with crew Moss Everhard and Ryan Hodge. Hall & Oates had already hired Michael Duncan as LD and Jesper Luth as production manager. We are also doing the Black Pumas with LD Marc Janowitz and programmer Meagan Metcalf. Their lighting director Alyssa Milione chose Joel Muir as her crew chief.”
Wilson finds it interesting being on this side of the shop, and aims to build the house team with a family atmosphere. “It’s the old-fashioned way of doing business,” he adds. “I want to make it fun and less corporate.”
Meanwhile, he’s got the 9/11 Tribute in Light in NYC on his calendar, and when his favorite bands call, he will answer those touring lighting needs. So while the Florida-based LD is “not yet” permanently hanging his Hawaiian shirts in a St. Louis closet, he has rented a home temporarily for the next couple of years.
Silent House’s Headliners
Silent House’s Alex Reardon was headed to Lollapalooza in Chicago for headline performances of his clients Miley Cyrus and Tyler, The Creator. “So glad to be working again,” he declares. Miley Cyrus’ design was a collaboration between Reardon, Baz Halpin and creative director Molly Hawkins. Lighting board op is Steve “Six” Schwind. Cyrus will also perform at other festivals after the Chicago event.
Reardon’s design for Tyler, the Creator was aided “with fantastic, and near unique, vision from Tyler himself.” Also on the team are programmer PJ Carruth of Duck Lights, lighting operator Shaheem Litchmore, and media server programmer Manny Condé.
The design group is also involved with the Jonas Brothers, who kick off their “The Remember This Tour” Aug. 20 with a couple of dates at the Park Theater at the Park MGM in Las Vegas. “I’d say that Baz did that one,” Reardon says. “I’m not really involved other than a bit of an overview and an on-site.”
Also at the Park MGM, Bruno Mars has returned in July to his residency for select weekends into 2022. Silent House LD Cory FitzGerald designed the original production with David Korins a few years ago, but FitzGerald says it has since evolved over time into its current look with LD Whitney Hoversten running the shows.
Says Hoversten, “As we have all seen over the last year, things change by the minute in terms of Covid, so this could all change by tomorrow. As of today, and for our four initial shows at the Park Theater, there were no vax or testing requirements for the audience. We were, and continue to be, at full venue capacity for seating.” FitzGerald is also the lighting designer for Gwen Stefani’s upcoming dates including a residency at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater in Las Vegas. Production manager Ernesto Corti says Stefani’s new lighting director will be selected soon.
Working on “The Cube”
The American version of the hit U.K. TV show The Cube features contestants competing inside a square structure to win cash prizes. A 15-square-foot Plexiglas box is at the center of the TBS competition show, which uses the latest augmented reality GFX (graphics) and camera technology. Chris Smith with the DDP Company worked on the show with the Darkfire Lighting Design team of Craig Housenick (lighting director) and Benny Martinez (gaffer). Steve Foster programmed the screens while Smith programmed the lighting.
“It was a great show to work on,” Smith says. “We had a lot of long days, but we also had fun things to play with: a pixel mapped cube, dynamic screens design, and a great lighting design with a ton of supporting fixtures. In total, we had about 160 [DMX] universes in there.”
The series debuted in June, but was shot last fall with pandemic precautions in full swing. Smith is currently working on a film project due out in 2022. “The production is still in full pandemic mode, with testing every other day and masks required at all times, so it’s definitely not feeling like the pre-pandemic times yet,” he admits. “But, I’m thankful to be working.” View a trailer of The Cube at plsn.me/Cube
Burnett Follows His Heart
LD Carl Burnett is following his heart — or rather, following Heart’s Ann Wilson — back out on the road. “Like most in this industry, I have been resting for the last 15 months,” he says, before spending a few weeks programming for the Rite of June: An Evening with Ann Wilson shows. “This is an ongoing tour. After those four shows in Florida, the idea is to tour two weeks each month this year starting in August.”
The U.K.-based LD adds, “Due to our old friend Covid It wasn’t possible for me to make the journey to the U.S. for this leg, so my good friend Jim Fitzpatrick was operating for me in June. I will be making it out for the August shows.”
Iggy for Il Divo
Ignacio “Iggy” Rosenberg is designing Il Divo’s new For Once in My Life tour, which hits the U.S. in August and September. “There’s not a lot of production on this run,” which promotes their new album tribute to Motown sounds. “I think all artists are trying to make a buck, so we made it a small and very cost-efficient design,” the Lightswitch LD points out. “We’re taking a full rig minus spots since it’s a theater tour and the downstage position is hard to reach. It’s just a ton of small lights, basically.”
Rosenberg will hand his design to Hailey Featherstone to run it on the road, saying, “I may jump in on some Euro dates, but I don’t really tour any more.”
Lenny Lights Idol, Smokey
LD Lenny Douglas gave us a shout out to say he’s the new LD for Billy Idol’s summer and fall tour dates, which also includes a Las Vegas stint at The Cosmopolitan. For the short three-week tour across the Midwest / Northwest starting July 29, they’re just carrying lighting consoles and a monitor rig. He’s also lighting Smokey Robinson’s U.S. dates through the end of 2021. “Smokey is still killing it,” says the LD, who’s been with the Motown legend for a year now. “He sounds and looks amazing for his age.”
Keep Debi posted with your news at dmoen@plsn.com.
