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Appomattox

Stark sets and dramatic lighting link the past to the present.

Although new chamber pieces and small-scale operas are frequently performed, new large-scale opera premieres are rare. First, there is the expense. In addition to the words and music, grand opera demands enormous resources, both onstage and in the wings. The company needs principal and secondary singers, a chorus, stagehands, dancers, choreographers, an orchestra, conductors, the stage directors, and the technicians and artists responsible for lighting, scenery, props and costumes. Repertory companies also have large administrative staff requirements. For the year 2005–2006, salaries for all of San Francisco Opera totaled in excess of $40 million. Picture a big Broadway musical on steroids.

And the Parnelli goes to…

Below are the nominees for the 7th Annual Parnelli Awards. Cast your vote to honor those individuals and companies who have done outstanding work in the past year. Voting for the Parnelli Awards is limited to subscribers of Projection, Lights & Staging News and Front of House. To cast your vote, go to www.parnelliawards.com/vote.

To ensure only one vote per person, you much input the subscription code from your address label. (See Web site for details.)

Grease: A New Spin on an Old Favorite

As the title song goes, “Grease is the word,” and the new revival of the beloved 1970s rock musical, which focuses on two teens from different sides of the tracks seeking acceptance and each other at Rydell High in the 1950s, is certainly a crowd-pleaser. This rendition features all four songs written for the movie adaptation, brought to the stage for the first time. Additionally, the two leads — unknowns Max Crumm as Danny Zuko and Laura Osnes as Sandy Dumbrowski — were picked from a reality television show (Grease – You’re The One That I Want!), which aired on NBC earlier this year.

The USUAL, the UNEXPECTED and the UTTERLY SUBLIME

There is an eyewear shop on Kensington High Street in London with a poster in the window that says, “I’d like to see all the top designers under one roof.” The lady in the poster might just as well have been referring to the lighting exhibition that was taking place around the corner and a few clicks down Warwick Street in Earl’s Court. While many of the usual suspects plied their wares at the European trade fair, the show had plenty of unusual aspects this year, some of which were utterly sublime.

Hometown Heroes 2007

It is a diverse group of Hometown Hero honorees that were presented to the Parnelli board by a finicky and discerning jury of peers. Despite their surface differences, the shared characteristic of all of these companies is a passion for the artistry and a reverent dedication to the client.

It’s not far-out to assume that every year, hundreds of good road dogs “retire” to start their own company. Most flounder and fail. Few are able to make a living. Fewer still rise even higher, earning special attention and accolades.

Selected by their peers, these six companies are honored as standouts in their region.

A Brilliant Moment of Change – Not Repeated and Not Forgotten

In the 1990s and into the new millennium, the video industry experienced a “convergence” of sorts when computers, GUIs and Ethernet connectivity slowly invaded all aspects of video products and production workflows. To underscore the revolution, the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) even named their 2002 convention “The Convergence Marketplace.” Today, there’s hardly a piece of video gear that doesn’t have an IP address.

PLSN PLASA PREVIEW

A.C. Lighting
A.C. Lighting, the exclusive worldwide distributor for the Chroma-Q™ product range, will be showing the new Chroma-Q Color Split. The modular LED fixture’s dual side-by-side RGBA cells provide lighting designers with the opportunity for single color or split color. Its lenses are designed so that the wide-angle lens in one cell washes the lower portion of a surface, while the narrow lens projects the beam higher. The Color Split also features an RGBI (magic Amber) control mode. With its built-in power supply, it can be used in standalone mode.

Calling the Show

Mark Dobrow makes Mary Poppins fly.  

When you have a musical show that encompasses whirlwind set and costume changes, magic tricks, a flying nanny, seven floors of dressing rooms, hundreds of lighting, sound and automation cues, nearly 50 crew members and a 40,000-pound house set that moves and breaks apart, not to mention requiring four assistant stage managers to run it, you call on a production stage manager who really knows what they’re doing. A highly experienced Broadway and touring veteran, Mark Dobrow rises to the major challenge of running Disney’s hit show Mary Poppins each and every night. His love for his work and relaxed demeanor undoubtedly make him a sea of calm in a turbulent backstage environment where somebody or something is always in motion.