ESSEN, Germany — German musical Ich Will Spass!, currently playing at the Colosseum Theater, is a throwback to the more carefree days of the 1980s. Written and produced by Stage Entertainment, Ich Will Spass!"(I Want to Have Fun!) features a multi-colored Rubik's Cube illuminated using Martin LC Series LED panels. Used as the main set piece throughout the play and made of nine columns that can fold apart to make it twice as wide, the Cube is positioned on a revolving platform that rotates 720 degrees so the audience can see into it. The Rubik’s Cube acts as the central and only set piece in the production with all the action taking place in and around it.
Thirty-six Martin LC Series panels are used to light the Cube in traditional Rubik’s Cube colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and white). Positioned 10 cm from a Plexiglas screen that surrounds the panels on both sides and acts as a diffuser, the LC panels also give a bounce back effect when the Cube rotates and is viewed from behind.
Thomas Giegerich of bright! preproductions GmbH, who was hired by Stage Entertainment as a projection programmer, handles the media servers and LED panels on the show.
“We had a try out to see the LC effect on the Plexiglass, which gave a good image that can move,” he said. “Then it occurred to us to see what it would look like if we turned the Cube around, and there was this fantastic bounce back effect, a sort of light reflection. We were not too sure of how this newly discovered effect would work but we were very pleased with the result.”
The semi-transparent, modular system of LED panels helps create the Rubik’s Cube background. The LC panels use standard Prolyte CCS6 conical truss connectors so they can be easily linked, and with no external power supplies or drivers, each unit comes with everything it needs built in, which reduces logistical costs and set-up time. The panels were supplied for the show by Rentall BV, which acquired their Martin gear from Fairlight.
“Because the panels are easy to handle and easily accessible from the back, they didn’t need to hire a video technician,” Giegerich said. “The house crew could easily set it up, and I could easily cable it.” The giant Rubik's Cube is also equipped with 320 custom designed MR16s running on 120 dimmers. Due to the fact that the entire Cube turns, the amount of cables going into it was limited. Therefore, dimmers and power distribution were mounted on a platform under the Cube and revolve with it.
Video Designers Arjen Klerx and Coen Bouwmann were responsible for the graphics content run on the LC panels. Andy Voller served as lighting designer with stage design by Christoph Weyers. The production electrician for stage entertainment is Andy Peistrup.
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