Colombia. The historic Pablo Tobón Uribe Theater sets a high bar for anyone who creates images on its stage. To begin with, there are the elegant contours of the building itself, the work of the famous architect Nel Rodríguez. Then there is the curtain that covers the stage, adorned with the art of the postmodern teacher Dora Ramirez.
When the curtain rose on "Circular," an evening of Colombian and Cali music, the captivating images continued, thanks to a vivid lighting design by Juan Pablo Marulanda that was based on the color-reproducing power and intense brilliance of the CHAUVET Professional luminaires that were part of the legendary theater's home platform.
Without an LED video wall, Marulanda used 31 linear COLORado Batten Quad-9 IP luminaires, arranged vertically and horizontally to create a geometric background that added depth and texture to the stage. He complemented the patterns he devised with the 1000 mm long RGBW strips by placing 24 COLORado 2-Quad Zoom luminaires between the linear units. To give more strength and versatility to the mix, there were six Rogue R2 Spot units.
Marulanda's platform opened up countless creative options for the designers who lit up the various artists at the event. Milton de la Cruz made the most of these opportunities by lighting up a dynamic 30-minute performance by Cali star HENDRIX-B.
"My goal was to contribute to the elegant atmosphere of this beautiful theater and, at the same time, create dynamic looks," Milton said. "My friend Juan did an excellent job with the design of the platform. We were all very fortunate that the theatre already had these Chauvet machines."
Marulanda hung four of the Rogue R2 Spot props in truss, while the other two units were placed on the ground, to the left and right of the stage. Milton used the 240-watt LED spotlights to highlight his artist throughout the show.
By contrasting the light of the Rogue units with the background colors of the COLORado accessories, Milton ensured that HENDRIX-B stood out at all times for the live audience, as well as for those who watched the live broadcast of the event. "We had to turn this on for two different audiences," he said. "The patterns created with the COLORados helped us a lot to achieve this balance. The backlighting really created a very elegant atmosphere."
In addition to its aesthetic value, the backlight wall helped Milton reflect the passion and intensity of his client's music. "The COLORado Battens almost acted like they were part of my client's music," he said. "I was able to include them in my program to make beats for my client's songs."
Moving in sync with the sounds of HENDRIX-B and playing neatly against its elegant surroundings, Milton's light show provided fans with a rewarding visual experience. In doing so, he demonstrated, as many designers before him have done, that artistic expression at the Pablo Tobón Uribe Theater continues to flourish even after the beautiful curtain rises.
