New York, NY- A fusion of rock and Irish, Rockin' Road to Dublin combines the best of both worlds to thrust Irish Dance back into the spotlight. It's a perfect balance between a concert and a stage show. Lighting Designer Carolyn Wong turned to 4Wall New York for the gear needed to light this hybridized rock 'n' roll and Irish dance show's first national tour.
The LD's rig needed to be compact and nimble, yet still able to deliver a rock and roll aesthetic. "I wanted a ton of color and lots of textures and movements saturating the air," said Wong. "Along with being able to light the dancers in a very traditional fashion."
The rig hangs on 4 overhead trusses along with house pipe for Chroma-Q Color Force II fixtures provided by 4Wall New York. Six dance towers, a groundrow and several band platforms round out the package.
"For venues with size constraints or limited rigging capacity, we cued an alternate version of the show that only utilizes two of the overhead trusses," explained the LD. "This keeps most of the major elements intact."
Martin MAC Aura XBs positioned overhead were the primary source for lighting the set and the band.
4Wall also provided Martin MAC Quantum Profiles which were constantly in motion during performances. "These fixtures were my air and floor eye candy," said Wong. "They were great for rotating patterns or executing color chases."
ETC Source Four LED Series 2 ellipsoidals lived on the dance towers and seamlessly changed the color of the floor.
Color Force II battens lit the stage backdrop.
"The range of color these fixtures emit is incredible," said the LD. "We saw whites that resembled tungsten, and could also hit subtler, lighter, paler shades of the spectrum in addition to the heavily saturated colors that were our normal."
The Rockin' Road to Dublin performed in 72 cities during their first national tour. The LD was satisfied with the service and quality of the gear 4Wall provided.
"Our service from 4Wall was excellent as well as the rental process which was straightforward and painless," explained Wong. "The gear was top notch and in excellent condition."