Show Systems Australia Tells DOWNTOWN Story in Color with Chauvet Professional

The Devonport Choral Society's production of DOWNTOWN! The Mod Musical, flips through the '60s with the agility of a go-go dancer. Relying on a mix of mod-infused styles and the trippy, ear-wormy music that still resonates today, the production at the Paranaple Arts Centre needed bold, saturated colors to help transport the stage - and the audience - back to the psychedelic '60s.

Michael Westcott of Show Systems Australia reflected the exuberance and free-flowing spirit with his colorful lighting design for the show. Helping him create this time-piece panorama, while supporting the actors on stage, was a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures.

"The theme of the show demanded bright, candy-coated colors that could showcase the stage and performers in a variety of different ways, which is what Michael delivered," says Matt Adams, technical director of Show Systems Australia. "The color mixing capabilities of the Maverick MK2 Spot and COLORado 2 Quad Zoom fixtures were critical in helping him make this happen."

Indeed, color shined at the heart of this show, so much so that the five leading characters in the all-female cast were named after different hues: Blue, Orange, Red, Green and Yellow. Accompanied by the music of a five-piece band belting out vintage '60s hits, the play follows these characters as they mark the passage of time with a series of letters to an advice columnist.

The use of colors was critical to define space on the stage, which had relatively few scenic elements. As one critic notes: "It's an interesting exercise in symbolism, choosing color and shapes to evoke an era, rather than slapping the audience in the face with literalism."

Key to creating this colorscape were the eight Maverick MK2 Spots hung on two light bars. They provided an evocative backdrop to the zany '60s tale, in addition to adding punchy moving looks for the dance scenes. At the same time, Westcott was also able to use the lights to create subtle changes in brightness and color that reflected the flow of time as the story unfolded.

An additional four MK2 Spot fixtures were set on the ground, behind and between the gaps of large, free standing letters. These units were used to create aerial effects that added a dynamic element to the stage.

COLORado 2 Quad Zoom LED Wash Lights were located throughout the rig and were used to adorn backgrounds and scenic elements with psychedelic colors. "The COLORado fixtures gave us a solid, wide wash that transformed the stage with different colors," says Adams. "They gave us a nice color foundation for the Mavericks to build on. This design was all about creating an atmosphere and telling a story with color."