The Week in Review

Rosco Buys GAM: We don't usually get such surprises at the USITT Conference and Stage Expo, but this one was a doozy: On Thursday, March 21, the first day of the show, it was announced that Rosco had signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Los Angeles, California-based GAM Products, Inc. It marks the end of an era for a company that opened for business in 1975 under the name Great American Market, under the ownership of Joe Tawil, one of the industry's great conversationalists and salesmen. Based on what we hear, it appears to be a win for everyone. GAM's unique product line -- especially its color filters, which are held in high esteem by many designers -- will be preserved, reportedly using the GAM brand name; if anything, they and other GAM products should become more available, thanks to Rosco's excellent distribution network. For Rosco, the sale should provide closer access to the film and television markets, as GAM has always enjoyed strong relationships with lighting directors and designers and directors of photography in these markets. Tawil has already sold GAM's West Pico Blvd. headquarters in Los Angeles, a striking building that includes a rehearsal studio. Here's the link to the announcement; we'll bring more details as they become known: http://plasa.me/ba1c3.

Changes at Philips Entertainment: They're doing the executive shuffle over at Philips Entertainment, with the announcement last week that Julie Smith had been named commercial general manager of the Americas, and with Leonard Miller named North American sales manager, Jaime Friedstadt named Latin American sales manager, and Pete Borchetta becoming marketing director. The realignment at least promises greater integration between the Vari-Lite, Strand, Selecon, and Showlight brands. Exiting is Bob Schacherl, formerly vice president of sales and marketing at Vari-Lite. This is sad news, as he is one of the classier guys in an industry that can always use more classy guys, but we have a hunch he will turn up somewhere else after the proverbial decent interval. Read all about it at: http://plasa.me/ah1j7.

PLASA Focus at Eurovision: In another bit of late-breaking news, we can now confirm that PLASA will hold a version of its PLASA Focus series of small-scale trade shows at Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision will be held in Malmö, Sweden this year, and PLASA Focus: Backstage Malmö will take place May 7 - 8, one week before Eurovision is broadcast live across the continent. The event will include a series of exclusive backstage tours during technical rehearsals, followed by Q&A sessions with the show's design team and technology providers. There will also be a program of seminar presentations and an exhibit showcasing the technology plus dinner and drinks with the team in the evening. Lighting&Sound International, our UK-based sibling, is technical media partner for Eurovision. For all the details, go to: http://plasa.me/styjc.

Ming Cho Lee to Receive Special Tony Award: This year's winners of special lifetime achievement Tony Awards include Bernard Gersten, executive producer of Lincoln Center Theater; Paul Libin, executive vice president of Jumancyn Theatres, and scenic designer and educator Ming Cho Lee. The latter is a name that needs no introduction here. Having assisted Jo Mielziner and Boris Aronson, he carved out a major career of his own. His designs for the musical Two Gentleman of Verona (1971) and the famous Sam Waterston-Kathleen Widdoes revival of Much Ado About Nothing (1972) came out of his close relationship to the Public Theater, where he was principal designer for 11 years. Equally memorable was his design for K2 (1983), for which he created a Himalayan mountain on stage. He won a Tony for K2 as well as Drama Desk Awards for the Off Broadway play Invitation to a Beheading and the ill-fated Broadway musical Billy. He has designed for many dance and opera companies as well, but his most influential role may be as professor of design at Yale School of Drama. As far as we're concerned, the award is richly deserved. For more details, go to: http://plasa.me/rj3m2.

Cosmopolitan Protest: Nearly 100 culinary workers staged a theatrical demonstration outside the Cosmopolitan resort in Las Vegas last week, blocking traffic and chanting. The workers have been without a contract for two years. Apparently, the owners of the Cosmopolitan haven't gotten the memo that a good relationship with the union is the key to doing good business. Key quote: "On the Strip, a wave of more than 2,000 culinary picketers flanked demonstrators to the left, while hundreds more loomed from an overpass above, watching with tourists as Metro Police wrapped protesters' wrists in zip ties and loaded them into a police bus." For the full story: http://plasa.me/p6plu.

Dreamworks Announces Park in Russia: Everyone has been building theme parks in Asia. Now Dreamworks has announced it plans to open "indoor entertainment zones" in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg, Russia. Key quote: "The parks will boast attractions ranging from movie and concert halls to retail centers, hotels, and immersive, interactive environments with DreamWorks most beloved characters, from films including Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda, in addition to yet-to-be released DreamWorks Animation feature films including Turbo, which is set for its worldwide debut in Russia on July 11 before arriving in US theaters on July 19." In any case, these should keep quite a few designers and technicians busy. For more, go to: http://plasa.me/lnx0s.