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New York and London-based theatre consultancy firm Charcoal Blue has been collaborating with Massey Hall on the upcoming renovations , and as such were tapped to help design the spec for the lighting package ahead of the original schedule . Canadian lighting designer Jaye Murphy of Jamco also provided input on the plot , adding a valued perspective from a touring veteran .
The sale went to tender , and Christie Lites was eventually awarded the contract , bringing regular collaborators like longtime rental rep Ben Kantorovich , technician Sean Stephens , and Ottawa-based sales rep Peter Eady into the fold .
McKendrick says the lighting package is a very welcome addition that will bring diversity and dynamics to the shows hitting the stage moving forward . After all , a show at Massey Hall is a major milestone for many performers , and it ’ s in everyone ’ s best interest that they be able to deliver a truly special experience .
“ We were finding that more and more of the shows coming through were just carrying ground packages and no overhead lighting , so kind of a departure from when more tours were carrying their full rigs ,” McKendrick shares . “ At one point , we had 23 or 24 shows in a row using the same overhead rental system , so it made a lot of sense to push ahead with this investment now .”
Designing the spec , the collaborators spent a lot of time going through recent production riders , identifying current trends and the equipment that was coming in most frequently . “ We were also considering the products that are readily available in rental houses around Toronto for replacements or add-ons and things like that ,” McKendrick adds .
Much of that work had already been done , as The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall is conducting a lighting refit at the latter venue this coming summer . McKendrick explains that the technical team between the two venues had done extensive testing on fixtures and gear from various manufacturers in that space , and that some of those tests informed their decision on what to bring into Massey Hall when the somewhat unexpected opportunity to do so arose .
The venue ’ s console programmer and operator , James Dike , was also able to offer input on the spec , mainly speaking for or against specific fixture choices . He echoes the goal of providing a rig that could enhance shows from
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productions not carrying overhead lighting , but adds that , at the same time , the fixtures had to be common enough that any visiting production could take advantage of their capabilities and provide enough flexibility to let each show stand apart from the one before or after it .
Kantorovich has been Massey Hall ’ s rental rep at Christie Lites Toronto for close to 15 years , granting him good knowledge of this unique performance venue and its equally unique operations . “ Massey ’ s not easy ,” he admits , speaking from a production standpoint . “ You have to be really in sync with the union [ IATSE Local 58 , which has an exclusive contract with The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall ], really in sync with the board operators , in sync with how the venue operates , and all the difficulties that come with presenting what ’ s essentially a string of one-nighters in a really unique venue . It ’ s a very professionally-run place with a great group of people , but does have its inherent challenges .”
When the RFP for the lighting retrofit went out , Kantorovich asked Eady , his Ottawa-based colleague on the sales side , to partner with him in developing what would be the winning proposal .
They also tapped Sean Stephens for his input on the project . Stephens had long been Christie ’ s tech for load-ins on the vast majority of shows for which the company was providing a rental package . Coinciding with the Massey Hall upgrade , Stephens was transitioning into a more permanent role as a technical project manager with Christie Lites Sales . He brought over 20 years of stage experience to the table , including his intimate knowledge of Massey Hall and its operations .
“ So the timing was just perfect ,” Eady puts forth . “ Every show I ’ ve ever done at Massey Hall , I ’ ve used Sean as our lead technician . He knows the venue well , he ’ s respected by the crew , and he ’ s a great technician in his own right , so he stepped right into a project he knew all about .”
The stage lighting package now occupying Massey Hall ’ s historic house features a significant complement of Martin fixtures , including a dozen MAC Viper Performances , 15 MAC Viper
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Profiles , 29 MAC Aura XB LED Washes , and 13 Atomic 3000 LED strobes .
There are also 16 of Clay Paky ’ s now ubiquitous Sharpys and 11 Robe Spiider LED Wash- Beam luminaires , the latter of which are loaded on the deck . “ The riders had a big influence on decisions here ,” Stephens offers . “ It ’ s hard not to have a Sharpy in your rig these days .”
The Spiiders are one of McKendrick ’ s more recent discoveries , which he had the chance to see at the 2016 Live Design International trade show and conference . “ I thought they ’ d be really incredible and a great addition to the floor package we had ,” McKendrick shares .
He adds that many of the Martin fixtures are industry staples that regularly roll through Massey Hall with touring productions , and that Christie Lites being a Martin-heavy house made them all the more confident in the investment .
Massey Hall ’ s status as a National Historic Site of Canada has a significant impact on the types of work that can be performed to its interior and exterior . While the venue was able to add some new lighting positions to the main stage ’ s current configuration , optimal front lighting positions are relatively limited . The overhead downstage truss is so far downstage that it ’ s actually overtop the audience , which is something they ’ re planning to address in the new design .
As of now , there are close to 90 moving lights on three trusses – “ which is a lot ,” McKendrick says with a chuckle . He adds that while it ’ s all pre-rigged truss , they want to minimize how often the rig has to come down .
The entire project came together on a compressed timeline , with the go-ahead on the investment coming in December 2016 and the deadline for the complete installation being March 31 , 2017 – which was met .
Stephens , speaking from his unique perspective , jokes that , on the sales side , it came together very quickly ; “ But coming from the rental world , it almost felt a bit on the longer side ,” he laughs .
“ We treated it like a touring package ,” Stephens continues about the actual installation . “ I had a couple of shop technicians from
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PHOTO : SEAN STEPHENS |