Ignacio Rosenberg arrived at the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas knowing he would be working in a top-tier venue equipped with state-of-the-art entertainment technology.
In this context, the renowned Lightswitch designer chose to make the most of the resources already available in the venue, integrating part of the house rig into the lighting design for four-time Grammy winner Marc Anthony’s first-ever Las Vegas residency.
This is an excellent venue, and from the very beginning my idea was to maximize the existing inventory in the theater for the residency. It seemed like a misuse of budget to take out a perfectly equipped house rig only to install another equally well-equipped rig. We also had to load in the first show on the same day it was scheduled to run, so making that transition as smooth as possible was essential, said Rosenberg.
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Key to Rosenberg’s plans were the 20 CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M motorized strobes in the house rig, which helped create striking visual effects throughout the 90-minute show, featuring songs in both Spanish and English performed with equal intensity. The bold aesthetic of these fixtures has become one of the visual signatures of the residency, which included five dates in February and will return for six more in July and August.
Rosenberg kept the Color STRIKE M fixtures in their original positions within the house rig.
They looked good in their original position. The angle of the trusses left just enough space to integrate automated fixtures between them without compromising visibility, which turned out to be an unexpected advantage when we arrived at the theater. With that setup, there was no need to move the Strike Ms to achieve the desired impact. We also did extensive previsualization work. During rehearsals, we used both the venue’s system and a real-world replica of the rig to ensure everything was perfectly dialed in before load-in. This way, from the very beginning, we knew the result would match exactly what we were aiming for, continued Rosenberg.
Shifting atmospheres throughout the residency show, titled “Vegas My Way!”, Rosenberg infused the production with a captivating sense of energy. His design was revealed progressively, both in scale and scope. For example, some of the moving trusses appear briefly in three songs, while others do not come into play until the second act. Rosenberg brought out the full rig during My Way, and did so again in Vivir Mi Vida, which concludes with a jam session by an extraordinary band and a symphony of light in which the Color STRIKE M fixtures play their vibrant role.
