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Rigoletto

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

With its romantic score and haunting tale of revenge gone awry, Verdi’s Rigoletto has captivated audiences since its original debut in 1851. The Boston Lyric Opera production merged exceptional talent with inspired design, applying Color Kinetics’ intelligent LED lighting to complement the stage performance, at times boldly and at times with subtlety.

Designed by Paul Palazzo, the lighting design called for color-shifting effects to light both the performers and the two-tiered gallery set. A foot light panel comprised of 18 ColorBlast® 12 light fixtures washed light onto the stage and its central platform, ranging from deep, saturated red to soft amber and warm white.

23 ColorBlast systems were also concealed under the gallery arches to downlight the set in a range of gradually changing colors that helped to set the dramatic mood throughout the performance. For example, warm amber illuminated the dark space when the Duke of Mantua performed his famed aria, and somber blue flooded the platform when Rigoletto lamented the misfortune of his daughter.

The inherently intelligent nature of the LED-based lighting systems allowed their sophisticated control to achieve precise visual effects, which were triggered by a DMX lighting console. In addition to the wide-ranging aesthetic capabilities, the low power draw, little heat emission, and rugged nature of the systems proved highly beneficial to the demanding stage production environment.

Production Manager James Daley said, “The ColorBlast systems provided a significant advantage in terms of space, time and control setup. There was no need for conventional gels, filters, or dimmers, and we were able to apply the same, easily-concealed units throughout multiple scenes and acts.”

According to the Boston Metro, “While the singers, particularly the three leads, deserve the 'bravos' and 'bravas' showered on them by the opening night crowd, equal applause should be given to Paul Palazzo for his inventive lighting style and Allen Moyer for his strong set.”

The mood creating illumination by Color Kinetics played an impressive role.