Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles (September 2011 – January 19 2013) [now known as the Dolby Theatre]
An amazing spectacle, which used the size of the Kodak Theatre stage to full effect, with some amazing performances, and intricate sequences. The 9600 square foot stage had to be modified at a cost of $40,000,000 to install stage lifts and other automation equipment, involving the digging of 44 foot deep pits. The production also removed some seats from the venue to improve audience comfort and to improve sightlines.
- 174 Loudspeakers
- 166,000 watts of sound
- 603 lighting instruments
- 20 video projectors
- 15 live cameras were used to relay live video to projection screens around the stage.
Due to high running costs (involving 72 performers) and poor ticket sales, the show closed in January 2013, and unfortunately will not be available to view on DVD according to Cirque du Soleil management.
Elements of the show, including some scenes, were incorporated into the Cirque show Paramour which ran in New York City from May 25, 2016 until mid 2017.
Writer & Director: Philippe Decouflé
Creative Director: Jean-François Bouchard
Set Design: Jean Rabasse
Costume Design: Philippe Guillotel
Composer: Danny Elfman
Choreographer: Daphné Mauger
Lighting Design: Patrice Besombes
Prop Design: Anne-Séguin Poirier
Sound Design: François Bergeron of the Thinkwell Group
Automation by Stage Technologies
Subtitled “A Journey Through the World of Cinema,” “Iris” was the resident Cirque du Soleil show installed at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The show, which ran until January 2013, used aerial performance and acrobatics, music, projection and of course circus elements to take audiences on a magical celebration of film.
Stage Technologies was contracted by Cirque du Soleil to control a total of 95 axes or effects including the supply and installation of automation control systems, acrobatic rigging winches, an acrobatic track and trolley system, an automated lighting track, and counterweight assist winches in the venue. In total the system required 61 winches of various types. 33 counterweight assist winches were capable of lifting 500lbs and of travelling up to 4fps, while the other winches varied in lift capacity and speed ranging from 500lbs at 10fpsto 2,200lbs lift capacity at 4fps.
The chief challenge of the project was that the entire installation had to be removed for the Academy Awards broadcast taking place in the same venue. This was obviously not a situation that would affect a typical resident show. To solve the issue Stage Technologies mounted the winches in “tour-able” sections of truss, and the track and trolley system was designed to assemble in eight hours and fit within two semi-trucks.
The track and trolley system featured two parallel performer catwalks approximately 100 feet in length with tracks below, where a total of four powered trolleys with a built-in winch traversed back and forth, two per track. Each trolley was capable of traversing up to 6fps and lifting 600lbs or 1,200lbs in double purchase mode while traversing, and utilized industrial Wi Fi for data communication.
In addition, Stage Technologies supplied an 88ft powered lighting track that hung from an existing line set. It featured a trolley with pantograph and Vari*Lite attached that traversed back and forth up to 3fps and that was capable of moving up and down while traversing to create various lighting effects. This particular piece utilized anti-sway software, ensuring smooth motion fluid motion despite the physics involved with a pendulum. Stage Technologies also supplied control for the stage lifts, sloats, and various end user axes including the Phenaki and Iris effects. To achieve this we supplied a total of 10 Motor Control Cabinets throughout the building: four in the basement, two onboard the sloats, two on the forestage grid and two on the high grid. The show was operated by Stage Technologies Nomad Consoles running eChameleon software and our smaller handheld SOLO units.
The installation included:
- 61 BigTow2 winches of varying lift capacity and speed
- 1 track and trolley system incorporating two performer catwalks
- 1 lighting track and trolley system
- 10 Motor Control Cabinets
- 4 Nomad Console running eChameleon software
- 4 Solo Handheld Control Console running eChameleon software
Iris company on America’s Got Talent
Preview Video (rehearsal phase)
Load-out for the Oscars ceremony (2012)
Links