USA - An array of Claypaky Arolla Profile MPs and HY B-EYE K25 Teatros illuminates Bob Marley Hope Road, a musical journey through settings inspired by the pioneer reggae artist.
Located in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Bob Marley Hope Road features three attraction modes. By day, the Bob Marley Hope Road Experience offers an array of digital and analogue spaces for visitors to explore at their own pace. They can tour the streets of Trench Town, mix a track at the Tuff Gong studio, watch rare concert footage and move to the beat in a Jamaican Dance Hall while listening to the recordings that made history.
At night, the venue comes alive with a 75-minute guided show in which visitors follow the cast from scene to scene, standing in the heart of the action as singers and dancers perform just feet away. Never-before-heard remixes of Bob Marley tracks build to a powerful finale beneath a massive curved 3D LED videowall by Liminal Space that brings the audience into Marley’s world. After hours, Bashment offers a late-night bar and club environment for visitors to enjoy.
Benny Kirkham, principal and designer at Overnight Production in Henderson, Nevada, acted as lighting designer for all the modes of Bob Marley Hope Road. He has used Claypaky fixtures for more than 30 years and has 43 Arolla Profile MPs and 20 HY B-EYE K25 Teatros, supplied by the Las Vegas office of Solotech, installed in the attraction.
This project marks the first time that Kirkham has utilised Arolla Profile MPs. “They were suggested to me, and I’m very happy with them,” he says. “They have all the attributes of a good theatrical profile: the optics are fantastic, the gobos are useful and bright, the framing shutters are very repeatable, and the colours have worked well. I’m very impressed with them.”
Kirkham has positioned the Arollas “in every room except the Trench Town street scene,” he explains. “The profiles give us the ability to highlight scenic elements and characters impactfully in this unusual space.”
In contrast to making his debut with the Arollas, Kirkham has found the HY B-EYE K25 Teatros to be popular favourites in his projects. “They’re remarkably powerful, very versatile and have a wide zoom range. As a wash, they’re the big brash source that we needed in the Trench Town street scene.” The zoom is particularly effective, “Even with a 12ft trim the Teatros are able to cover large groups during the parade but also zoom in and become hard-edged specials for a female trio and a soloist on a balcony.”
In another scene, artists perform aerial acrobatics in a cathedral-like space. “Their bodies are braced horizontally with their heads pointing out to the audience while heavy fog behind them simulates a waterfall,” says Kirkham. “The K25s serve as very dramatic and powerful uplights.”
Kirkham’s colleague, lighting programmer Rane Renshaw, based in Las Vegas, was also impressed with the Claypaky fixtures. “Claypaky’s colour range allows for deep, saturated, punchy colours for theatrical moments, and they light people really well, too. The high quality of the light makes everything look good,” he adds.
“It’s always intriguing to see when Las Vegas is inventing the next generation of live experiences and none better than Las Vegas’ very own Benny Kirkham to shape it,” concludes Adam Camp, sales manager West of Inner Circle Distribution (ICD), the official distribution of Claypaky lighting technology in the United States.