USA - From 21 June to 3 August, Magik Theatre brought to life an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling book Dragons Love Tacos using a variety of Mega-Lite luminaires. This carefully crafted production tells an adventure in which the audience learns the “do’s and don’ts” of what kinds of tacos to serve dragons - a sizzling story full of fiery fun for the entire family.
Lighting designer, supervisor, and programmer Thaddeus Morris needed to create a colourful world to match the magical dragon characters in this playful adventure. To achieve this, he used: 10 MW1, one Framebot 600, four MS1, 14 N-E Pixstrip H216, four Drama LED W50, two Drama W3, oneMega Node and eight Outshine Flash Strip TW.
The MW1 was highlighted for its versatility, serving as backlight, top wash, front wash, flickering effects, and beams. The Framebot 600 illuminated the front stage with a bright wash, taking advantage of its CTO function and its ability to cover the entire stage with one unit, while using shutters to cut off the cyc. The MS1 units were pre-programmed to function as follow spots, add texture, create spark effects, act as moving party lights in the audience, and - most importantly - deliver the dramatic “fire” moments when the stage appeared to be ablaze.
The N-E Pixstrip H216 units were used as cyc lights, adding texture with pre-programmed macros, while the Drama LED W50 and Drama W3 fixtures, outfitted with custom Taco Gobos, projected playful taco patterns onto the walls and stage. The Outshine Flash Strip TW delivered a bold, multi-layered effect, doubling as both audience blinders and a dynamic fire effect. Behind the scenes, the Mega Node managed eight universes of DMX signal with ease, ensuring the production ran smoothly from start to finish.
Thaddeus also reflected on the functionality of the Mega-Lite gear: “The versatility of Mega-Lite products always impresses me. With a little imagination, they can create an atmosphere that takes the show to another level. The Outshine Flash Strips were really integral to create moments that drew the audience in,” he shared. "The N-E Pixstrip H216 has been an incredible addition to our theatre. Our ability to have a beautifully saturated cyc while also running incredible effects has really elevated the space and the scenes we can create. Also, I would never want to do a show without MW1s. These lights are so versatile, with a crazy zoom and such great colour saturation.”