It's that time of year again — I feel like I start many a letter that way — when we eagerly await the Broadway Master Classes. Under the way exciting category is that noted visual designer Willie Williams has joined the Projection Master Classes faculty and will be presenting a session entitled “LED And Me.” If anyone knows about using LED technology in production and pushing the technology to meet his designs, it is Mr. Williams (did you see the last U2 or George Michael tours?).
Additional newcomers to the faculty include lighting designer Kevin Adams, sound designer Domonic Sack of Sound Associates, and projection panelists Michael Clark, Rodd McLauglin, and Jan Hartley. All accomplished in their own rights, they add to our normal lineup of returning faculty members in lighting, sound, and projection for a group as top-notch as it gets in this biz.
Of particular note is the overwhelming response we've had from those who are mentoring students this year, really making an investment in all of our futures though education. Martin Professional has mentored six students, the most any company has ever mentored in the history of the Broadway Master Classes. Other mentors include platinum sponsors Barco, Meyer, and Vari-Lite, as well as Barbizon, Big Apple Lights, Color Kinetics, d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, ETC, Fisher Marantz Stone, Scharff Weisberg, Strong, Theatre Projects Consultants, and The Wally Russell Foundation. Sound designer and BSMC creative consultant Abe Jacob is also a mentor, as he is every year.
I'm particularly excited this year for the Second Annual Live Design Honors on Tuesday, May 15, because we're honoring the incredibly prolific Hal Prince. We'll also be holding our annual auction to benefit The ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes initiative, an organization I'm proud to represent as a committee member. We'll have some great auction items — heck, Ellen Lampert-Gréaux even donated time at her place in St. Bart's — so I'll be anxious to see how the bidding war goes. And it's all to benefit our colleagues.
For additional information all the Master Classes and the Live Design Honors, visit livedesignonline.com/broadwaymasterclasses.
Hope to see you there.