Simply Magic

By Ellen Lampert-Greaux Jan 11, 2016 11:17pm

With his own performances continuing on television and in Las Vegas, popular magician Criss Angel has written, directed, and produced a new show, The Supernaturalists. Featuring nine magicians who perform solo and as an ensemble as they distort reality and create a new kind of live magic, the show opened on June 24 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and is currently on a US tour. While Angel does not perform on stage, he is seen in every show via video, with one segment “live” via Skype.

Working closely with Angel is his longtime collaborator, production designer John Farrell. “The design is intended to be clear, slick, and contemporary. We wanted a modern rock concert vibe,” says Farrell. As a result, the set has two vertical LED screens that are stationary and flank the Eurotruss and moving light rig to add scenic elements as well as occasional I-Mag footage. The set also employs a CyberHoist II chain hoist system for flying illusions as well as for manipulating the center LED screen at multiple heights and variable speeds. “We are the first client in the United States to have this new CyberHoist II system,” adds Farrell. “It’s a really awesome piece of equipment. You can dial it in to the millimeter. There is too much weight on the LED screen to fly it on house winch systems.”

The LED screens comprise 168 Barco X2 tiles and employ a Barco XHD-400 video server. The video content was conceptualized and directed by Angel, designed in conjunction with Peter Levermann and Bob Massey, and shot and edited at the Angel Productions Worldwide Incorporated (APWI) studio in Las Vegas. A combination of live video, pre-recorded video, and live action supports the illusions and the interactive nature of the show, with Angel as the virtual host, inviting the audience to see the work of the live magicians. The video gear was all purchased by the production.

The floor is heavy-duty vinyl Stage Floor from Entertainment Flooring Systems on six-foot rolls. Since the show is designed to tour, stage traps were not specified.

Traveling with its own sound system, purchased from Spell Caster, the show’s audio rig utilizes a Midas Pro-2 console and Sennheiser system with ten body mics, two handhelds, and 12 in-ear monitors, but the system depends on the loudspeakers and amplifiers provided by each venue. Also on the tour gear list are six Clear-Com wireless packs.

Creating revolutionary illusions that are not part of magic’s traditional heritage is a big challenge for a show like this. The Supernaturalists prides itself on being a fusion of the latest cutting-edge technology, working in close partnership with such companies as Barco, ETC, Clay Paky, and CyberHoist, all in support of the illusions.

Lighting designer Jack Jacobs worked with Angel and his team on the lighting design for the illusions that he describes as “over the top. Criss has a very strong vision as a director, illusion designer, and creator of his productions,” says Jacobs. “Having said that though, he is very open to the collaborative process. John Farrell has worked with Criss for 20 years, and together they have created a very specific look and feel for Criss’ shows with regard to the stage and the illusion look. The layout of the stage design, the visible trussing, and truss towers are by John, inspired by Criss’ ‘rockstar’ persona. The light ladders are a combination of John and me.”

During the past 15 years, Farrell and Jacobs have worked on approximately 15 productions together. “We have developed a shorthand that rarely requires a verbal form,” Jacobs says. “We just look at each other and generally know what the other is thinking. There is a tremendous amount of trust between the three of us. There is also a healthy amount of honesty with respect and without egos being involved.”

Illusional Lighting

The lighting rig includes over 150 moving lights, including Clay Paky Mythos fixtures and Alpha Spot 1500s, Ayrton MagicPanel™R units and MagicBlade-Rs, and ETC LED Lustr+ units, all controlled by an ETC Gio console and purchased by APWI. “Visually, it is part rock concert and part variety/vaudeville/Ed Sullivan Show,” Jacobs points out.

The rig has three 40' overhead runs of Eurotruss and one 30' flat truss, while upstage are five six-rung light ladders, custom built by PRG, as well as four 20'-tall truss towers. On deck are two roving dollies designed and fabricated at the APWI shop. Front-of-house positions include right and left box booms with eight ETC Source Four 19° ellipsoidals per side, cove positions for 18 ETC Source Four 10° units, and the balcony rail with more Source Four 10° fixtures. The Source Fours are provided by each venue, as are the show’s four followspots: Lycian 1275 2.5kW in the followspot booth or Strong Super Trouper Medium Throw 2kW above the box boom positions or equivalent.

“The show is designed for proscenium venues and has a show curtain and four lighting towers—downstage left and right, and mid-stage left and right—to help to define the stage,” notes Jacobs. “There are also five light ladders upstage that appear in different configurations at various times during the performance. Criss has very much scripted the show to flow seamlessly from one moment to the next. Even the transitions are beautiful tableaux. It’s a fresh approach that sometimes features a specific artist, while other times it’s a combination of them working together in a true ensemble experience.”

Jacobs finds that “a great aspect of lighting illusions, especially with Criss, is that lighting not only illuminates the artist and helps create the mood of the piece, but can also be the scenery. Criss is a huge proponent of the magic of emotion and feels that everything has to support the desired feeling the audience is supposed to get,” says the LD. “Much like in dance or in concert lighting, the lighting fixtures or beams of light and color palette truly help support the intended emotion. One goal that I have in lighting magic and illusions is for the audience to feel that nothing is being hidden because we use no traditional boxes. Our proscenium is our box, which makes lighting way more difficult than any other show.”

One of the visually compelling numbers in the show is “Metamorphosis,” which begins with a woman hanging by her ankles over the stage having just escaped from a straightjacket in record time and about to be lowered into a trunk, which has just appeared out of a fog.

“There is a lot of green texture—a forest feel—with shafts of light initially cutting through from above,” Jacobs points out. “Frenetic video content of Houdini and live footage are integrated. The piece ends with a barrage of lighting and air effects from all angles, which ultimately ends with a blast of light and flames. Most audiences can feel the heat of the lights thirty rows back. As with several pieces, the music drives this illusion. Another visual image for ‘Metamorphosis’: Think Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream meets Nine Inch Nails.”

Time, as with most productions, was Jacobs’ biggest challenge. “With a few days of pre-viz and two days of tech in the theatre, there was little time to accomplish all that needed to be done,” he admits. “Fortunately, during our stop at Foxwoods, we were able to layer in the lighting ideas during rehearsals.” He credits his talented lighting department with making it all possible: programmer Evan Purcell, production electrician Jeff Monheit, head electrician Matt Artigues, assistant lighting designer John Scalera, and associate lighting designer Steve O’Shea.

“Aside from that,” concludes Jacobs, “the human body and haze are very reflective, to say nothing of sequins. All combined, one learns new ways of controlling light. Farrell and Nick Lange, the assistant production manager, were my eyes in terms of ‘burning’ the illusions, ensuring that the lighting didn’t give anything away.”

Click through to the next page for gear list and credits.

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Gear List And Credits

Credits

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Criss Angel
CONCEPT, SCRIPT: Criss Angel
MUSIC: Criss Angel, Celldweller
DIRECTOR: Criss Angel
CHOREOGRAPHER: Sheila Joy Burford
PRODUCTION DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER: John Farrell
LIGHTING DESIGN: Jack Jacobs
VIDEO DESIGN: Criss Angel, Peter Levermann, Bob Massey
COSTUME DESIGN: APWI
PYRO DESIGN: Pyro Pete Cappadocia

Lighting Gear

1 ETC Gio
1 ETC Universal 2x20 Fader Wing
1 ETC RPU3
1 ETC Net 3 Show Control
2 PRG Series 400 Power and Data Distribution System
40 Clay Paky Mythos
18 Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500 HPE
18 Clay Paky A.leda B-Eye K10
18 ETC Desire 60 Lustr+
32 Ayrton MagicBlade-R
30 Ayrton MagicPanel-R
8 ETC Source Four 19°
22 ETC Source Four 10°
2 Lycian 1275 2.5kW Followspot
2 Strong Super Trouper Medium Throw 2kW Followspot
2 Le Maitre G-Force 2
2 Le Maitre MVS Hazer
4 Double-Barrel Confetti Cannon
1 36' Fan

Vendors