The CMT Artists of the Year event was staged at the Schermerhorn Symphony Centre (photo:Charles Brock)
USA - Robe’s new Esprite moving lights made their US live TV debut on the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year event, staged at the Schermerhorn Symphony Centre in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I absolutely Love these lights,” declared the event’s lighting designer Tom Kenny who worked alongside a talented production team which included set designer Anne Brahic.
The Esprites plus other extra lights on the show - which also included Robe BMFL WashBeams and Spiider LED wash beams - were delivered by Morris Light & Sound. They were used together with fixtures from the venue’s house rig.
Ten of the 20 Esprites were positioned on one of the rear LX production trusses installed at the Schermerhorn Symphony Centre for this event, and used for rear lighting the band, and for texturing, colouring and gobo work on the stage.
Another 10 luminaires on one of the downstage trusses provided key lighting for musicians onstage, and for pick-ups at the dinner tables distributed around the room including on the wrap-around balconies.
Tom’s lighting design also utilized 30 Robe BMFL WashBeams, 24 of which were on over-stage LX trusses 3 and 4 to provide band keys and highlighting scenic elements.
“Morris Light & Sound is very pleased with the output, colour and beam qualities as well as the feature sets of the Esprites which checks many boxes for us,” says Han Henze who also took on a lighting directorial role for this show.
Working alongside Tom, Michael and Han were gaffer Michelle Griesmer Stotts, lighting crew chief Todd Latia, front of house tech Marshall Blair, dimmer tech Jerome Thompson and lighting techs Alex Ehler and Amanda Burns.
The telecast was directed by Michael Dempsey. The executive producers were CMT’s John Hamlin and Margaret Comeaux and the producer was Amy Johnson.
2019 CMT Artists of the Year were Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Dan+Shay and Thomas Rett, with Ashley McBryde recognised as breakout artist of the year and Reba McEntire honoured with an ‘artist of a lifetime’ award.
(Jim Evans)

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