Andre' Petrus Design's John Legend's Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour with CHAUVET Professional

	"The best thing about this show is that it's all about music and lights," notes Petrus.

Andre' Petrus, of Orange Media Group, says his gig as production and lighting designer on John Legend's Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour "was a full circle moment for me. I clearly remember that album in high school, and I wore it out. That style of music is 100% my vibe. I have deep roots in Gospel and R&B, so designing that show came naturally."

Petrus's unbridled enthusiasm for lighting the anniversary tour comes across loud and clear in his sweeping, ebullient design. At times, he covers the stage in lush colors, reflecting the mood of Legend's performance on the piano; at others, he turns up the heat, boldly backlighting the superstar and his dancers for R&B numbers.

Helping Petrus create these panoramas is a collection of 160 CHAUVET Professional fixtures, including 73 COLORado PXL Curve 12 motorized battens, which helped him express the core of the vision guiding his design. (The fixtures were supplied by Volt Lights for the LA rehearsals, Neg Earth for the EU leg of the tour, and Upstaging for North America.)

"The best thing about this show is that it's all about music and lights," notes Petrus. "We have no video, no special effects, no intricate staging, just pure performance. It's refreshing to put together a show with exactly what the show calls for, and nothing more. Let the talent speak for itself! Keeping the show interesting visually was the goal -- and that's exactly why we chose the Chauvet PXL Curve. Used correctly, you can get infinite looks and energy from that fixture. To be honest, it's one of my favorites on the market. If you know how to use it, the possibilities are endless. I love having a wall of light, and the ability to 'bend' light is definitely the theme of 2025. This style of fixture is going to be around for quite some time."

Also contributing to Petrus's design were the 88 Color STRIKE M units in his rig. He arranged the motorized strobe-washes on the stage side-by-side to create a powerful aura around the performance area.

"John said he wanted it to feel like a club show, like something he would have done 20 years ago," said Petrus. "So, we achieved that by having loads of STRIKE Ms define the performance area. This gave us the ability to bring the energy when needed. It was also a nice way to fill the stage with color."

The colors Petrus chose to fill the stage with were often monochromatic, in keeping with the style and taste preferences he shares with his client. "Most of the shows I light have a certain visual aesthetic, so using more than one or two colors at once is just a no-go for me," he explained. "The challenge is keeping the show interesting both live, as well as for photographs and videos. At the end of the day, we are here for John Legend and his brand. So, when I design, I always keep the big picture in mind."

"White light is also prevalent in the show," continues Petrus. "In many ways, it is the best light. It's all the colors at once. When using white, you can really complement the wardrobe and set. In my opinion, it's the best complementary color. You really cannot go wrong.",p> Working closely with Legend and his management team, Friends at Work, as well as creative director Jemel McWilliams, Petrus focused on making the rig flexible so it could convey the same mood at festivals, arenas, amphitheaters, and theatres. He also emphasized floor lighting.

"I generally put my focus on the floor lights,' he remarks, adding that the stage floor is "where the action is," and in the case of this tour, it's also where memories of a life-changing album come to life.