Andrew Dawson Reflects Minnie Riperton's Story on Stage with Chauvet Professional

	Minnie Riperton performs on stage with lighting by Chauvet Professional. Photo Credit: IG: Alyssa Balisteri.

The spirit of the late singer Minnie Riperton came to live this summer in singer Divine Brown's Lovin' You: The Minnie Ripperton Story, staged at Toronto's Harborfront Stage during the city's Luminato Festival. Lighting designer Andrew Dawson met the challenge of lighting the show with the help of Chauvet Professional Maverick Force S Profile and Color STRIKE M units.

"This design was definitely more theatrically driven, which was a nice change of pace from my usual concert work, as I originally come from a theater background," Dawson says. "I enjoyed being able to approach a show from that theater perspective again.

Along with stretching his theater lighting skills, however, Dawson also had to address the more concert-driven part of the show. "Divine Brown is an incredibly talented artist, and I wanted the lighting to support her," he says. "At the same time, we had these high- energy moments with DJ Starting From Scratch and the band, who also performed at the show. Finding the balance between the show's storytelling and its energetic side was a big part of what made this design so enjoyable for me. The show traveled through the evolution of not only Minnie Riperton, but also jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, and how Minnie influenced so many artists today."

Dawson explained how using his Maverick Force S Profiles and Color STRIKE Ms in contrast helped him smoothly shift the show's focus between its two most prominent elements. "I primarily used the Force S Profiles to create big texture and focal moments, especially around the moving vocals," he says. "As for the STRIKE Ms, they were like a Swiss Army knife, not only for pixel eye candy, but also for creating that more intense lighting shift when moments needed to be more dynamic."

Throughout the show, Dawson strove to create a sense of intimacy around Brown's songs. "The intent I went with was to make the lighting feel like it was breathing with the song," he says. "The profiles gave me a lot of control over the texture and shape of the light, so I could create these big breakups and shifts that almost followed the vocal range itself, while using the STRIKE Ms to create layers of color accents."

Creating these moods was made more challenging by The Harborfront's glass surfaces. There was still plenty of daylight when the show started, so Dawson focused on creating layered, tight-beam looks with his 10 Maverick Force S Profiles and serving up easy-to-see eye candy with the four Color STRIKE M's. Then, as the sun fully set, he transitioned into large gobo looks with the Profiles and started framing Brown and the band with saturated color from the STRIKE M units.

"I had a few moments throughout the show where I was able to use the venue as an extension to the design once it got dark," Dawson notes. "The roof structural elements allowed me to create some punchy intensity effects with the STRIKE Ms by adding an additional layer of light that washed both the venue and audience. I also used the STRIKE Ms as an additional top light for the band. A massive thank you the venue LD, Mikaela Cordero, and to all of the IATSE 58 technicians who made this flexible production possible."

Turning again to the Maverick Force S Profiles in his rig, Dawson says, "They were especially useful for creating those bigger looks while still keeping a strong theatrical feel to the show when called for. Achieving this kind of balance required help from some good people and a lot of different tools."