4 Life Entertainment Creates Versatile Rig for Central Park's SummerStage with CHAUVET Professional

	"When you're operating an outdoor venue through an entire New York summer, your equipment needs to withstand changing weather conditions, frequent programming changes, and a demanding performance schedule," says Lavoie.

Filled with the latest fixtures, the rig that Spencer Lavoie, of 4 Life Entertainment, oversaw at Central Park's SummerStage relied on eight advanced CHAUVET Professional RDMX Splitters to handle data distribution requirements during the ongoing seasonal 60-show event, which concluded October 1.

But for Lavoie, the success of this production wasn't just about having the right equipment.

"At the end of the day, gear was only part of the story," he says. It's the people behind this who make the magic happen. SummerStage is truly a collaborative effort, and that's what makes it so special.

"At 4Life Entertainment, we're entrusted with the overall lighting design and equipment selection, but it's the incredible men and women of IATSE Local One who bring that vision to life, along with people like Aaron Diamond from the 4Life team and Jeff Carroll, who has served as SummerStage's in-house lighting designer for years," continues Lavoie. "From installing the equipment precisely to specification, to handling of the day-to-day technical operations, their craftsmanship and dedication are second to none. Everyone involved shares a genuine passion for what we do, and that passion translates directly into the experience we create for the more than 150,000 patrons who gather on one of Central Park's most iconic dance floors beneath the stars."

Lavoie had plenty of gear from CHAUVET Professional on the SummerStage, all taken from 4 Life Entertainment's own inventory. On the front stage truss were eight Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes; six Maverick Storm 2 Profiles, six STRIKE Array 4s and four COLORado Q40 Panels. The mid-stage truss featured six Maverick Storm 1 Hybrids, six Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes and six COLORado Q40 Panels. On the downstage truss were six Maverick Storm 1 Hybrids, six Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, and six COLORado Q40 panels, eight Maverick Storm 1 Beams in the ground package." "For us, Chauvet Professional has provided a combination of performance, durability, and creative flexibility that has made it a natural choice for SummerStage," says Lavoie. "When you're operating an outdoor venue through an entire New York summer, your equipment needs to withstand changing weather conditions, frequent programming changes, and a demanding performance schedule. Having powerful, IP-rated moving fixtures that can deliver exceptional output is a major advantage."

Pointing out specific fixtures, Lavoie noted that the Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash was especially valuable because it allowed visiting lighting designers to transition between broad stage washes and more concentrated, energetic beam effects. Another fixture coming in for special praise was the Maverick Storm 2 Profiles, which Lavoie says offered "excellent precision and creative control." Meanwhile, the Maverick Storm 1 Hybrid was acknowledged for providing additional versatility for productions that require dramatically different looks throughout the event. For key lighting, the team relied on the Ovation 910FC color rendering ellipsoidal.

Discussing how this rig came together, Lavoi says: "Versatility was one of our primary objectives from the very beginning. SummerStage welcomes an extraordinary range of musical genres, performance styles, and touring productions, so we needed to develop a lighting system that would be equally effective for any performance -- and of course we had to put that gear in the hands of a talented and dedicated team."