CHAUVET Professional helps David Horner, Ben Rogers, and Paul Miller on Diana Ross Times Square NYE Show

Words like “elegant,” “stylish,” and “sophisticated” could be found quite often in media accounts of Diana Ross’s appearance on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” from Times Square. How could it be described any other way? The beloved icon, who has epitomised these qualities throughout her legendary career, was true to form during her much-anticipated headline performance.

Wearing a glamorous red sequined gown, she moves gracefully across a raised platform stage above an admiring crowd, performing a medley of some of her classic hits, concluding just before the big ball began its descent with her recent upbeat anthem “Tomorrow.” It was a performance that exuded sophisticated style, but beyond that, it was also one energised by a heartfelt deeply personal sense of warmth.

This was evident right from the start, when the incomparable star began her appearance by walking through the Times Square crowd, greeting people every step of the way, as she sang “I’m Coming Out.” The same human quality shined in the middle of her performance when she proclaimed, “I’m so grateful for all the blessings in my life!”

The glamour and emotional energy that made this event so special were reflected in a smartly done production design by David Horner and Ben Rogers, working on a stage lighting package created by LD Paul Miller, that featured a collection of CHAUVET Professional fixtures supplied by 4Wall Entertainment in a rig from The Lighting Design Group.

Discussing how the mood of the production evolved, David said, “Miss Ross was very clear, she wanted a celebration and a sense of joy to be shared with the audience at Times Square and around the world. Her connection with the crowd was an instant symbol of that and the staging was all in service of her connection with her audience.”

The set’s vertically oriented video panels on the wall and rectangular floor panel contributed to the upbeat mood of the performance with their festive imagery that flowed with the music.

“We curated Miss Ross’s video content – a mix of abstract visuals and iconic images and footage – to fit a precise map for the stage design, which helped connect the audience in the square even without direct line of sight to the artist,” said David. “The animations were worked to emanate from the LED floor outwards as she shared the music with the world.” Complementing the video display were the COLORado PXL 16 batten fixtures that outlined the performance area, changing colours to match the images on the LED screens. A collection of Maverick Storm 4 Profile units and COLORado par fixtures added to the colourful panorama.

For some songs, these fixtures contributed to a soft engaging mood on stage with their rich monochromatic colours. “The movement, dimmer chase and colour moves were aligned to the video content design to enhance the dynamic set by the video and further frame the performance,” said David. “It was great to have the confidence in these IP rated fixtures, knowing that the performance wouldn’t be compromised by any inclement weather.

“We separated four Maverick BeamWashes to provide a rich blue rear key for the artist to help enhance her profile within the environment,” continued David. “Paul Miller’s comprehensive design, built on years of experience with this unique environment meant we could achieve all the requirements for this presentation with the inventory provided.”

Being situated in Times Square, the performance stage posed some special challenges for the design team. The surrounding billboards kicked out 180fc or more of content without any control, according to Horner. Standing out against this backdrop required powerful output from the event’s lighting rig.

“Paul Miller and his team did a great job,” said David, “The lighting came off beautifully.” And in the end, millions of fans got to see a timeless singer write another chapter in her legendary career.

Photo credit: UPI.