Jekyll & Hyde – Cameo Lights Up Broadway Entertainment’s Musical

The Germans love their musicals. Every year at the famous venues in Hamburg, Stuttgart or Berlin, companies stage enormous show productions that can easily hold their own against international shows. In recent years, even the smaller venues have regularly resonated with rapturous applause. Every year in the Rehberghalle in Roßdorf, Hesse, Broadway Entertainment e.V. puts on a different musical production, which is produced almost exclusively by young people from the district. Following on from Sunset Boulevard, Dracula, Chaplin and others, the musical “Jekyll & Hyde” celebrated its premiere in September. For the lighting design of the horror drama by Robert Louis Stevenson, the team led by lighting designers Benedikt Vogel and Kilian Scheiding relied on numerous Cameo spotlights from the OPUS, ZENIT and F series. The lighting technology was provided by Pfungstadt-based MKM Event Show Technik.

Particular challenges

“One of the biggest challenges is the location,” reveals Kilian Scheiding, Deputy Technical Manager and Light Operator for Jekyll & Hyde. “The Rehberghalle is an ordinary sports hall that we have to turn into a musical theatre every year. In addition, the hall is only 5.60 metres high.” However, anyone who follows how the simple hall is gradually transformed into a professional musical environment can see hardly any difference between it and the archetypal theatres in places such as Hamburg.

After the production technology team’s positive experience with Cameo OPUS S5 Spot Moving Heads during their previous production, Scheiding and Vogel were also able to rely on the OPUS X PROFILE for Jekyll & Hyde.

“The OPUS X is used as a front and sidelight and delivers great results when used as an effect light from behind.”

Cold light, gloomy atmosphere

In accordance with the dark overall atmosphere of the story and the low-key style with its hard contrasts, the lighting designers mainly immerse the stage in a desaturated cool white light from the Cameo F series. The F2 D Fresnel spotlight is the daylight specialist here, while the F4 FC, with its RGBW LED as backlight, provides both cool white and red accents to the stage lighting.

With Jekyll & Hyde, Broadway Entertainment e.V. proves that great musical moments can also be created in a simple sports hall. The team led by overall manager Benedikt Vogel has achieved excellence and created a professional musical with many young non-professionals that can stand proudly alongside established productions. Chapeau!