(23/10/2014) The Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu, Estonia, has just premiered its own fabulous new production of the epic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Phantom of The Opera .
It is only the third occasion in over 25 years of this amazing work that a producing house has been granted the right to produce a new version of the show adding elements of their own interpretation. It's also the first time that the worldwide hit Phantom has been produced in the Baltic states and former Eastern Europe all of these facts an immense honour for Vanemuine.
The production is directed by Georg Malvius with a lighting design by Pall Palme utilizing over 100 Robe moving lights.
The two both Swedish but constantly working internationally - have collaborated on many previous projects. They enjoy a great working relationship and creative chemistry, and both also have a long history at Vanemuine, one of the most prolific and acclaimed producing houses in Estonia.
They are joined on the Phantom creative production team by Musical Director Martin Sildos, Scenic Designer Iir Hermeliin and Costume Designer Ellen Cairnes.
Palme was able to take full advantage of the extensive Robe moving light rig installed at the 900-seater Big House at Vanemuine as part of an extensive technical upgrade to all Estonia's state theatres in 2012.
copyrighted by Louise Stickland Phantom is using around 100 moving lights, including 50 x LEDWash 1200s, 20 x LEDWash 600s and 24 x MMX Spots and eight ROBIN 600E Spots all from Robe's ROBIN series, together with four Robe DigitalSpot 7000 DTs which are used highly effectively for projecting mapped video onto the various scenic pieces.
The show - accompanied by the full Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra playing the score live and bringing additional resonance and depth to the work is a beautifully fluid collage of colour, drama and emotion which brings a new and different perspective to a classic narrative.
In bringing this potent story to life, Malvius was keen to make it More interesting than just a love story. Setting it in 1945 he introduced a subtle and intelligent anti-war message implying that the Phantom's disfigurement and consequent ostracism originated during battlefield conflict. His past experiences and loss drive him to being hyper-protective towards heroine Christine.
It's important to show the ugliness as well as the beauty of the world, he comments.
Palme's starting point for lighting included multiple discussions with Malvius, and developing a strong dichotomy between the real' world and the Phantom's world. Making the Phantom's lights and stage looks have a mystical quality was Crucial to his aesthetic explains the LD.
copyrighted by Louise Stickland The LEDWash 1200s and 600s are used as front and back lights and for selected scenery illumination. In the theatre, these fixtures are rigged on the house bars so they can also be used for the other two productions that are rotating in repertoire with Phantom.
The 600E Spots are used as specials on the various principal actors. Four fixtures are rigged on a bar above the orchestra pit and another four are around the stage. Two are dedicated to the Phantom's boat ride across the bridge, several metres up in the air.
The 24 x MMXs are the real workhorses of the show. They are dotted around everywhere on the over-stage bars and some at FOH, and are used as backlights, specials, set washers, effects, etc. He uses them highly effectively for lots of gobo work and texturing on the floor and scenery.
The MMX is his favourite light on this rig he would have liked to have had more and he comments that he's also keen to use Robe's new BMFL Spots on a show like this!
There is a lot of colour in Phantom, and both Palme and Malvius like to use colour to set the ambience, change the location and constantly effect the emotionality of the audience, reinforcing the actors onstage.
They both have similar tastes when it comes to lighting an environment and dramatic action. Malvius will come up with basic lighting building block' cues for a show at the start of a work, to which Palme adds his own and develops and refines throughout an intense programming process.
The large side and upstage set pieces changed location, shape and context via the mapped video which is loaded into the heads of the DigitalSpots and also run through the Hog 3 console operated by Vanemuine's Kasper Aus.
This mapping and the close proximity of the actors to the scenery entailed Palme being extra cautious with the type of lighting used and its focus, as he had to ensure that it didn't interfere with the video projections.
He has been using more and more Robe products in his work in recent years as the brand becomes more commonly available in rental stock.
I think that Robe has really come to the forefront of the moving lighting market especially since the launch of the ROBIN range and with the development of excellent LED fixtures, he says.
On other recent shows he has been using DLS Profiles and DLX Spots which are Extremely bright and powerful and he adds that the DLS Profile is currently the only quiet running spot on the market with shutters and full colour mixing, which is Great for plays and dramas .
Vanemuine's Phantom of the Opera will play 40 performances in total in the Big House and at Tallinn's 2000 capacity Nordea Concert Hall.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
(23/10/2014) The Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu, Estonia, has just premiered its own fabulous new production of the epic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Phantom of The Opera .
