For years, the Hong Kong government has emphasised the need to support local
arts and cultural heritage.

As part of that effort, the West Kowloon
Cultural District Authority (WKCD) is building a new performing arts
complex, the Xiqu Centre, which is expected to be completed in 2017. The
complex will house the Tea House Theatre, a 200-seat venue for Chinese opera
- with an emphasis on Cantonese opera - that will help increase public
interest in the art form. To prepare for the opening of the Xiqu Centre, the
WKCD and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts are working together on a
number of experimental shows being staged at the Academy, where they can
test the staging, seating and equipment. ETC LED luminaires feature
prominently in the programme, which is being used to shed a new light on the
classic operas.

Lighting designer Billy Chan integrates western stage lighting philosophies
and techniques into the Cantonese opera performances, successfully melding
the modern and the traditional to engage audiences. His secret to success is
selecting the right tool.

Chan has used ETC's SeladorR DesireR LED series many times, and found that
thanks to its strong output and superior colour capabilities, the 60-emitter
D60 luminaire is perfect for this production. "The x7 colour mixing is very
good indeed," he says. "The colour quality really helps reflect what I want
to achieve in the performance, and it fades smoothly. It is powerful enough
to make the colour stand out, even at the highest intensity."

Chan also pays close attention to the light illuminating the faces on stage,
because Chinese opera performers' makeup is so heavy. "We want to make these
experimental productions look more dramatic and modern, but I still need to
provide bright face lighting to maintain the emotions and colour of the
story," explains Chan. To achieve that, he uses the D60 luminaires.

Chan also uses six Source FourR LED luminaires outfitted with gobo to light
panels at the back of the stage. "The result is excellent," he says. "The
fixtures help to easily change the colour of the background."

The entire lighting system is controlled by a GioR console.

For more information on ETC and its products, please visit
www.etcconnect.com