Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures played a major role in concurrent East Coast and West Coast tours for The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s (TSO) winter production, “The Lost Christmas Eve.” Epic Productions supplied the fixtures for the tours.

TSO’s new staging of its popular rock opera features more lights, more lasers and more pyrotechnics than ever before. “I change the lighting design every single year,” says lighting designer Bryan Hartley. “This year’s design was really special due to a number of things, including the Sharpys. They helped us step up the production a level.”

A total of 184 Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures serviced both tours. On stage two large arches were constructed from 8-foot truss; 36 Sharpys were top hung from the arches and 24 were mounted on smaller arches. Thirty-two Sharpys were placed on the floor. All were grouped in banks of four.

“As a lighting designer I’m into beamy lights. I’m an old-school rock guy – and since the sharpys came out I don’t even use ACLs any more,” Hartley says. “I had 10 Sharpys last year and loved them. So when I designed the new show for 2012 I went with all Sharpys as the primary effects lights. I was looking for another hard-edged fixture.”

Hartley reports that the Sharpys “performed awesome. The way I had them configured they look amazing. They really were a hit.”

The Sharpy fixtures held up well under the demands of two concurrent TSO tours. “There were virtually no reliability problems,” Hartley says. “They were rock solid – and they took a beating; we put them through the ringer and used them to their fullest extent.”

He gives kudos to Clay Paky for “really hitting the nail on the head with these fixtures. They’ve obviously been a huge success for the company. Sharpys are one bad ass fixture: small and compact, bright while using very little power. Sharpys are just perfect.”

A.C.T Lighting is the exclusive North American distributor for Clay Paky.

Francesco Romagnoli, Clay Paky Area Manager for North and Latin America, adds, “Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a very exciting show and we’re proud to have the Sharpys be a part of it. Kudos to Bryan for this very innovative design.”

About Clay Paky
Headquartered in Seriate (Bergamo), Italy, Clay Paky SPA has a history of designing and manufacturing innovative professional show lighting. The company was founded in 1976 by entrepreneur Pasquale Quadri who anticipated the enormous impact the evolution of technology would have on the show and entertainment worlds.

For more information on Clay Paky products, please contact:
Francesco Romagnoli francesco@claypaky.it
Davide Barbetta webmaster@claypaky.it