Joe
Labero
the
magic behind the lighting
 |
| Joe
Labero in the finale of his magic show Illusion. |
| Photo:
courtesy of Magic
World AB. |
Lighting Magic Published: 7 February 2002.
In magic master Joe Labero's magic show there are many things
that make the perfect illusion - magic, dancers, costumes, sound
and lighting.
Lighting designer Palle Palmé tells us about the magic behind
the lighting in a magic show.
From
magic box to a big show
On his twelfth birthday, Swedish boy Joe Labero,
got a magic box from his parents. From this day he knew what
he wanted to do - be a magician. At 17 Joe won a youth magic
contest for Sweden Magic Circle. At this time he started to
perform at company parties, television, ferry courses and more.
In 1991 Joe Labero come to the board of Berns
Salonger, one of Stockholms famous showplaces, with a proposal.
Joe Labero's long time lighting designer Palle Palmé, then technical
director of Berns, remembers.
"In the fall of 1991 Joe Labero come to the office of Berns
Salonger with video tapes of Siegfried & Roy and David Copperfield.
He was totally unknown in Sweden. He wanted to do the similar
tricks that these world famous artists did."
The board finally decided to invest in Joe Labero's magic show.
Palle recalls packing up boxes with magic props and started
to build the illusions together. For the new show they bought
6 SUMMA HTI moving lights. They was cheaper to buy then to rent
Vari-Lites.
A Magic Night was Joe Labero's big break tough. The show play
657 times at Berns with sold out houses. After Stockholm, A
Magic Night played at Chat Noir in Norway's capital Oslo and
at Slagthuset in Sweden's third largest city Malmoe. A Magic
Night also toured in 25 places in Sweden.
In 1994 Joe Labero got an offer to perform at
Magic festival in Monte Carlo. All tough he didn't competed
in the magic festival, he got very good response.
1996 he traveled to Conrad Jupiters Casino in Surfers Paradise,
Australia to perform with the show Mystique. After one year
he got the job to put up a new magic show at Conrad Jupiters
Casino. The result was Illusion. After a successful year Labero
moved the show back to Sweden and open it in Gothenburg in the
fall of 1998. One and a half year later the next stop was Stockholm
for a year with sold out houses. In the summer of 1999 to perform
in Sporting Club in Monaco. In March 2001 he was again in Australia
perform at the modern Star City Casino in Sydney.
To
light magic
When I caught up with the LD Palle Palmé in Gothenburg,
Sweden in early February, 2002, Joe Labero was back from Australia
and on a Magic Tour tough 20 Swedish cities. Palle had time
to talk about Joe Labero, magic and lighting.
What
is the challenge of lighting a magic show?
The challenge to light a magic show is really that there can
not be ANY lighting que that goes wrong or that the lamps are
in the wrong position. I have learned now for almost 11 years
to light the different magic numbers and it is really hard for
a lighting designer to come as a beginner to start to light
magic. The biggest challenge is to do the tricks look both stunning
and simple and not overdo the lighting so that the audience
say that "it ust have to do with the lightingeffects that we
did not see how the trick was done". If the audience are completely
stunned by the magic tricks without mentioning the lights I
have succeed. On the other side it is always nice to hear people
say that the lights was fantastic - but it should never override
the artist.
Have
the show change since you started to work with Joe Labero at
Berns?
Yes the show has changed a lot since we started at Berns 1991.
Some of the numbers are still in but the overall look of the
show is much more upgraded this year. We started up 1991 with
6 moving lights and then we went up to 12, then 20, 24, 36 but
when we moved the show from Australia to Gothenburg 1998 we
really took a big step up in the numbers of moving lights. We
then had 65 units. The biggest rig was when we were in Sydney
last time 2001. The rig the involved 85 moving lights and a
bunch of other stuff. Now on the Swedish Tour we are down to
40 but there is no place for more units and I am really satisfied
with what I can get out of it.
Have
the advances of lighting technology help to realise your visions?
Absolutely have the new technology with moving lights, hazer
smoke, laser....helped me to realise my ideas. I am doing around
40 different productions a year and I don't think that there
is one which I am not using a moving light in. It helps me so
much. I don't have to think about where I place all my conventional
lights as long as I place my moving lights on different positions
with a lot of possibilities. Specially when you are working
with musicals or plays the moving light can help you to make
fantastic movements and effects which never has been seen on
stage.
What
is your inspiration for this show?
My inspiration for this show is 100 % Joe Labero. He is really
one of a kind. A more professional artist you really have to
look for. He inspires me to do my absolutely best and I can
never be satisfied if he is not. He is very demanding which
I should hope that other artists and producers could be here
in Sweden. I am really lucky to work with him and we have developed
a fantastic team together with the director and music supervisor
Mikael Hylin.
What
is on the lighting rig for the Joe Labero Magic Tour 2002?
The lighting rig for the Joe Labero Tour 2002 is 20 pcs of Coemars
new profile spot and 20 pcs of the wash. A total of 40 moving
lights. To this comes 1 Source Four profile, 3 dimmer channels,
1 hazer, 1 Whole Hog and 2 followspots.
How
do you describe Joe Labero's show?
I can only describe the Joe Labero Show as one of the best magic
shows in the world. When he gets the chance to do a show in
Las Vegas I can promise you that he will take that city with
storm. The show we have developed during these 11 years is a
mixture of rock´n´roll big illusions and fantastic close up
magic. He is really fantastic with his close up magic. I think
that the mixture of these ingredients are making the audience
to love what he does.
What the future has in hold for Joe Labero and
LD Palle Palme after the success in Sweden, Norway, Monte Carlo
and Australia is not certain. Maybe Las Vegas - the home of
other great magians.
