“I served as Producer/Production Designer/Event Planner for Brooklyn Academy of Music’s event “Weill Style: A Kurt Weill Centenary Celebration,” which took place at the NewsWalk building in Brooklyn, NY on Thursday, February 10, 2000. The event was a gala fundraiser for Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Drawing from the life, works, and era of Kurt Weill, I developed the concept of an “industrial cabaret.” The design relied heavily on lighting/image projection to fill the concrete shell of a 360,000 cubic foot abandoned factory space.

I contracted with Big Wave International Ltd. to collaborate on the design and execute it using their equipment and staff. I presented my vision of using light and images to provide texture, control & influence mood and provide a psychological sense of drama, warmth, and intimacy in an otherwise bare, volumous space. I provided them with images of Kurt Weill & related subjects, color schemes, gobo selection, and ideas for plots & scene presets. Taking these, they developed a full lighting/projection plan that included not only the interior of the main space, but auxiliary interior spaces (main entrance, foyer, coat check, sanitary area, and catering area), as well as projections onto the outside of the building at the main entrance & across the building in the direction of the arriving guests. Using various shades of warmer hues (reds, yellows), interspersed with neutral & colder colors, they executed the design using morphing colors, shapes, and images that subtly moved in and around the room. Aisles between tables and a covered foyer and coat check were “painted” with light onto bare concrete, giving the feel of carpeting and drapery.

The end result was stunning and dramatic. The subtle movement of light and images made the room come alive, with a feeling of a performance taking place. Big Wave’s skill in design & execution made my vision a reality. They were outstanding, supportive, and accommodating partners in creating a very successful event.”

Adam Armstrong Silva
Event Planner Brooklyn Academy of Music