Feb 222013
 
Darwin the Dinosaur and The Ugly Duckling

Darwin the Dinosaur and The Ugly Duckling

We are so excited to tell you about our fabulous client, Lightwire Theatre, that uses Cool Neon Lytec wire and drivers for their costumes, and they are amazing costumes as you can see. What kind of theatre is Lightwire Theatre, you may ask?  They are a theatre that employs dazzling visuals, graceful choreography and versatile use of music, ranging from classical to jazz to pop, to bring classic tales to life — and with a contemporary twist.

We just had to share the story of how they got started because we love it so much:

Creators Ian Carney and Corbin Popp met while dancing in Twyla Tharp’s Broadway show Movin’ Out. An immediate connection was made as they discovered their mutual love of art, theater and technology. After coming across a product called EL wire, the lights turned on. “EL wire” is short for electroluminescent wire: Unlike black lights, the technology can be powered by batteries and requires no theatrical lighting. The possibilities seemed endless. Together with their wives Eleanor and Whitney they began to develop puppetry based creatures that quickly gained personality.

Relocating from New York to Ian and Eleanor’s hometown, New Orleans, they continued the creative process. It was there, in the Katrina ravaged city, that the show began to take shape. The result, after years of engineering and development, is Darwin the Dinosaur. Truly unique and visually dazzling, Darwin is an innovative theatrical experience. Electroluminescent creatures light up the darkened stage in the heart-rending tale of a dinosaur who discovers the true meaning of love. Originally created in partnership with The Detroit Music Hall, Darwin has performed all over the Americas and Europe for enthusiastic audiences of all ages.

They were recently semi-finalists on Americas Got Talent and well as being invited to perform live in Las Vegas with other America’s Got Talent acts:

In addition, The Ugly Duckling made its second tour of the continental U.S., and Darwin left a couple of weeks later for its second tour of Russia. Duckling then finished its tour at Thanksgiving with performances in New York City and a show at the Music Hall in Detroit, and Darwin went to Germany to ring in the New Year. A very exciting travel schedule.

We are looking forward to seeing what is next for Lightwire Theatre and we promise to keep you up to date.

Benny, Karen and the Elves