Michael Mayer's Broadway revival of Chess brought renewed attention to the acclaimed rock musical, featuring music by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the story focuses on the rivalry between an American and a Soviet chess player, highlighting the political tensions between their nations. Lighting designer Kevin Adams and his associate Timothy Reed drew on the tone and palette of Soviet propaganda posters to create a bold and dynamic lighting design that echoed the pulse of the musical's monumental score. “The songs are grand and heroic, and I wanted the lighting to be grand and heroic and Soviet,” said Adams.
The orchestra, prominently displayed onstage, formed an integral part of the overall lighting concept. Arranged on multiple tiers connected by continuous staircases, the musicians required vibrant lighting that reinforced their visual presence.
To meet this requirement, the lighting team installed 30 Miro Cube 2 4C fixtures across the orchestra platforms. Adams commented: “Tim had a good idea for lighting the orchestra in an interesting way. Miro Cubes 2 4C sit on their platforms and add a layer of color and electric spectacle.” Reed added: “We used the fixtures as an additional level of dimension and control around the orchestra. The music is such an important part of the production, and with the musicians onstage, we wanted to make sure we could feature them in a way that honored their craft.”
The compact form factor of the Miro Cube 2 4C fixtures made them an ideal fit for the orchestra's tightly constrained performance area. Reed explained: “I chose Miro Cubes 2 4C because of their size and brightness. Space around the musicians was at a premium, so we wanted the smallest possible footprint. We also appreciated the range of Miro Cube 2 OPTI-SCULPT beam-spread lenses, which gave us considerable flexibility.”
Four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams earned another Tony Award nomination for his lighting design of Chess.
To see more of Kevin Adams' and Timothy Reed's work, follow @kevin_adams_lighting and @reedo514 on Instagram. For more information about the product Adams and Reed used to illuminate Chess, explore the Miro Cube 2 4C product page on the Rosco website.