This is my second day here at the BLMC. It’s certainly been worth the effort to travel from Sydney, Australia to share the insights and expertise of major figures in stage lighting such as Jules Fisher, Peggy Eisenhauer, and Chris Akerlind. Their depth of experience and ability to articulate the finer nuances of the lighting design process has provided me with more critical creative edge. New York is fabulous.

- Christopher Venn, lighting supervisor

Sydney Opera House

It’s lunch break from the classes, and attendees share some time and visit with our sponsors. Had lunch with Brian MacDevitt, who just grabbed two Tony nominations, one for Best Lighting Design of a Play for Inherit the Wind and another with co-designers Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz for The Coast of Utopia. He’s speaking this afternoon about “Visual Arts as an Inspiration for Lighting Design.”

Just nominated for Best Lighting Design Of A Musical for 110 in the Shade, Christopher Akerlind shared his thoughts at the BLMC this morning in his session on his designs for both 110 in the Shade and Talk Radio.

As a first time exhibitor at BLMC, I am very impressed. The atmosphere of the exhibit is youthful, vibrant, informative and a joy to be a part of. The Live Design Honors was also an occasion that was great to be a part of. The panel discussion honoring Hal Prince was insightful, humorous, and every bit as good as an episode of Inside the Actors Studio. If you’ve never been to a BLMC, you’re missing a great event like no other in the industry.

- Jeremy Powell

VectorWorks Spotlight

www.vectorworks.net

What a successful evening after day one of the Master Classes…last night was the Live Design Honors, at which legendary director and producer Hal Prince was honored, along with a panel discussion moderated by LD Allen Lee Hughes at the Rosenthal Pavilion of the Kimmel Center at New York University. Participating in the panel were Lisa Aronson, Beowulf Boritt, Judith Dolan, Eugene Lee, Richard Pilbrow, and David Rockwell.

AND, thanks to all the generosity of our guests, ESTA’s Behind The Scenes Foundation raised a whopping $7,210 at the cocktail reception and silent auction before the panel. Whohoooo! Thanks to all those who bid on items and also to those who donated to the auction.

Manufacturers are getting ready now for their second day of presenting to the attendees. We’re going to grab a few to guest blog in a bit.