Ayrton Diablo Shines in “Masquerade,” A New Immersive Production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera”

 Five-time Tony Award-nominated Lighting Designer Ben Stanton chose Ayrton Diablo S fixtures for the latest interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic “Phantom of the Opera”: an immersive production called “Masquerade” staged on West 57th Street in Manhattan.  ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.

“Masquerade” began previews July 31, 2025 and has been  a hot ticket ever since.  The show takes guests, clad in formal evening wear, through the Paris Opera House where they move through the music, mystery and seduction of the “Music of the Night.”  They journey across multiple floors in an expansive former retail space Lee’s Art Shop and experience what the press has called the complex and intimate staging and lush visuals of the famed narrative.

Stanton had used various Ayrton lighting instruments for concert tours before he first implemented Diablo S fixtures for Broadway’s “Maybe Happy Ending.” He has reprised them for “Masquerade” with PRG furnishing the large complement of fixtures.

“Andrew Lloyd Webber is excited about supporting new interpretations of his classic works,” notes Stanton.  “‘Masquerade’ is a chance for Phantom fans and people who have not been exposed to the previous shows to experience the production in a more intimate way.  The show covers four floors and the rooftop of the former Lee’s Art Shop and was a huge undertaking to light: It was like doing many plays at once.  We lit at least 30 spaces, some with a very high level of theatricality, some very experimental and some in-between.”

It was Stanton’s goal that each space “feel authentic and not overloaded with theatrical equipment.  We tried to hide as much as possible and use smaller scale fixtures, but we were still lighting a musical and needed to do justice to the singers and these amazing songs.”  

Using Diablo S fixtures again was “a no-brainer,” the lighting designer recalls.  “Size and weight were crucial factors, and the Diablo has a high output for their size and are really beautiful lights.  They are concentrated in certain spaces, some mounted in the plaster ceilings, some on unistrut and other unconventional rigging solutions.

“The show is intricately timed and staged with six audience groups moving through in 15-minute intervals,” Stanton explains.  “Some spaces are used in multiple ways: You can revisit them and they look entirely different.  You can attend the show more than once and have different experiences.  The Diablo helped with that dramatic transformation.”

He says the Diablo fixtures are “beautiful for creating heightened theatricality and intense focus on moments featuring iconic songs.  They are also integrated inside the famed chandelier to create special effects.” 

Stanton and his team of Associate Lighting Designers David Shocket and Vittoria Orlando, Programmer Alex Fogel and Production Electrician Briana Messina worked the entirety of last summer to put together the lighting for “Masquerade.”  “It’s like nothing I’ve ever done before; I’m very proud of it,” Stanton says.  “The Diablo fixtures were a great choice and such reliable fixtures.  They’ve performed perfectly with no issues.”