Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Winter Tour Utilizes Large Complement of grandMA3 Consoles

Las Vegas-based Bryan Hartley, who is the Show Designer/Production Designer/Lighting Designer for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), is using a large complement of grandMA3 consoles for the multi-platinum rock group’s monumental winter tour.  ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of MA Lighting products in North America.

The winter tour marks the return of “The Lost Christmas Eve” for the first time since 2013.  The tale of how a chance encounter and life-altering phone call sparks the reunion of a long-separated father and son comprises the first half of the show.  A high-energy second half features the group’s greatest hits and fan favorites.

Hartley has been working with TSO since the group started touring 26 years ago.  There are actually two TSOs: one touring the eastern US and the other the western US.  “I design the whole show for each band, with identical set ups, and program the show in Omaha,” Hartley explains.  “Then I hand off the western show to Michael Keller to operate, and I go out on the road with the eastern show.”

The winter tour is the first that Hartley has programmed on grandMA3 for TSO.  He began using the platform in 2019 on other gigs and made the switch for TSO this year.  

“Each tour uses a grandMA3 full-size and light to control lighting, video and Glow Motion lighting,” says Hartley.  “Each also has two more grandMA3 lights for Glow Motion movement and access via Resolume control.  Another grandMA3 light for each tour is dedicated to pyro and owned by Image SFX.”  The Glow Motion kinetic winch component of the show is extensive and consists of 30 2 x 2-foot panels with frosted edges and embedded video and lights; 60 vertical color tubes; and eight three-foot diameter rings.

The scenic design for the show is an inflatable castle onto which different scenes are projection mapped to tell the story of “The Lost Christmas Eve” with narration.  The second half of the show features more uptempo imagery projected onto the castle.

“The grandMA3 hardware is beautiful, I really like it,” says Hartley.  “And now the grandMA3 software is there too, so I can accomplish anything I want with the platform.  Michael (Keller) has been a grandMA user for longer than I have, and he loves grandMA3 too.

“I’m heavily invested in grandMA3 and use the consoles on whatever tour I’m doing.  The systems are also available on a rental basis to major production companies nationwide.  grandMA3 has a strong hold on the market and will be around for a long time to come.”

TSO’s winter tour is also deploying two MDG theONE atmospheric generators per tour.  MDG is also exclusively distributed by ACT Entertainment in North America.

“MDG has become pretty much the standard these days; everyone uses it,” says Hartley.  “We need atmosphere throughout the show for the lasers and lights.  We just turn on theONEs in the morning and they run all day – they’re great!”