Dino-Light
Overture Center-Capitol Theater 201 State St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Nicolson/Carney/Popp
Dino-Light
Since making the semi-finals on the 2012 season of America’s Got Talent, Lightwire Theater has created several full-length stage shows appropriate for all ages, bringing its glow-in-the-dark creatures to life by combining puppetry and ballet. Their first show was Dino-Light, which tells the story of a dinosaur who leaves home and encounters many new friends out in the world.
press release: It’s a prehistoric prom when glowing dinosaurs begin dancing in the dark as part of Dino-Light, a show which combines puppetry, pantomime and ballet in pitch darkness, except for the luminescent outlines of the characters. Featured on America’s Got Talent, this glow-in-the-dark adventure follows a dinosaur who loses his way but eventually sees the light. Presented by Lightwire Theater, Dino-Light comes to Capitol Theater on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. Recommended for all ages. Group tickets available.
Dino-Light, formerly known as Darwin the Dinosaur, was the recipient of the prestigious Jim Henson Foundation Grant and first feature-length theatrical production created and performed by creators Ian Carney and Corbin Popp. In this original storyline, a famous scientist with magic powers brings a friendly dinosaur to life. When the dinosaur wanders away from home, he discovers a wonderful world full of creatures that light up the darkness and help him find the true meaning of love.
This glow-in-the-dark adventure is visually amazing and has been praised for its cutting-edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance by audiences all over the world.
“Absolutely incredible.” –Rolling Stone
“An eye-popping display of storytelling that’s like nothing else you’ve ever seen.”
–BroadwayWorld.com
“…Spectacular – in every sense of the word.” –Sharon Osbourne, America’s Got Talent
Lightwire Theater has been featured as semi-finalists on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and winners of Tru TV’s Fake Off. The group combines theater and technology to bring stories to life in complete darkness and are internationally recognized for their signature brand of electroluminescent artistry.
Lightwire co-creators Ian Carney and Corbin Popp met in New York City while dancing in Twyla Tharp’s “Movin’ Out” on Broadway. An immediate connection was made between the kindred spirits as they discovered their mutual love of art, theater and technology. After coming across a product called “el wire,” the lights turned on and the possibilities seemed endless. Together, with their wives, Eleanor and Whitney, they began to experiment with shapes and designs to develop puppetry-based neon creatures that quickly came to life.
Based in New Orleans, Lightwire Theater continues to create and deliver innovative theatrical experiences to audiences worldwide, including Hong Kong, Estonia, Canada, Belarus, China and Abu Dhabi, and as finalists on My TF1’s “The Best Le Meilleur Artist in Paris.”
The Build: The process of building LIghtwire Theater’s electroluminescent characters starts with the creators and the cast. They build everything from the ground up, utilizing recyclable materials, including aluminum rods, election signs, skateboard wheels, dryer ducting, plumbing supplies, PVC pipes, fishing poles, duct tape, zip ties and backpacks to help define peaks and angles.
The common household items help create durable and pliable sculptures that can withstand the movement of the dancers for multiple performances. Black fabric is added to the sculpture for dimension and then lined with electroluminescent wire known as “el wire.” Unlike blacklights, el wire can be powered by batteries, requires no theatrical lighting and gives 360-degrees of glowing light. The result… anything your inner-child can dream of—including 16-foot tall birds, dinosaurs, ducks, soldiers, swords and more!
Each character takes nearly 200 hours to create and can use up to 16 AA batteries per performance.