Lakewood Church of Houston (Lighting Dimensions, October 2005), the mega-church headed by Pastor Joel Osteen, takes its Sunday service on tour each month. Tom Stanziano has been Lakewood's lighting designer for the past five years. “This is more than just your typical church service,” he says. “It's an arena show that sells out 18,000- to 24,000-seat venues on two nights in some cities. We expand our Sunday worship and music into a two-and-a-half-hour event.”
Complementing the Pastor's message is a full band, worship leaders, and a six to eight-voice ensemble. Supplied by Opera Shop of Denver, the lighting rig includes Martin MAC 2000 Profiles providing the majority of visual effects and used for enhancement during the speaking portions of the service. Additional lights on the rig include a mix of High End Sytems Studio Spot CMY 575s, Studio Colors, Studio Beams, Wybron Coloram II scrollers for 8- and 9-lite audience blinders, Griven Kolorado fixtures, and a High End Systems PCB for six fabric columns.
“I use 20 MAC 2000 Profiles that are positioned on two trusses and the floor,” Stanziano explains. “The downstage truss has six MAC 2000s shining on a 60'×40' seamless white backdrop. There are four 2Ks positioned on the floor and eight on an upstage truss doing beam effects and ballyhoos, as well as patterns on the floor.”
For some recent additions to the tour, video has been added. “We are now using a video server and three screens behind the stage to enhance the experience,” says Stanziano. Gear added includes five Barco SLM R12+ projectors; five Da-Lite 15'×20' truss screens with Da-Mat finish; and a ProVideo Player Custom on a Mac Power PC Duo provided by DPS and run by projectionists Kyle Weir and Nathaniel Damron.