The Press in Las Vegas | Quebecers who make Adele shine

Two Quebec companies have a role to play in the success of Adele’s residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. One, Scéno Plus, designed the mythical room where the singer performs. The other, Solotech, handled the entire video component of the production.

(Las Vegas, Nevada) When the lights go down at the Colosseum and Adele takes the stage, viewers’ attention is immediately drawn to the singer’s image beamed across floor-to-ceiling screens spanning the entire width of the room. This breathtaking effect is the work of a Quebec company, Solotech, chosen by Adele to manage the video technology of her residence.

The show that the British singer has been presenting in residence since last November is the result of teamwork between collaborators and employees of Solotech, a Quebec firm specializing in audiovisual and entertainment technology.

Ian Woody Woodall, Director of Special Projects at Solotech, oversaw all video technical design for the concert. He made sure to realize the vision that Adele and her production manager, Paul English, desired, thanks to the best technological tools.

“Adele’s show is elegant. There’s a lot of tech at work, but it’s genuine and smart. With screens, camera work, projections and LED lights, the result is warm, says Woody. It’s the equivalent of the feeling of listening to a song on vinyl rather than on Spotify! »

During these evenings, which continue until the end of March, Adele is often alone or with her pianist on the 2000 m stage.^⁠2. Choristers accompany him on occasion. Musicians are added. The scenography evolves throughout the concert, but one constant remains: on the stage and on each side of the room, huge screens and an LED wall allow stunning visual effects, by broadcasting videos or simultaneously projecting the show. .

“Before, video was just a tool for people sitting in the back to see what was happening on stage, but not anymore,” said Max Gabriel, manager of Solotech’s video department, during our visit. of the company’s offices and warehouse in Las Vegas. “Thanks to technological advances, it has become part of the show, an art form in itself that can be found in all major productions. You can’t change the scenery between each piece, but you can change the videographic content. »

From the Montreal Olympics to Harry Styles

Solotech supplied the projectors, the LED video wall and computers for this residence called Weekends With Adele. Its employees operate the equipment during performances. In short, his signature is everywhere.

If the general public does not necessarily know this Quebec firm, its reputation is second to none in the entertainment world. Founded in the late 1970s in Montreal, the company whose first contract was the management of the audio system for the 1976 Olympic Games continued to develop in the rental of equipment and added lighting services and then video, multimedia, and new technologies. Her work on Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion projects in the 2000s played a major role in her international development.

Solotech’s clients include Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Stromae, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood. One of the major tours of the coming year, eras of Taylor Swift, was also entrusted to him. “We work on the side of events, productions live, as with Adele, but also at the level of integrations of AV systems in permanent installations, for some of the largest projects in the world, says Martin Tremblay, CEO of Solotech. These are two distinct industries that have always coexisted [chez Solotech], which allows us to stand out. »

At the time of the visit to The Press at the Solotech warehouse, scenic elements from Harry Styles’ tour were being cleaned and tested. “His team was there a few days ago to prepare for his return to the road, explains Max Gabriel. He does some shows in Los Angeles at the moment and then he goes to Australia, Asia and Europe. We have to make sure that all the stock is ready to go. »

Further on, a space is reserved for the storage of the scenic elements of Carrie Underwood’s residence. Deep in the huge warehouse, other workers are packing shipping trunks that will be brought to Resorts World for Luke Bryan’s in-residence show.

When Solotech meets Adele

A few months earlier, it was the preparations for Adele’s residency at the Colosseum that were driving Solotech’s warehouse. This series of shows marks the return to the stage of the popular singer after more than five years of absence. The Briton had to give up presenting her Weekends With Adele at the beginning of the year 2022, the show not being ready in time. Solotech was already involved in production at the time.

Before returning to this project, Adele had taken a break of several months, then made her return in the summer of 2022 for two concerts in Hyde Park in London, on the occasion of the British Summer Time festival. “I was there with Solotech to provide the audiovisual for the festival, says Ian Woodall. As Adele hadn’t performed in a while, we were all very focused on all the elements of the production to make sure her performance went perfectly. We made them more comfortable by helping them deliver the gig they wanted. We were part of the show, we weren’t just the material suppliers. And the conversations developed naturally. We were told about returning to Las Vegas, we were offered to work on the residency…”

The adventure with Adele could begin in earnest.

The technical team must have the full confidence of the artists. Beyond the performance, the smooth running of the shows rests on his shoulders. Adele knows this and values ​​this work, says Woody. For her, every detail counts. “She appreciates suggestions,” he says. And during our rehearsals at the Colosseum for two weeks, she was there every day. »

Living in the Colosseum

Behind the design of the room that Adele and her team chose for her residence, the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, there is Scéno Plus, another firm founded in Quebec.

The legendary 4,300-seat theater has an aura of legend. This is where Celine Dion performed for a decade. Madonna, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Cher or Shania Twain have also set up their residences there over the years. Exactly twenty years after its inauguration, Adele’s turn to present her show there for five months. “This venue is old, but also has a reputation. It means something to play at the Colosseum,” observes Olivier Berthiaume-Bergé, president and chief operating officer of Scéno Plus.

In 2019, after Celine Dion’s departure from the Colosseum, Scéno Plus worked to modernize the premises. A makeover that required seven months of work and which also explains why a star like Adele settles there. “All stage equipment has been reviewed and corrected, because technology has evolved. It dated back 15 years and we couldn’t touch it because Céline had been performing there for ages, says Olivier Berthiaume-Bergé. In terms of sound, facilities, spaces for artists, it’s a super good room. »

The seats have been changed, the interior design has been refined, a redesign of the VIP section has taken place and an elevator has been added at the foot of the stage to create a section where spectators can stand (according to the configuration wishes of the artists).

The Colosseum was one of the first major projects in Las Vegas for Scéno Plus, which first established itself in the city of vice thanks to its collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Already at the time, it was important for the company to think not only about the comfort of spectators, but about the best ways to equip artists and technicians, explain Olivier and Vincent Berthiaume-Bergé, vice-president and chief operating officer. .

Since its founding in 1985, Scéno Plus has designed more than 200 theaters and performance halls around the world, including the new hall at Resorts World in Las Vegas, where Celine Dion was to launch her new residency. Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan have taken over from Charlemagne’s diva in this room, which brings the expertise of Scéno Plus even further.