What happens when you mix the technical with the traditional ? Magic. We have always been mesmerized by stories told by our grandparents and elders. We have been made to imagine scenarios and through the process we had a few pictures etched in our minds about the life and times of the people in those stories. I had a unique chance of seeing these images come to life on Thursday. Last Saturday Roshan had gone to witness a “Laser” show in the desert as it was and he came back with the words “simply awesome”. After talking to his company he managed to get us Sharath, Himself, Lavina, and Yours Truly few passes to the show. And what a show it was !! Definitely it was one of the most interesting and visually appealing shows that I have been to in the past few months.

The culmination of Water fountains, HD Projection, Fire arts, Fireworks, Lights, Lasers, Music, Dancers, Performances with exceptional narration of an ancient Arabic storyline in the voice of Omar Sheriff himself was really a breathtaking audio-visual extravaganza. Only when one looks at the show objectively does one realize that this is truly state of the art. I was not too impressed with the human elements i.e the dances and performances as well as the story line. I think there would be better storylines found in the history books of the sub continent. Either way this was one show definitely not to be missed. For those of you still thinking what I am talking about, here is a brief description of what you will see.

The show was performed on a stage set in a water body containing 10 million liters of water – the size of the stage was on par with world class opera or ballet theatre stages such as the La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden or the Metropolitan Opera House in New York (not that I have been to any of those places). State of the art laser effects that interact during the entire show, creating images and effects across the amphitheatre are generated using two lasers located projection cabins across the amphitheater. In order to achieve scale and spectacular dimensions the show incorporates various imagistics theatre techniques. Various large-scale water effects enhanced the visual effects, the most impressive of which are the three 35m wide by 18m high water screens, which create a backdrop to the performance area; Complimented by various other attractions including multiple oscillating jets, mist screens and 50 meters high geysers jets, the water effects will formed integral part of the show. Working on the PA for the Airport I realize the difficulty to achieve absolute acoustics in open areas, well this one really beats them all, providing clear, precise sound with an output of between 110dB and 120dB at any point in the amphitheatre. Add to that various stage mechanics and real life elements such as actors on horses and pyrotechnics, this show will most certainly steal your breath away.

Thanks to Roshan for the passes. I tried taking pictures from my N80 as always, but since the lights required a high hef camera, I was unable to get good Shots. Adding pics from the official Jumana Website.