Lighting designer Boris Jacob uses an all-Elation lighting rig to create a contemporary visual interpretation of the 1960s for Théâtre de la Tour Eiffel.

For the 2025-2026 season of Les Années 60, a French musical theatre production at Théâtre de la Tour Eiffel in Paris, lighting designer and lighting-video programmer Boris Jacob reworked the show's lighting and video environment to bring a fresh visual perspective to the music and spirit of the 1960s. Using an exclusively Elation lighting rig, Jacob collaborated with the production team to create a dynamic theatrical world that reflected the era's musical diversity while giving the production a contemporary feel.

Les Années 60 celebrates the music, energy, and cultural spirit of the 1960s, bringing a legendary decade back to life through song and dance, from the carefree spirit of the hippie movement to the era's spirit of rebellion.

The redesign called for lighting that could move between different musical styles and atmospheres while maintaining a cohesive visual language. Working closely with the direction, music and video elements, Jacob used light to establish each scene's character and keep the performers at the center of the experience.

"For me, lighting is a way to tell a story, bring music to life, and convey emotion," Jacob comments. "With Les Années 60, I wanted to capture the spirit, colors, and energy of the 1960s through a contemporary, dynamic visual style that supports the performers and enhances the music without simply recreating the past."

Lighting Challenges
One of the main challenges was to renew an existing production without losing its identity. Rather than simply replacing equipment, Jacob reworked the visual approach to create a journey through different musical worlds, each with its own atmosphere, color palette, movement, and rhythm.

The updated LED video environment presented another challenge. The renewed video content was designed as an integral part of the stage picture rather than simply a backdrop. Its brightness and visual presence required careful balancing to keep the performers distinct from the screen without allowing the lighting to compete with the imagery.

Rather than relying on greater intensity, Jacob used contrast, direction, color, framing and timing to create depth and separation, allowing lighting and video to complement one another or take visual priority as each moment demanded.

"I paid particular attention to the relationship between lighting and video," Jacob explains. "I don't see them as two independent elements, but as two visual languages that should complement and respond to each other. My goal is for images, colors, movement, and light to come together naturally around the performers, while never losing sight of what matters most: the music and the emotions it conveys."

Elation Fixtures Shape the Stage Picture
The theatre's compact dimensions also called for a versatile, space-conscious rig that could deliver everything from broad stage washes to precise accents and controlled performer lighting. Jacob built the redesigned lighting rig around Elation Fuze Profile, KL Profile FC, KL Fresnel 8 FC and Rayzor 360Z fixtures, each serving a distinct role in the production.

The compact Fuze Profile LED fixtures provided the framing precision and light quality needed to shape the stage and isolate performers or scenic elements without overwhelming the existing environment.

"Despite their compact size, they provided the output and quality of light required for the production. Their color reproduction and consistency were key to creating different atmospheres throughout the show. The precise framing shutter system allowed me to shape the light accurately and isolate specific areas of the stage or scenic elements. The original gobo kit worked well with this show," Jacob says.

For general front lighting, Jacob turned to KL Fresnel 8 FC fixtures, particularly when illuminating larger groups of performers across the stage. "The color quality is fantastic! I pay close attention to pastels and color temperature corrections, and the KL Fresnel 8 FC is perfect for that."

KL Profile FC fixtures added precision in shaping light on individual performers, keeping the front-lighting system unobtrusive and helping Jacob maintain control of the stage picture in the theatre's compact space.

Quality of Light
The Fuze Profile, KL Profile FC and KL Fresnel 8 FC feature Elation's FullSpectrum multicolor LED platform and RGBMA LED engines, delivering a broad range of white light, skin tones, pastels and saturated colors. With high CRI and a CCT range of 2400K to 8500K, the fixtures support nuanced white-light rendering and a wide color palette. The KL Fresnel 8 FC also incorporates ColorTuning to balance output and color fidelity, along with FixtureBalancing to improve color consistency across compatible fixtures for TruSpectrum performance.

The designer comments, "I'm particularly sensitive to light quality, color richness, and fixture precision, because these details allow me to refine my choices and give the atmospheres I imagine their full impact. I enjoy working with contrast, evolving colors in time with the music, and moving from subtle atmospheres to more powerful and dynamic scenes. Elation fixtures have given me great creative freedom in bringing this approach to life."

Dynamic Movement and Video Integration
For dynamic washes and beam effects, Jacob selected Elation Rayzor 360Z fixtures. Their wide zoom range let him move from broad stage coverage and tighter beams highlighted specific areas or scenic details.

"I really like this fixture because it's very compact, so it can be set up in tight spaces. Plus, it's fast in pan, tilt, and zoom. Their saturated colors are also interesting, which was essential to the different musical sequences," he explains.

Video playback ran through an ArKaos MediaMaster Pro media server in Theater Mode.It allowed Jacob to effectively oversee the renewed video content and integrate it reliably into the overall design.

A Contemporary Take on the Sixties
The resulting design refreshed Les Années 60 for contemporary audiences, balancing the era's nostalgia with a modern theatrical approach that kept the music and performers at the heart of the experience.

The show was a resounding success. Jacob's lighting design for Les Années 60 has also been nominated for the 2026 Excellence in Live Design Awards in the Theater Production category.

Crew
Director: Lucy Harrison and Rémy Caccia
Lighting Designer: Boris Jacob
Video Designer: Rémy Caccia
Set Designer: Marc Morange
Lighting Operator: Boris Jacob, Estelle Jalinie
Stage Technicians: Pauline Bernard, Samuel Roulleau, Barnabé Letellier
Photos: Luca Giuri