Step into a world where shadows dance with mystery, and intrigue lurks around every corner. Can Can is set to mesmerize audiences once again with their latest show, NOIR.

In this spellbinding production, Robbie Matos, the technician behind the captivating lighting design as well as the sound and projection engineering, takes center stage. With his visionary approach, Matos reveals the transformative power of light, elevating the NOIR aesthetic to new heights and immersing viewers in an alluring journey through the shadows.

Get ready to be transported into a world of suspense and seduction as we delve into the artistry of NOIR and the illuminating brilliance of Robbie Matos.

THECANCAN.COM: Can you walk us through the team's thought process when designing the lighting for a show like NOIR?

Robbie Matos: We begin the conversation about a few months out from opening, and it tends to start out really abstract. Chris throws out big ideas and different goals that he's hoping to achieve. This is usually the first time that I hear something along the lines of them wanting to use specific elements, like a projector, for example.

We wanted to try and make the lights really monochromatic for NOIR. We wanted things to feel different from other shows. We started with the really big abstract and came up with mood boards, kind of like Pinterest inspiration boards. I'm an extremely visual person, hence why I'm in lighting. Matos laughs.

It's really helpful to have a visual reference for us to bounce back and forth. We play this fun game where we sit next to each other, and I show Chris a bunch of pictures and he says yes or no. It's a fun swipe right, swipe left game where we try to narrow down what we're aiming for. The whole goal of this is just to develop a shared vocabulary, which is a super important part of any design team. I use the word “texture” when I'm talking about using a lot of shadows, where Chris might say he wants it in the dark.

You have to pull out the vocabulary because obviously, Chris isn’t saying he wants it with no light, he's just saying he wants it to feel like it's darker or moodier. We really try and just get on the same page first. After that, we start to whittle it down into more concrete ideas after bouncing back and forth.

Something really fun about the process is that I feel like Chris gives a lot of space in terms of letting me just kind of run with things. For example, he might say projectors or he might say he wanted lasers in this show. I’ll start researching them, figure out what we need, and try to talk to the right people. I’ll bring in different kinds of equipment, and we workshop what might work and what might not work. That helps us get further away from abstract and more into a concrete vision.

THECANCAN.COM: How is lighting used to enhance the overall mood and atmosphere of NOIR?

Robbie Matos: I think in this show, in particular, the specificity of the lighting really comes through. It’s not a narrative-heavy show, and there's not as much direct interaction with performers speaking to an audience. So, it's a lot of visual connection.

The experience begins the moment you're sat by one of the performers. The reason for that is we try and immediately bring you into the environment and show what the vibe is going to be like, which normally consists of darker, moodier lighting. We have candles on each table and romantic, uplifting music playing. The idea is to make them feel like they got transported. I think the beauty of our space is it's literally steps away from the most popular place in Seattle at Pike Place. For people to just take 10 steps, and all of a sudden they're into this dark, smoky world that they didn't expect, it feels special.

There's a big job that I have to do where I'm balancing lighting to the beats of the music, while also trying to balance lighting a performer so that it looks sculpted and dynamic. Something that's so cool is that audience members are sitting sometimes inches away from the performer that's right in front of you if you're on the catwalk. It's really important that the performer feels elevated, larger than life with colors and angles, and that the best parts of them are being highlighted and accented.

THECANCAN.COM: What are some of the key lighting cues or effects in NOIR, were there any new challenges you had to face?

Robbie Matos: A lot of different things. I would say this show is probably the most technical and visual show that we have had to date, at least in this new venue. NOIR is an experience that you can sit back and just take in the art that is being presented in front of you. There’s not a lot of prominent dialogue or storyline that the audience is following. Because of that, you're truly just watching this visual story play out. We play this nice kind of push and pull where we do have a storyline in this, but it's a very light storyline. So, if you don’t want to have to focus on what is moving from A to B to C, you can just watch it as this beautiful compilation of cabaret and magic.

Something I really love about this show is our use of follow spots. I spent a lot of time detail-timing the lighting so that when a performer moves through the catwalk, this big beam of light also follows them. And it gives this kind of larger-than-life circus feel while still being in a small environment so it feels grand.

There are also lasers, projectors, the UV blacklight…there is so much new stuff in NOIR. Naturally, there were a lot of challenges in just trying to do so much new stuff all at once. I'm still blown away by how successful we were in being able to just do it so quickly and so effectively.

THECANCAN.COM: Is there a particular moment in the show that stands out to you?

Robbie Matos: Yes. I would say the opening sequence. We spent the majority of our tech time just really trying to dial in these moments, and I think it was this beautiful brainchild of Chris’. In the opening sequence, we have a scrim, which we've never used before. We're really playing into those kinds of classical theatrical elements while also trying to make it modern; we did that with Jasmine at the top of the show in “Back to Black.” She's singing behind this beautiful vintage microphone, and at the start of the show, she's only lit by UV blacklight. You see her nails and her makeup in specific places. Her lips are vibrant pink, which is essentially the show's main color. The idea was in my head, just imagining what it would be like if there was just this floating pair of lips and nails that was singing to you.

I love the moment when Jasmine is bringing Jonny into this strange, quirky world. To me, that's the most visually stunning part.

THECANCAN.COM: In your opinion, what sets the lighting design for NOIR apart from past Can Can shows, and what do you think audiences will appreciate most about it?

Robbie Matos: Going back to the specificity of this show, we have more light cues, more visual effects, and more sound effects than any show that we've ever done in our space. That's just a huge feat, and it’s something that sets it apart. Each number has a lighting treatment to it, even small interlude numbers that might not always get the level of attention. From the moment that people walk in the door to the moment they walk out the door, there's lighting for every single moment.

Once you hear that first orchestra hit, and people know to start clapping – every single moment has some sort of enhanced visual element. That’s what really makes NOIR stand out from other shows, in my opinion.

In my own time here at Can Can, this is like my Mount Everest of a show. Typically, we have a lighting designer come in and build a majority of the show, and then I will go in and fill in the pieces. For NOIR, I took it all on myself. Having to introduce these new elements was not only a challenge, but it was an extremely rewarding challenge. I'm just really proud of everyone on this show. I think we really created a visual masterpiece, and I hope as many people can come and see it as we can get in the door.

Step inside our world, you can reserve tickets to see NOIR now through June 25th.

Book Tickets

The Art of Illuminating Shadows: An interview with Robbie Matos

Interview: The Language of Dance with Rey Rodriguez

Making the Music of Noir with Pink and Pezzner