Alanis Morissette

The production required both a custom lighting design for the venue along with the design and creation of multiple scenic elements, set pieces, and props— and on an aggressive timeline. Alanis worked directly with Melody (Set Designer) throughout the rehearsal process. Melody would sketch ideas with Alanis in the room, capturing her immediate impressions and how she envisioned each moment living onstage. Sooner would then and  quickly translate those drawings and conversations into draft designs for production to take to its vendors. 

From there, Sooner and Melody moved fast with the team to define the technical requirements of each piece, scale, sightlines, materials, rigging, and practicality—so everything could be engineered cleanly and sent into fabrication sooner, without losing the intent behind the original idea.

All of it had to land across a 120-foot-wide proscenium, balancing sightlines and proportion while maintaining clarity—especially in the transitions between spoken storytelling and high-energy concert moments. Areas needed to be visually isolated for the storytelling, but also show off the 120’ video wall in the Colosseum. 
Having worked with Alanis for the past nine years as her trusted Lighting Designer and Director, Nate was given two clear directives: use chakra colors to reflect the voice and emotional center of each song, and use light to transport the audience to distinct emotional and physical spaces.

The lighting design is anchored by a center spine truss featuring seven backlight fixtures dedicated to Alanis and the band, serving as a constant visual presence throughout the show. A performer-tracking system was specified and deployed, effectively turning every fixture into a follow spot. This allowed the lighting programming to respond dynamically to choreography and blocking changes in real time.

For each song, the backlight color became the core of the visual narrative, directly tied to its corresponding chakra and emotional tone. At the conclusion of each act—during a sequence titled Reckoning 1, 2, and 3—all seven chakra colors align and additively mix into white from behind the performers. This moment creates a powerful visual resolution, where color, intention, and storytelling converge into a single, unified image.