Broadway
Also listed: Hell's Kitchen (Touring). Lighting can differ between productions.
| Part of show | Sequences | Flashing time |
|---|---|---|
| Whole performance | 11 | 1 min 5 sec |
| Act One | 6 | 29 sec |
| Act Two | 5 | 37 sec |
Source: the production’s lighting data spreadsheet for Hell's Kitchen at the Shubert Theatre. First public performance March 28, 2024. Lighting design by Natasha Katz.
Cue information contributed by Craig Stelzenmuller, Peter Nigrini & Robert Figueira.
Times are measured from the start of each act. Live performances vary, so use the times as a guide and listen for the “Watch for” moments.
| Time | Flash | Lasts | Color | Pattern | Light source | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act One | ||||||
| 21:25 | Flash 1 | 0.5 seconds | White | 2 flashes ~2hz | Upstage Right video screen "lightning" flashes | Ali runs outside into the street after fighting with her mom |
| 21:37 | Flash 2 | 0.5 seconds | White | 3 flashes ~2hz | Upstage Right video screen "lightning" flashes | Ali in the street - 12 seconds after 1st lightning event |
| 22:07 | Flash 3 | 0.5 seconds | White | 2 flashes ~2hz | Upstage Right video screen "lightning" flashes | Ali goes inside and gets a towel from doorman |
| 1:00:41 | Flash 4 | Instant (a single flash) | White | Single Flash | Intense bright white flash on all screens | Tiny interrupts "girl on fire" saying "oh hell, no" |
| 1:04:00 | Flash 5 | 13.2 seconds | All RED | Its a multi layered chase sequence, where each "Flash Source" group (mentioned to the right) flashed or pulses a different rate. Not all of them strobe, as in sharp on/off flashing. All together it feels like pulsing light, like a police or ambulance beacons. The lights that do strobe are at a frequency of about 4-6Hz, so not very fast. | 1) LED Striplights from below the Stage Edge flash in the orchestra section 2) LED Striplights from an Overstage pipe flash into the audience 3) Moving lights from the Proscenium Boom positions on both sides flash into the audience 4) LED "Color Blasts" from Balcony Rail flash into the Rear Orchestra Every Seat in the audience as some amount of Red flashing light hit them! | Ali's Mom catches her in bed with her older boyfriend Knuck and chases her into the street outside their apartment. There is an altercation on the street with the doorman and Knuck and the Cops are summoned. |
| 1:04:12 | Flash 6 | 15 seconds | Multicolored | Irregular, but similar to police car or ambulance lights | Upper half of video screens has randomly blinking images, headlines, and video of flashing police lights that go along with the blinking light cue. One final bright flash brings us into the next scene | There is an onstage altercation between Knuck and the doorman, and then Ali's mom hits her |
| Act Two | ||||||
| 2:06 | Flash 7 | Instant (a single flash) | White | Single Flash | Single bright white flash on all video screens | Ali is singing "Heartburn" on top of the dining table |
| 2:43 | Flash 8 | 0.5 seconds | White | Single Flash | Strobes from Overhead Pipes | Ensemble is dancing to the opening number "Heartburn" and are in the final chorus which features the repeated lyrics "Oooh, Shake it Shake it, uh huh, Go 'head girl" |
| 2:43 | Flash 9 | Instant (a single flash) | Pink/White | Single Flash | Single flash on all video screens | Chorus singing outro to "heartburn" with lyrics "shake it, shake it, go head girl" |
| 1:03:00 | Flash 10 | 14 seconds | White | Not a strobing of flashing effect. Lights in Dot Gobo Patterns sweep across the audience repeatedly which creates a "sparkling" feeling when the light passes by. Doubtful that this would trigger, but it lasts for a while and we felt it's worth mentioning. | All Overhead Moving Lights | Ensemble is singing the iconic Alicia Keys anthem "Empire State of Mind" |
| 1:04:00 | Flash 11 | 22 seconds | White | Various | All video screens have intermittent bright white flashing bars | This is the rap section at the end of "Empire". It starts shortly after the orange and blue statue of liberty graphic appears on the upstage screens |
Watch for: Ali runs outside into the street after fighting with her mom
Lightning on video screen as Ali gets caught in the rain
Watch for: Ali in the street - 12 seconds after 1st lightning event
Lightning on video screen as Ali is in the street
Watch for: Ali goes inside and gets a towel from doorman
Lightning on video screen as Ali comes in from out of the rain
Watch for: Tiny interrupts "girl on fire" saying "oh hell, no"
Beat drops at top of Tiny's rap verse in "girl on fire"
Watch for: Ali's Mom catches her in bed with her older boyfriend Knuck and chases her into the street outside their apartment. There is an altercation on the street with the doorman and Knuck and the Cops are summoned.
Ali's Mom slaps Ali on the street and a cop appears DSR, with gun drawn and yells "Everybody on the Ground". After that a 13s Red strobe sequence begins which flashes red lights into the audience and hides a scene change onstage.
Watch for: There is an onstage altercation between Knuck and the doorman, and then Ali's mom hits her
Police interrupt the scene, tell everyone to get on the ground, and they detain Knuck.
Watch for: Ali is singing "Heartburn" on top of the dining table
Button to the top of the final chorus of "heartburn"
Watch for: Ensemble is dancing to the opening number "Heartburn" and are in the final chorus which features the repeated lyrics "Oooh, Shake it Shake it, uh huh, Go 'head girl"
In the final moment, "Button", of the number there is a bright white blinding flash in the audience.
Watch for: Chorus singing outro to "heartburn" with lyrics "shake it, shake it, go head girl"
Button at end of musical number "Heartburn"
Watch for: Ensemble is singing the iconic Alicia Keys anthem "Empire State of Mind"
Ensemble sings "One hand in the air for the big city. Street lights big dreams all lookin' pretty" Sequence finishes by the following chorus of "New York concrete jungle where dreams are made of"
Watch for: This is the rap section at the end of "Empire". It starts shortly after the orange and blue statue of liberty graphic appears on the upstage screens
The rap section is punctuated by solid white bars which energetically flash and blink on the screens
| Time | Flash | Lasts | Color | Pattern | Light source | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act One | ||||||
| 21:25 | Flash 1 | 0.5 seconds | White | 2 flashes ~2hz | Upstage Right video screen "lightning" flashes | Ali runs outside into the street after fighting with her mom |
| 21:37 | Flash 2 | 0.5 seconds | White | 3 flashes ~2hz | Upstage Right video screen "lightning" flashes | Ali in the street - 12 seconds after 1st lightning event |
| 22:07 | Flash 3 | 0.5 seconds | White | 2 flashes ~2hz | Upstage Right video screen "lightning" flashes | Ali goes inside and gets a towel from doorman |
| 1:00:41 | Flash 4 | Instant (a single flash) | White | Single Flash | Intense bright white flash on all screens | Tiny interrupts "girl on fire" saying "oh hell, no" |
| 1:04:00 | Flash 5 | 13.2 seconds | All RED | Its a multi layered chase sequence, where each "Flash Source" group (mentioned to the right) flashed or pulses a different rate. Not all of them strobe, as in sharp on/off flashing. All together it feels like pulsing light, like a police or ambulance beacons. The lights that do strobe are at a frequency of about 4-6Hz, so not very fast. | 1) LED Striplights from below the Stage Edge flash in the orchestra section 2) LED Striplights from an Overstage pipe flash into the audience 3) Moving lights from the Proscenium Boom positions on both sides flash into the audience 4) LED "Color Blasts" from Balcony Rail flash into the Rear Orchestra Every Seat in the audience as some amount of Red flashing light hit them! | Ali's Mom catches her in bed with her older boyfriend Knuck and chases her into the street outside their apartment. There is an altercation on the street with the doorman and Knuck and the Cops are summoned. |
| 1:04:12 | Flash 6 | 15 seconds | Multicolored | Irregular, but similar to police car or ambulance lights | Upper half of video screens has randomly blinking images, headlines, and video of flashing police lights that go along with the blinking light cue. One final bright flash brings us into the next scene | There is an onstage altercation between Knuck and the doorman, and then Ali's mom hits her |
| Act Two | ||||||
| 2:06 | Flash 7 | Instant (a single flash) | White | Single Flash | Single bright white flash on all video screens | Ali is singing "Heartburn" on top of the dining table |
| 2:43 | Flash 8 | 0.5 seconds | White | Single Flash | Strobes from Overhead Pipes | Ensemble is dancing to the opening number "Heartburn" and are in the final chorus which features the repeated lyrics "Oooh, Shake it Shake it, uh huh, Go 'head girl" |
| 2:43 | Flash 9 | Instant (a single flash) | Pink/White | Single Flash | Single flash on all video screens | Chorus singing outro to "heartburn" with lyrics "shake it, shake it, go head girl" |
| 1:03:00 | Flash 10 | 14 seconds | White | Not a strobing of flashing effect. Lights in Dot Gobo Patterns sweep across the audience repeatedly which creates a "sparkling" feeling when the light passes by. Doubtful that this would trigger, but it lasts for a while and we felt it's worth mentioning. | All Overhead Moving Lights | Ensemble is singing the iconic Alicia Keys anthem "Empire State of Mind" |
| 1:04:00 | Flash 11 | 22 seconds | White | Various | All video screens have intermittent bright white flashing bars | This is the rap section at the end of "Empire". It starts shortly after the orange and blue statue of liberty graphic appears on the upstage screens |
Times are measured from the start of each act. Live performances vary, so use the times as a guide and listen for the “Watch for” moments. Full details: flashcue.org/broadway/hellskitchen/
Times are approximate and can shift between performances. Duration and frequency describe the effect; they don’t predict how any one person will respond. How to use FlashCue
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