Louisiana Superdome officials ready light display for big weekend

NEW ORLEANS – Superdome officials planned to spend much of Thursday night toying with colors and movements for a light display they hope will make the building’s exterior just as spectacular as its newly renovated interior.
Displaced last year by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints play the Atlanta Falcons Monday night in the dome their first true home game since the 2004 season. Close to 70,000 people are expected to attend the reopening extravaganza and a national television audience will be watching.
“I wanted people to see the Superdome lit up and glowing,” said Doug Thornton, a vice president of the company that manages the building. “I wanted it to be a bright symbol again.”
With so many colors and movements to choose from, the installation, testing and programming of the display was to run through the night Thursday, said Buddy Berry of Stage Right Productions, the Baton Rouge-based company hired for the project. Skies were cloudy Thursday afternoon but the plan was to go with the test, even if it rained, Berry said.
The company has been doing light displays at the Superdome for about 25 years, but this is one of the biggest outdoor requests, Berry said. Dozens of lights each capable of any one of a million hues will be tested.
“They’ll dance and move,” Berry said.
In addition to the light show, giant exterior screens will project Monday’s outdoor events, including a performance by the Goo Goo Dolls.
State and Saints team logos will be projected on the surface of the dome. The images, which are expected to reach about 30 feet, will include an outline of the state of Louisiana and fleurs-de-lis, he said.
Officials plan to have the display on nightly from Friday through Monday, when media from around the world will be among the thousands to attend the grand reopening.
“The last time the Superdome was on every television set in the world, it was a pretty ugly sight,” Berry said. “It’s being televised once again, all over the world, and we’d like to see it look completely different.”