LUMA: The Human Light Show

Bradley Basker April 21, 2011 4:00AM

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As a teenager during the ’70s, Michael Marlin made a living as a juggler on the mean streets of Houston. Like any beginning performer, he dreamed of making it big. For Marlin, big happened when he created LUMA: The Human Light Show. He got the concept for the now internationally performed spectacular (which fuses illuminated technology with dance, magic, puppetry, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatics) while playing with fire one night in Hawaii. After observing the spectators’ responses, he knew he was on to something. “Look at Christmas, look at fireworks,” he says. “We love light.” Marlin says he especially wants the visually impaired to attend the show, explaining that the high contrast between light and dark during the performance will allow many people with limited vision to enjoy entertainment they cannot normally experience.

This is the second performance of LUMA at the Miller Outdoor Theatre and will also be one of the few occasions when Marlin actually performs (he’s more of a creator and artistic director now). And in a nod to his humble roots, he’s opening up the event with the same juggling act from all those years ago. Today’s performance features special additions to LUMA’s already diverse lineup to commemorate Earth Day and encourage audience participation. Attendees will be able to pedal bikes attached to power generators to see how much effort is necessary to power various lightbulbs. 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 6000 Hermann Park Drive. For information, call 281-373-3386 or visit www.milleroutdoortheater.com. Free.
Fri., April 22; Sun., April 24, 2011