L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2009
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

USA Reel Love August 1^st, 2009

Melrose Pyrotechnics - designed by Mike Cartolano [Gold Jupiter 2006] Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography; 4838 cues, 331 FM-16 firing modules

La Ronde turns into a "drive-in theatre"!

Montreal, Thursday, July 30, 2009 - On Saturday, Melrose Pyrotechnics from the U.S., winner of a Gold Jupiter in 2006, will transform La Ronde from an amusement park to a virtual drive-in cinema!

From Moulin Rouge to Grease and from Pretty Woman to The Bodyguard, Hollywood knows how to serve up moving soundtracks that help bring to life scorching tales of passion as well as vivid dramas of tortured love! Following Hollywood’s lead, Melrose Pyrotechnics’ second participation at L’International des Feux Loto-Québec presented par TELUS will focus on "Reel Love" - and it’s sure to be a blockbuster!

Tom Thompson, Vice-President of Melrose Pyrotechnics, admits that in its first participation in 2006 his company approached the competition with caution - paradoxically, it won a Gold Jupiter that year. This year’s show, he says, gives freer rein to the imagination and creativity and promises to be a real crowd-pleaser. Speaking of pleasing crowds, every year on July 4, Melrose Pyrotechnics puts on roughly 800 fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day across the U.S.!

The best weather conditions of the competition so far were the backdrop for the this year's third company to have won the Gold Jupiter on their first appearance in Montreal. Warm temperatures, low humidity and just enough wind were in place for this highly anticipated display. Packed grandstands ensured a very enthusiastic reception to the display.

Part 1 to the music MGM Intro by MGM Orchestra Despite the title, it was the 20th Century Fox introduction. A fan of meteor comets from the centre was followed by opening fans left and right with shells of silver comets above. The opening fans and silver comet volleys continued and the music moved to

Part 2 to the music Hooray For Hollywood by Capital Symphony Huge mine fronts of silver comets turning to red crossettes were augmented by shells of red crossettes above. These were followed by shells of green crossettes and then a sequence of gold glitter comets across ramp 3 and back as the shells continued above. Then a return to a huge crossette mine front followed by shells of go-getters above. Another run of gold glitter comets as the go-getters continued. A front of crossette mines with more crossettes above was followed by the same and then sequences of opening fans of comets left and right followed by shells of red stars turning to silver comets above. Then a volley of salute mines and a front of crossed glitter comets bringing the main portion of this segment to a close. There then followed a fortyfive second narration with red bengals on ramp 2 introduced the theme of the display.

Part 3 to the music Come What May by Kidman/ McGregor Pairs of fountains opened a set at a time from both sides of ramp 5 inwards. These were augmented by volleys of strobing horsetails. This theme continued and was followed by alternating volleys of gold broccade shells and violet star shells. This theme continued for some time and then was followed by silver shells with blue pistils, with the silver turning to strobes as strobes lit up across ramp 5 and were then augmented by Z-cakes of bombette strobes, the segment coming to a close with a front of fans of meteor headed gold comets.

Part 4 to the music Love Is A Many Splendored Thing by Newton-John/Travolta An opening sequence of gold comets progressed from the centre of ramp 3 outwards and was followed by barrages of shells of gold strobes. Then large shells of stars with gold dahlia comets as crossed candles opened up below with shell-of-shells of stars above. The shell-of-shells continued and were followed by broad fans of tourbillons below as shells of stars with gold dahlia comets fired above.

Part 5 to the music Grease by Newton-John/Travolta Then Z-cakes of tourbillons followed by more of the star and gold dahlia comet shells above. This theme continued and was followed by a huge farfalle and then pairs of the same. A return to the star and dahlia comet shells brought the segment to a close as the music moved to

Part 6 to the music Summer Nights by Newton-John/Travolta Groups of meteor comets, the colours of the heads corresponding to the two singers, fired left and right on ramp 3 with shells of blue-dark-silver above. These were followed by violet-headed gold spider shells and then a return to the colour-coded comet and shell theme with the comet groups fired at angles. These were followed by alternating bombettes of blue and gold with shells of blue crossettes above. This theme continued and was augmented by shells of blue with gold dahlia comets with crossed fronts of gold glitter comets below. This theme continued and was then followed by large double-ring farfalle shells with blue pistils and then a return to the violet headed gold spider shells. Runs of glitter comets firing left and right were augmented by the blue-dark-silver shells. As the music slowed, dramatic purple horsetails with crackling strobing pistils were fired in volleys to cheers from the audience, trailing to the lake, the segment coming to a close with a front of the colour-coded meteor comets with shells of blue with gold dahlias above together with bombettes of gold strobes.

Part 7 to the music People by Barbra Streisand Mines of golddust with shells of gold glitter in clusters above formed the opening theme, together with a dramatic low-break. The mines continued, crossed, and in sequences and were followed by shells of twinkling gold broccade. The shells continued and were augmented by broad gold fans, full in the centre and half fans left and right on ramp 3. Above these, large gold twinkling comet shells, now with pistils, and then a return to the twinkling broccades, as the fans continued below, this theme continuing until the end of the segment.

Part 8 to the music Don’t Rain On My Parade by Barbra Streisand Single gold meteor comets fired left and right on the opening notes of the music. Then a front of crossed starmine comets followed by volleys spider shells above and then larger shells above them. This theme continued and was followed by a front of starmine comets with shells of rings above and then a large gold-glitter studata. More gold glitter comet studatas were followed by a volley of large shells above and then another front of starmine comets. These were followed by two enormous shells with pistils. Then sequences of angled starmine comets running right and left across ramp 3 followed by shells of rings above and bombettes below and then shell-of-shells of stars above. Half-and-half colour shells then followed with fans of comets below and shells with pistils above. Charcoal mines turning to silver with shells of rings and larger shells above with volleys of titanium salutes and then more enormous pistil shells brought the segment to a close to cheers from the audience.

Part 9 to the music As Time Goes By by Jimmy Durante A line of strobes lit up across ramp 3. Gold glitter comets then fired towards the centre from left and right. This theme continued and was augmented by kaliedoscope shells of strobe-tipped charcoal comets. This serene theme continued and was followed by crossed tourbillon candles with more of the kaliedoscope shells above. Candles of bombettes then added to the theme with a return to volleys of the kaleiscope shells after the candles finished. Groups of left and right firing glitter comets then fired from ramp 3 with volleys of silver spider shells above turning to violet followed by a fast sequence of starmine comets and then groups of starmine comets firing outwards left and right as the spider shells continued above. Nautical mines of strobes then burst from the lake as large shells of comets turning to strobes fired above, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 10 to the music I’m A Believer by Smashmouth Crossed crackling comets were augmented by the same in shells above and then increasing flights of gold crackling comet shells. Then three cakes of whistles were augmented by studatas above followed by crackling comet shots leaping from the lake below. More crackling comet shells then fired above followed by the increasing flights of gold crackling comet shells. The cakes of whistles returned with studatas above and then the nautical crackling comet shots below. Crackling shells followed above with salute candle volleys below and whistles from candles and then left and right firing fronts of crackling comets followed by more salute candles, studatas above and yet more whistling cakes and more crackling comets leaping from the lake, three broad fans of salute-terminated comets bringing the segment to a close.

Part 11 to the music It Must Have Been Love by Roxette Volleys of gold horsetails formed the opening theme. Then seven blue hearts in lancework lit up on ramp 5 (unfortunately some lances didn't light). Groups of gold comets turning to blue fired left and right in sequence and then in a front with shells of blue above. The hearts then changed to orange-red (again some lances not lighting) with shells with pistils above followed by groups of star shots left and right and orange shells above. The star shots and shells continued and were followed by fans of meteor-headed charcoal comets, bringing the segment to a close as the music moved to

Part 12 to the music Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison Fans of comets fired from ramp 4 towards the audience as lien rockets scrambled from the left and right of ramp 3 to hit ramp 4, though not quite in time with the fans of comets coming from there. Then shells of strobes above followed by groups of glitter comets fired up from ramp 4. More flights of line rockets headed towards ramp 4 as the fans of audience-aimed comets flew out before the rockets arrived. A return to strobe shells above. These were followed by bright white star shells with green strobing pistils and then more flights of glitter comets from ramp 4 followed by a fan of mines from ramp 4 and then a return to the line rocket and audience-aimed comet theme. Volleys of strobe shells, flights of glitter comets from ramp 4 and some of the white plus strobing green pistil shells brought the segment to a close.

Part 13 to the music I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston Shells of gold comets changing to silver, then dark and then gold again were followed by fans of blue-headed gold comet candle fans as shells of gentle blue go-getters fired above. This theme continued and was followed by shells of gold comets turning to silver. Then fans of candles of pale gold comets with pastel heads as shells of hearts with strobing silver rings around fired above, to cheers from the audience. This theme continued and was followed by large gold butterfly broccade shells with a ring around. These continued and were followed by volleys of larger gold kamuro shells, filling the sky. Flights of angled gold glitter comets then fired from ramp 3, bringing the segment to a serene close, to cheers from the audience.

Part 14 to the music It Had To Be You by Harry Connick Jr. Sequence of bright flames moved across ramp 5 from the edges to the middle as crackling crossettes burst above and a sequence of angled mines fired below. Another sequence of flame projectors followed by mines running around ramp 5. Volleys of gently crackling short silver comets fired above. These shell volleys continued and were followed by larger shells of silver comets with small strobing pistils. These increased in number and were followed by rapid mine sequences around ramp 5. Fronts of alternating pastel mines with shells of stars with dahlia comets above were followed by blasts of low-angled stars firing across the water from ramp 3 and then more fronts of alternating pastel stars with strobe shells above. The strobe shells continued and were followed by the alternating pastel mine fronts with dahlia and star shells above. A line of double wheels lit up across ramp 3 as star shots fired upwards. Then huge double-ring farfalle shells with pistils fired above as the star shots continued and then back to the silver comet shells with small strobing pistils. Fronts of mines up and at low angles across the water brought the segment to a close.

Part 15 to the music Elephant Love Medley by Kidman/McGregor. Brightly coloured nautical flares lit up on the lake as a twenty second narration told us we were about to enter the finale. Fast sequences of angled starmine comets ran back and forth across ramp 3. Then opening fans of starmine comets from ramp 4 followed by strobe shells above. Then shells of multi-colours turning to gold comets above with mutli-colour shells with pistils above them. These multi-colour to gold comet sequences continued and were followed by fans of silver star shots across ramp 3 with shells of the same above. The pace started to increase with shells of red, white and blue stars as the silver fan shots and shells continued below. Larger shells started to augment the red, white and blue below as flights of salute candles started to roar across ramp 3 as huge shells of crackling comets fired above. A pause for a moment and then sequenced angled fronts of starmine comets and glitter mines as all hell broke loose with massive barrages of salutes below and red, white and blue shells above, filling the sky and giving my camera a buffer overflow and making the ears of the audience ring. As the cacophony came to an end, the audience rose to their feet and screamed their delight.

This was an excellent display greatly enjoyed by the large audience. Brilliant colours and good range of products together with a popular soundtrack were the recipe for great enjoyment by the audience. A good range of intensity was used but somehow the display design was rather more simplistic than Melrose's previous display in Montreal. The nautical cakes were used to good effect but the narrative segments somewhat detracted from the display. All that said, an extremely well done display that was particularly well received by the large and enthusiastic audience and the deafening finale was certainly a crowd pleaser. Must be a contender for a Jupiter, but the competition is at such a level this year it's very difficult to predict which Jupiter they will be a contender for.

Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.