Nicholas Phillips designed the world premiere of Michael Pink's Aubade at Milwaukee's Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. This new work is inspired by the music of Francis Poulenc and the definition of the word “aubade.” An aubade is defined as a poem or song about lovers separating at dawn, or a song or instrumental composition evoking daybreak.

The design centers around a curved structure upstage that was backed by a letterbox "sky" drop. The drop was lit by several systems of PAR56 and T-3 strip lights as well as Vari*Lite 3500 Wash fixtures. This is most likely the first use of the VL3500 Wash fixture in ballet, and the fixtures were also used in place of 2.5kW HMI fresnels to provide the sunrise effects. "The VL3500 Wash has stunning output with its 1500 watt lamp, and with it's color mixing, beam shaping, and superior integral douser, it was the obvious choice to create the effect we needed for Aubade", says Nicholas.