Johnson Is the Star Behind the Lights

While Scott Johnson was in the fifth grade at Arroyo Vista Elementary, he wasn't really into school or sports. But when he agreed to run a spotlight for the first time for a musical production of Tiny Thumbelina, a lightbulb went on in his head. 

Today, the spark of inspiration has led to one of the most interesting holiday light displays in Rancho Santa Margarita. His creation is a nightly performance every half hour from 6-10:15 p.m. through Dec. 31, replete with sound that can be heard though car stereo speakers on 106.9 FM, at the home he shares with his parents, Julie and Terry Johnson, at 8 Talega.

It's the second time in three months that the Johnson home has been lit up. The 20-year-old spent four months programming a singing pumpkin that entertained the neighborhood from early October to Halloween.

He broke down the Halloween set Nov. 1, and that left him only one month to sync dancing lights with a 15-minute Christmas score.

"My Halloween show, because it took me so much time, I was so proud of what I did," Johnson said of his defining work thus far. "There was so much programming to do for that. You have to program his mouth to all the words for every song. I was so excited when I first got it up."

Using aptly named Light-O-Rama software, a couple of control boxes, regular PVC, lights and netting, Johnson created the LED displays and delighted the community.

"His interest in doing things in a big way has been really fun to watch," said neighbor Bob Semeau.

"The neighborhood and RSM community is in awe of his talents and hard work for all of us to enjoy," said next-door neighbor Dee Ann Lazatin.

"We love to watch the house light up and hear the music all come together," said Julie Yap, who also lives next door to the Johnsons. "It is a wonderful show for so many friends and neighbors."

And Johnson likes seeing the carloads who come to see his creations. "I like watching people smile," he said.

Johnson attends Irvine Valley College and plans to go to Cal State Fullerton, where he will major in technical theater.

He has always been more comfortable in the shadows, dating back to his childhood when his sisters Kari and Kristi, now 22 and 15,  would put on living room performances and he would be announcer, play music or flick the lights on and off. "I have real bad stage fright," Johnson said. "I've been a backstage player all my life."

Yet it became something important to him in fifth grade, and year after year he returned to run the lights at the Arroyo Vista Children's Theater. Not only did he handle the lights, but he also graduated to special effects and sound. Eventually, he took to lighting and presentations for several schools and PTA talent shows. Each step he took, he tried new things, different effects, always raising the bar.

Remarkably, it wasn't until his senior year that he joined s theater department, where director of theater arts Cheryl De Palmas tapped into Johnson's talents. He became the production co-lighting designer, then the soundboard operator, then technical lead. He even attended the Cappies Awards—the Critics and Awards Program—and won the high school equivalent of a Tony Award for Orange County High Schools theater arts for sound design. He received the award, he said, because of the complicated blending of microphones that resulted in a performance in which actors didn't sound like they were mic'd in a school production of Noises Off.

After Johnson graduated from high school in 2008, De Palmas hired her former student to continue working on Tesoro productions and help teach students the keys to good lighting and sound.

Last summer he worked at Knott's Berry Farm's Bird Cage Theatre for a few weeks—he left because he didn't like the amusement park industry—and currently works with Anaheim's BCT Entertainment. He has done professional lighting and audio for wrestling shows, indoor and outdoor concerts, theater shows and fundraisers.

"I love being creative with lighting and special effects and working out problems," Johnson said. "This will definitely be my career. I want to major in technical theater with a lighting design emphasis and mainly work theater-type shows like Broadway. You can be a lot more creative in the theater side than movies and TV."

As for this holiday season, Johnson won an award from the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation for being most energy-efficient in the annual holiday lighting and decorating contest.

What's next for the creative light master?

"I've seen people do Fourth of July displays, but I'll focus on school and start brainstorming for [next] Christmas," he said. "I didn't have the time to do all that I wanted to do, but I'm very happy with the way it turned out."