Associated sound designer Kai Harada commented: "This is a really exciting production, with a very strong international cast that includes the original 'green witch' from the German show - Willemijn Verkaik. Although a fluent German speaker, Willemijn is Dutch and so the perfect choice to reprise her brilliant role as Elpheba - she is effectively coming home!
"The Circustheater is a challenge - with a circular seating area, it presents a number of acoustic difficulties, but we are working closely with the theatre management to improve it while at the same time optimising our system to the challenges of the space.
"The sound design focuses on delivering a very natural sound, giving the illusion that the sound is coming from the performers on stage rather than via loudspeakers. The show combines a blend of many different musical styles - mixing rock numbers, pop and ballads to create a contemporary musical against a 19th century background, performed by an orchestra of fourteen. It has proved to be hugely successful with audiences around the world, and there appears to be huge enthusiasm for it here in the Netherlands as well."
This production of Wicked is being staged by Joop Van Den Ende Theatre productions in association with Stage Entertainment and Wicked Worldwide.
The sound system for the Circustheater deploys Meyer Sound line array systems comprised of M1Ds and M2Ds, a Cadac J-Type Live Production Console, 40 Sennheiser SK-5012 and EM-3532 receivers, and a comprehensive selection of other Meyer Sound loudspeakers. The sound system is processed via five Meyer Galileo processors; sound effects are played back via Akai samplers, and Lexicon processors are used for some of the other-worldly effects.
Orbital provided much of the surround system - already in place for the previous show at the Circustheater, Mary Poppins, as well as the extensive Roland M48 Musicians Pit Monitoring system, some cabling infrastructure, and intercom/video equipment. The balance of the equipment came from the Stage Entertainment Germany production of the show.
(Jim Evans)
