"I think the role of sound and music is integral to The Curious Incident," says Dickinson, the show's sound designer and an associate of London-based Autograph Sound. "Take them away and it becomes a different and maybe less magical world. One of the production managers once said to me that the play's aural world was like glue binding everything together. I think that is the highest compliment one could pay. I'm absolutely overjoyed for all concerned."
Dickinson's design for The Curious Incident at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre employs six UPA-1P loudspeakers and four USW-1P subwoofers for main orchestra and balcony coverage. Other coverage is provided by five UPA-2C, five UPA-1A, and two UPM-1 conventionally powered loudspeakers and two UMS-1P subwoofers.
"With Meyer Sound, I always know what I'm going to get," continues Dickinson. "We needed wide dispersion and something that could deliver detail in both effects playback and vocal reinforcement while still packing a punch. In each instance, the Meyer Sound system ticks all the boxes."
Harada's 360-degree design for Fun Home at the intimate Circle in the Square Theatre comprises 93 Meyer Sound loudspeakers that are chosen for their linear reproduction.
"It was of the utmost importance to have the most transparent sound system possible, and Meyer Sound loudspeakers were the obvious choice," Harada says. "The system needed to have the power to get loud for the more dynamic moments without drawing attention to itself, and it succeeds in doing just that. The fact that this small 'chamber musical'- which lacks the spectacle factor typical of most previous Best Musical Tony winners - could be awarded so liberally is a testament to the show on all fronts."
Harada's design includes M1D line array loudspeakers, UPQ-1P, UPJ-1P VariO, UPJunior VariO, UPM-1P, UP-4XP, MM-4XP self-powered, MM-4, and UPM-1XP loudspeakers and USW-1P and UMS-1P subwoofers. Distribution and optimization is via a Galileo loudspeaker management system with two Galileo 616 processors.
(Jim Evans)
