The Latest 2008
LIZA'S AT THE PALACE 11/18/08
Liza Minnelli will be recreating her popular concert series for five
weeks at the Palace Theatre on Broadway next month. Beginning her tour
in Woonsocket, RI in November, Liza will be performing to sold-out
audiences for her return to Broadway. Sound Designer Matt Krauss has
specified a DigiDesign D-Show console for his main and monitor mixes
along with Meyer MICA and MILO Line Arrays for the 1780 seat Palace.
Associate Designer Bob Hanlon and Matt Krauss will share mixing duties
for Liza's return to the Great White Way.
DR. ATOMIC 11/18/08
John Adam's new opera made its debut last month at the famed
Metropolitan Opera. The sound system designed by Mark Gray and
installed under the supervision of Met Opera Sound Supervisor P.J. Volpe
and Production Sound Engineer Jim Bay, utilizes a Digico D5 Live console,
twenty six Sennheiser SK 5212/3532 wireless microphone systems, and two
custom Meyer CQ1 sound towers. Sound Associates Project Manager Bob
(the builder) Hanlon coordinated the shop build for the complex sound
plot to be the first ever vocal sound reinforcement system using
wireless microphones at the Met.
SOUND OF MUSIC 11/18/08
Toronto is home to another British mega hit greeted with rave reviews
after the official press opening at the Princess of Wales Theatre
October 7th. Mirvish Productions plan a long run on King Street for
this extravagant new Andrew Lloyd Webber production. Newcomer Alicia
MacKenzie won critical praise after being chosen by Canadians for the
role of Maria on the television series "How Do You Solve A Problem
Like Maria." Sound Designer Mick Potter created a lush environment in
the large theatre using a Yamaha PM1D console, a multitude of Meyer
Melodie' Line Arrays and 96 D&B surround speakers, all built at Sound
Associates Yonkers production center.
GRINCH NATIONAL COMPANY 11/18/08
With two Christmas Spectaculars scheduled by Cablevision for The Radio
City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, and no available Broadway
musical theatres available, the seasonal smash hit will take the show
on the road this fall with stops in Chicago, Boston and Dallas. Sound
Designers Acme Sound partners have swapped the Digico D5T for a
DigiDesign Profile console to lighten the load for the road. L'Acoustic
Arcs and Dv-Dosc speaker systems will serve up the "roast beast" to
packed houses for the twelve week run.
CONGRATULATIONS TO SCOTT LERHER 7/12/08
SCOTT LERHER (Best Sound Design - Musical "South Pacific") and MIC POOL
(Best Sound Design - Play "The 39 Steps").
The first-ever Tony Awards for Sound Design.
NINE to FIVER 7/12/08
The 1980 movie starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton will
have a new World Premier as a musical comedy opening at the Ahamanson
Theatre, L.A. September 21st. The musical written by Dolly Parton and
Patricia Resnick will be directed by the veteran Joe Mantello. A1 Dan
Tramon ("Movin'Out") will head the sound crew for designer John Shivers
("Tarzan", "The Little Mermaid"). Under the direction of David Patridge,
the shop build begins June 23rd with some new exclusive open architecture
rack hardware for the d&b amplifiers and FOH processing. Dan will mix on
a Yamaha PM1D with a monitor surface and 48 channel Sennheiser wireless
rig attended by Ahmanson sound department head Bob Smith. Broadway
opening is scheduled for early 2009.
A TALE of TWO CITIES 7/12/08
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Dickens'
historical novel about injustice, vengeance and the redemptive power of
love has been turned into a musical by Jill Santoriello. Scheduled to
open September 18th at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, sound designers
Domonic Sack and Carl Casella are putting the finishing touches on the
complicated design for the 1400 seat theatre. The first Midas XL8 Digital
Mixer on a Broadway show will be operated by A1 Ty Lackey. Meyer M'elodie
and M2D Curvilinear Line Arrays are the mains with a robust d&b 7.1
surround system. Sound Associates will be featuring Q-Manager Plus Show
Control bundled with Wave Lab in the on site editing suite.
DIRTY DANCING 7/12/08
This European mega-hit begins a national tour in Chicago in August.
The Toronto production is still running strong and sound designer Bobby
Aitken ("Mamma Mia") has modified his loudspeaker specifications to
incorporate Meyer Sound's M'elodie Curvilinear Line Arrays and d&b
EO-LS surround boxes. A1 Bill Ruger will be mixing on a DigiCo D5T
Digital Mixer with redundant engines and D1 monitor surface. Sound
Associates is also providing the video package for designer Jon Driscol
which includes a Lighthouse P-10 Video Wall and a pair of Digital 22k
lumen projectors with content streams from four redundant Catalyst video
servers.
GOING GREEN 7/12/08
This summer Sound Associates will install 150 Akeena Solar Andalay
panels on the roof of their production center in Yonkers, NY. The
solar panels will contribute up to 20% of the annual energy consumed
by the center. The system is expandable to 300 panels delivering a
total annual output of 52,000 kWh/yr. Over a 30 year period the panels
will generate clean electricity that reduces atmospheric emissions of
CO2 by 1,250,000 pounds equal the absorption rate of 16 acres of trees.
Infocomm 2008, Las Vegas 6/10/08
Sound Associates, will once again be attending the industries largest
trade show, Infocomm, which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention
Center. Stop by and visit us at booth C3850 to see the latest additions
to our quality line of Infrared Assistive Listening products, including
the SA1422, Multi-Channel Digital Transmitter, the SA1710 Single Emitter
Power Supply and SA1720, Double Emitter Power Supply.
Passing Strange 5/12/08
The new Broadway smash hit at the Belasco Theatre with Sound Design by
Tom Morse was built by Sound Associates under the watchful eye of A1
Tucker Howard. Greg VanTassel and Tommy Grasso complete the superb crew.
The show, transplanted from the NY Shakespeare's Public Theatre, opened
to rave reviews for its creators and stars Stew and Heidi Rodewald. Tom
Morse specified 2 Yamaha PM1D's and Meyer Micas for the 1000 seat Belasco.
No ghosts were reported by the crew.
The Little Mermaid 3/19/08
Sound Associates is proud to be providing the audio equipment for the
Broadway hit production "The Little Mermaid" with sound design by John
Shivers. The design features include a Yamaha PM1D, dV-Dosc Line Arrays,
Meyer LCS, Aviom pit monitors for the eighteen piece orchestra, and
Sennheiser wireless microphones. David Patridge, George Huckins, and
Scott Anderson keep the whole rig running smoothly eight performances
a week.
The Country Girl 3/19/08
Director Mike Nichols ("Spamalot") is back on Broadway this year with a
revival of Clifford Odette's 1950 play starring Morgan Freeman, Frances
McDormand, and Peter Gallagher. Veteran A1 Daryl Krall
("Drowsy Chaperone") built the system including a Yamaha DM1000,
Meyer and d&b speakers at Sound Associates for Acme Sound Partners.
Macbeth 3/19/08
"Don't say it." No jinx about this Chichester Festival Theatre
production starring Patrick Stewart transplanted from the Brooklyn
Academy of Music. Headed by crew chief and veteran A1 Wallace Flores,
the system designed by Adam Cork ("Frost/Nixon"), using SFX, a Yamaha
DM1000, and Meyer UPA1P's, is being assembled at Sound Associates for a
March load in to the Lyceum Theatre.
Project Stepinac 3/1/08
Archbishop Stepinac Theatre teckies getting soldering training from the
pros at Sound Associates, part of a theatre sound technology initiative
offered to the Stepinac students from two famous alumni, Richard and
Peter Fitzgerald, CEO and President of Sound Associates.
