Douglas Olsen and Professor Troy Streeter, Department of Theatre and Media Arts

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, but potentially more incredible is the sound achieved by the audio engineers of the famous theatre district. These artists apply the world’s best audio technologies to create the sound of the American Musical. One of the most notable sound experiences a theatregoer can find in New York is The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running musical in Broadway History. This production is famous for the powerful music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It has a high level of spectacle-focused entertainment, from flying chandeliers to the Phantom’s mystical presence being audibly heard throughout the theatre. The sound of the show is clearly a main focus. So the question can be asked, “how is such a notable sound created each night?” One major component is considering the source of the sound – where is it being generated, or where is it being heard from? Anyone who has attended this production knows that its aural environment is unique. The Phantom’s voice is everywhere, and it actually sounds like he is in the crevices of the theatre; this is because there are many sources of sound. Having a diverse number of speaker locations takes advantage of natural reverberation of the space. It creates sound by using the space rather than digitally manipulating it. That is exactly what my creative project sought to identify: how can theatrical sound designers route audio signals to create this spectacular sound?

The project itself consisted of two parts: the field research of this approach, and then the application of that research to the sound design for BYU’s production of The Phantom of the Opera (which will be performed in the deJong Concert Hall throughout January of 2013.) The first part of this project was actually much more challenging than anticipated. After doing some initial research about sound design philosophies and theatre audio approaches, I attempted to arrange the interviewing and workshop meetings with the sound designers for the New York production. The challenge came in being able to identify the people who would be able to convey knowledge on the particular subject of audio channels. This involved collaborating with production companies, theatre management, and a myriad of other groups to try and find the right people to talk with. Through many conversations and messages, I learned that the production had actually undergone several re-designs, wherein multiple designers and engineers contributed to the show. For example, Mick Potter and Martin Levan both had completed completely different sound designs. As I tried to contact them and others, it seemed no one would be able to revisit their work on this particular show; many were involved with new ventures. However, thanks to a contact from the BYU Performing Arts Series, I was eventually able to arrange a workshop with Rafe Carlotto, an engineer who works on the current production. Carlotto also put me in touch with Paul Verity, the head Sound Operator. Through multiple interviews and workshops with them, I was able to learn how the Majestic Theatre has been transformed into a space known for an incredible sound.

The major component of the audible “wow factor” has to do with reverberation. Reverberation relates to the natural reflections that come from sounds bouncing off of the environment. For example, as you listen to a singer on a stage, you hear the air traveling directly from the singer to your ears. However, you also hear the reflections of that sound that come from the walls, the ceiling, and everything else in the room. If that room is made of hard wooden materials, there is a great amount of reverberation. This may sound like an “echo filled space” to the listener. If instead there are many curtains around the concert hall, you may perceive the sound as much more muffled or dull, with less “brightness” in the space. When theatrical sound designers approach their work, they consider how they want the actors and sound effects to be heard. Often times they will use digital manipulation to make a sound appear to be farther away or in a different location than it is actually originating. However, in the case of The Phantom of the Opera in New York, there is a focus on natural reverberation. The production uses a matrix of surround sound speakers to literally surround the audience with many sound elements, like the well-known organ melodies or the voice of the omnipresent Phantom character. This causes the natural reverberation of the old theatre to be heard in organic form. It makes the Phantom sound like he is all over the theatre because his voice literally is. A recording of his voice is played through the various speakers, and audience members anywhere in the hall are given the impression of his presence behind them, below the stage, above them, etc. However, this matrix goes far beyond just playing some voice recordings in surround sound. It is carefully calibrated for time delays to align with the other speakers. This allows the phantom’s voice to have ethereal attributes even when he is visible onstage. For example, during the scene located in the lair under the opera house, the Phantom’s microphone is played directly from the main proscenium speakers; but digitally generated reverb is routed throughout the entire theatre thanks to the surround sound matrix. This makes the reverb sound natural, because the echo of his voice is coming from all directions, not just digitally added to the original signal. The result is a truly spine curling environment, and a capturing of the audience’s perceptions. I was able to learn the specifics of time calibrations, system designs, and routing choices that create such a result.

This field research was the primer for the second tier of the project: creative application. This part of the project is actually still in process. BYU is producing The Phantom of the Opera as part of the Music Dance Theatre program. Every 2 years, this program mounts a full-scale musical in the deJong Concert Hall, including a live orchestra. The Phantom of the Opera is a significant milestone for the MDT program, as BYU is included in the first group of universities to be granted full production rights for this show. As the sound designer for this production, I am obviously invested in representing such a milestone for BYU with an innovative and well-crafted design. I have implemented the philosophies taught to me by Carlotto and Verity to design a surround sound matrix for the deJong space. This system will include at least 10 routing options for audio signals. It specifically utilizes 4 channels to create a sound plain that surrounds all audience positions. In production meetings with other members of the design team, I have identified opportunities within our production to enhance the theatricality of performance by using this matrix. In planning the routing for different parts of the script, I have carefully considered the conceptual direction given by Tim Threlfall, the director of BYU’s production. With a focus on creating an aural environment, multiple parts of the production process have been rethought and enhanced.

In addition to the main focus of audio routing for natural reverberation, the project also presented unplanned opportunities for contribution to the creative portion of this project. The workshop on sound system design, for example, revealed several needs relevant to the orchestrations for the production. The routing of the orchestra is equally important to the routing of voices or effects. Verity was very specific in outlining the physical separation of the orchestra reinforcement from that of the stage performers. He also was able to explain situations regarding the technologies used to sync recorded material with live performance. Because of the unique orchestrations, these two aspects actually fall hand in hand. For example, the title song occurs during a darkly lit and obscure scene. It involves the combination of live orchestrations with recorded effects. The approach taken by Verity to coordinate this need involved utilizing the rhythmic percussion of that particular number as the reference. Because the orchestrations had separate channels, this was a feasible option that allowed for the timing to be executed perfectly in each performance. There were also many other details of design discussed in my interviews. Some of these topics included microphone placement amidst complicated costume scenarios or the audio system design elements of control surfaces (such as the sound console).

All of the information that has been gathered is proving invaluable to the design process. It has facilitated great opportunity for me as a student designer at BYU. As the production team moves into the realization stage of this show, the goal is to present a final product that will be comparable to the one among the bright neon lights of Broadway. Thanks to the sound design practices investigated by this project, BYU’s production will have the sound required for that comparison.