Directed by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak, Anastasia premiered at Hartford Stage in 2016 and is currently running on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. The production received 13 Outer Critics Circle Awards nominations—the most for any musical this year—as well as nine Drama Desk Award nominations and two Tony Award nominations. Recognized for magical designs, the creative team includes Alexander Dodge, sets; Aaron Rhyne, projections; Donald Holder, lights; Peter Hylenski, sound; and Linda Cho, costumes. Read about the set design, projection design, and lighting design.
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Hylenski was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his sound design, which features lush orchestrations topped with clean, clear vocals despite the challenge of a small ensemble of players. “Doug Besterman orchestrated a wonderful score played by an extraordinary group of musicians, but the size of the orchestra was quite small in comparison to the film when it was recorded in the ‘90s,” he explains. “I worked closely with Doug, Stephen [Flaherty], and our amazing musical director Tom Murray to create a music mix that aurally expanded the size of our ensemble yet accurately reflected the musicality of the show.”
Hylenski initially approached the design by imagining he was an audience member. “When I visited the Broadhurst for the site survey, I sat in the empty theatre and visualized where I wanted to hear sound coming from.” While drafting speaker positions in Vectorworks and predicting subsystems in Meyer Sound MAPP, Hylenski also drafted a system sketch, which he gave to sound associate Justin Stasiw. Once he completed the sketch, Stasiw passed it along to production engineer Simon Matthews, who handled cabling, rigging, and installation. Hylenski praises his coworkers: “I’m a lucky guy to have such an incredible team,” he says. “Anastasia is lucky to have an amazing team. Jana Hoglund, the A1, mixes a spectacular performance each night, and Dan Hochstine, the A2, handles all the radio mics, assisted by Brett Daigle.”
The tall, wide proscenium opening requires Meyer Sound UPQ-1P loudspeakers to be placed in wide positions and in a high cluster, while UPQs and UPJ-1Ps cover the balcony. Meyer Sound 900-LFC subwoofers handle low-frequency support for the show, while several MM10 subs cover under-balcony extension. Delay and front fill systems utilize Meyer Sound MM-4XPs and UP4-XPs, and d&b audiotechnik E-Series loudspeakers provide surround sound. MM-4XPs are also used as side fills to help coverage. Control includes a DiGiCo SD7T console, Stage Tec Nexus router, and a Meyer Sound D-Mitri for system management. Hylenski relies on Figure 53 QLab for effects playback, while Sennheiser SK 5212 and EM 3532 wireless microphones with MKE-1 elements are concealed in costumes and built into hats.
Stay tuned for more on the costume design.
For more, read the June 2017 issue of Live Design.