Zaxcom has announced that its TRX900 wireless microphone systems are being used for the first time on Broadway in the musical Sunday in the Park With George, showing at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54 in New York. On stage now through June 15th, this is the American premiere of the new, five-time Olivier Award-winning production of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical.
New Jersey-based Masque Sound is handling the audio production for the musical. Masque Sound is sub-hiring the Zaxcom systems from UK-based Orbital Sound, which selected and successfully used the TRX900 systems during the London debut of the same musical at a West End theatre in 2007. Working closely together, Masque Sound and Orbital Sound have deployed the Zaxcom units to support 16 audio tracks—two from the lead character playing "George," and 14 among other cast members.
"I was blown away by the quality of these systems when we first used them on Sunday in the Park With George in West End. I've used them for several shows since then," says Sebastian Frost, creative director and sound designer for Orbital Sound. "They are very stable systems and provide an open, natural sound. One of the bigger challenges in working at Studio 54 has been creating a robust yet intimate sound, particularly with a small orchestra that is set off to the side instead of in a pit. The Zaxcom systems have performed beautifully, providing us with a high level of control and the ability to create this feeling of intimacy throughout the entire auditorium."
"For Masque Sound, digital wireless microphones are clearly the final frontier in the digital audio revolution," states Scott Kalata, director of sales services for Masque Sound. "They are proving to be reliable and easy to work with and— most importantly—the people who use them every night are very comfortable with the technology."
For all the details on Sunday in the Park With George, see the April issue of Live Design’s feature Sunday Times