Patti Wasn’t Wrong - Background on Hell’s Kitchen Sound Design

[Up In One]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 11:23am

I found this article about Hell’s Kitchen’s sound design, and it sheds light on what Patti LuPone was reacting to. She wasn’t just sensing a show that was “a little louder than usual.” Hell’s Kitchen was purposely designed to sound unlike any other Broadway musical—and it seems the creative team may not have fully considered how that might affect their neighbors.

The article explains how the sound design is breaking boundaries, both musically and sonically, to create an immersive soundscape unlike anything seen—or heard—on Broadway.

“The Broadway setup features a massive surround array including between 230 and 240 speakers, creating a surround sound experience that envelops the audience.”

To put that in perspective: most Broadway musicals use between 60 and 100 speakers total to ensure clarity and balance without overwhelming the space. Hell’s Kitchen uses more than double or triple that, with speakers placed on the sides, in the rear, and even overhead.

“The system includes 12 d&b V-Subs and 4 GSL-Subs, delivering deep, extended bass more typical of arena tours than theater.”

The goal wasn’t just to let the audience hear the music—it was to make them physically feel it. Subwoofers are placed throughout the theater, creating tactile vibrations that are part of the experience.

“The show employs studio-level plug-ins like Seventh Heaven used to emulate concert hall reverb and add immersive depth.”

They were aiming for a high-fidelity recreation of Alicia Keys’ studio sound—live. But here’s the thing: music studios are acoustically controlled fortresses—built with layered insulation, isolated walls, and precision-engineered silence.

Broadway theaters—especially landmark-preserved spaces—are the opposite: aging architecture, thin walls, and shared acoustics. Trying to recreate a studio-grade soundscape in that kind of environment is artistically thrilling… but acoustically volatile.

The article also notes that they significantly ramped up the sound between the Off-Broadway run at the Public and the Broadway production at the Shubert. 

All of this suggests the cast was very aware of the sound design. Kecia being a veteran of Broadway should have known this sound system was a different beast. Unless the actor’s perspective is different than the audience experience. 

This wasn’t a case of Hell’s Kitchen having the volume turned up a little too high and just needing to be lowered because of a cranky old white lady who thinks she owns Broadway. 

I saw the show at The Public and the concert level volume and audiophile clarity was one of the pluses for me. The breaks to book scenes were a let down.  I was hoping they’d turn it into a straight up concert for Bway. My recommendation to friends on this show was to go for the music. I need to go see it again now for the new sound design alone. 

 


The Simmering Sounds of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen”

Updated On: 5/31/25 at 11:23 AM

[MB124]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 12:52pm

YES SHE WAS!!!! RUN HER OUT OF TOWN!!! 

Alexa, play “March of the Witch Hunters” from Wicked!!

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:14pm

Obviously her complaint wasn't wrong. The way she went about having it addressed was kinda wrong.

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:15pm

pagereynolds said: "Obviously her complaint wasn't wrong. The way she went about having it addressed was kinda wrong."

Please, enlighten us on exactly how we know she made this request.

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:17pm

pagereynolds said: "Obviously her complaint wasn't wrong. The way she went about having it addressed was kinda wrong."

How should she have addressed it?

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:17pm

FolliesCabaret said: "pagereynolds said: "Obviously her complaint wasn't wrong. The way she went about having it addressed was kinda wrong."

Please, enlighten us on exactly how we know she made this request."

I'm sorry, what? She signed her name to the flowers thanking them for fixing it.

[binau]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:19pm

As far as we know, she had the production teams interact and she even sent flowers as a thank you. Patti did everything she should and more. Her worst crime appears to be saying the show was "too loud" in public and calling the person that falsely accused her of racial micro aggressions and started a race war a bitch. 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:19pm

This is what happened:

- Patti made the request, privately.

- The request was honored.

- She sent flowers to thank them for honoring the request, as she noticed a difference.

- Kecia Lewis made all of this public with a video on Instagram.


Thanks.

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:20pm

binau said: "As far as we know, she had the production teams interact and she even sent flowers as a thank you. Patti did everything she should and more. Her worst crime appears to be saying the show was "too loud" in public and calling the person that falsely accused her of racial micro aggressions and started a race war a bitch."

No, that was my point, she didn't need to make a public comment about it being too loud.

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:21pm

She was being non-consensually recorded at the stage door and being asked to sign a Playbill from a show she wasn't in!!! Have we lost our minds?!?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:32pm

The situation was handled properly and privately. Kecia is the one who took it public and added her own personal agenda by reading into the note Patti wrote with the flowers that were not sent personally and directly to her. No one would have known ANYTHING had Kecia stayed in her own lane and not making herself the unappointed spokesperson for HELL’S KITCHEN. 

[binau]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:33pm

This article to me makes Kecia Lewis' instagram video even more puzzling - she describes herself as a Broadway legend, has a Tony award, has been in quite a few shows, and appears to be in a production with a very unusual and LOUD sound design that even has a published article about it well before any of the incident occurred. I am genuinely puzzled how she would not recognise the obvious point that if her show has up to 4x more speakers than a typical show and if the box office recommend people in the front row wear ear plugs, she MUST know that the show is objectively loud, right? 

It's not even ambiguous. 
 

Updated On: 5/31/25 at 01:33 PM

[east side story]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 1:57pm

pagereynolds said: "binau said: "As far as we know, she had the production teams interact and she even sent flowers as a thank you. Patti did everything she should and more. Her worst crime appears to be saying the show was "too loud" in public and calling the person that falsely accused her of racial micro aggressions and started a race war a bitch."

No, that was my point, she didn't need to make a public comment about it being too loud."

Neither did Kecia, but here we are. Lewis knew exactly what she was doing. 

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 3:44pm

FolliesCabaret said: "This is what happened:

- Patti made the request, privately.

- The request was honored.

- She sent flowers to thank them for honoring the request, as she noticed a difference.

- Kecia Lewis made all of this public with a video on Instagram.


Thanks."

 

Patti made all of this public when she was filmed complaining about how loud the show is in front of fans. That's what prompted the response from Lewis.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 3:56pm

Patti made all of this public when she was filmed complaining about how loud the show is in front of fans. That's what prompted the response from Lewis.

Complaining? She just quickly added it’s a loud show. She didn’t go on for a minute “complaining” about the show’s loudness. You’re reading into a less than 10 word snipped as much as Kecia did. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 4:01pm

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 4:02pm

TheGingerBreadMan said: "FolliesCabaret said: "This is what happened:

- Patti made the request, privately.

- The request was honored.

- She sent flowers to thank them for honoring the request, as she noticed a difference.

- Kecia Lewis made all of this public with a video on Instagram.


Thanks."



Patti made all of this public when she was filmed complaining about how loud the show is in front of fans. That's what prompted the response from Lewis."

She made one comment about an unusually loud show being too loud in front of a small group of people. She was filmed without her consent which is what Lewis saw. You are absurd if you equate making a public video with a stray remark said in public. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 4:08pm

Odd thing to me is why didn’t the sound designer or director or producer of the play THE ROOMMATE address these concerns while that play was in tech or in previews last fall? 

Why did it have to be one of the lead actors like Patti?

Updated On: 5/31/25 at 04:08 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 4:40pm

“For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today. I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful, I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community. I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies. I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday. From middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don’t belong anywhere else. I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better.”

And now, we can move on. 

Updated On: 5/31/25 at 04:40 PM

[gibsons2]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 6:21pm

Bwaygurl2 said: "TheGingerBreadMan said: "FolliesCabaret said: "This is what happened:

- Patti made the request, privately.

- The request was honored.

- She sent flowers to thank them for honoring the request, as she noticed a difference.

- Kecia Lewis made all of this public with a video on Instagram.


Thanks."



Patti made all of this public when she was filmed complaining about how loud the show is in front of fans. That's what prompted the response from Lewis."

She made one comment about an unusually loud show being too loud in front of a small group of people. She was filmed without her consent which is what Lewis saw. You are absurd if you equate making a public video with a stray remark said in public."

Just FYI, there's no law preventing anyone being filmed in public space, on public sidewalk in NYC. Whomever filmed her, didn't need a consent. How her comment was interpreted is another issue.

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 6:50pm

And I see nothing wrong in what she said to the person trying to get the Hells Kitchen playbill signed by her.

[Huss417]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 7:18pm

pagereynolds said: "binau said: "As far as we know, she had the production teams interact and she even sent flowers as a thank you. Patti did everything she should and more. Her worst crime appears to be saying the show was "too loud" in public and calling the person that falsely accused her of racial micro aggressions and started a race war a bitch."

No, that was my point, she didn't need to make a public comment about it being too loud."

It wasn't just Patti.

You could hear the music in the Booth Theatre. At first I thought it was a pedicab outside the theatre until I figured out that it was coming from behind the stage. You had quite a few audience members who were also discussing this somewhat during and after the show.

On the way out of the show I spoke with I believe the house manager and was discussing the issue. They said that they were addressing the issue and hoping for a quick solution.

I think the Booth also had to get word out that the sound issue was fixed. I know some people that didn't want to go see the show because of the issue.

[TasteOfHoney]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 9:22pm

Up In One said: "I found this article about Hell’s Kitchen’s sound design, and it sheds light on what Patti LuPone was reacting to. She wasn’t just sensing a show that was “a little louder than usual.” Hell’s Kitchen was purposely designed to sound unlike any other Broadway musical—and it seems the creative team may not have fully considered how that might affect their neighbors.

The article explains how the sound design is breaking boundaries, both musically and sonically, to create an immersive soundscape unlike anything seen—or heard—on Broadway.

“The Broadway setup features a massive surround array including between 230 and 240 speakers, creating a surround sound experience that envelops the audience.”

To put that in perspective: most Broadway musicals use between 60 and 100 speakers total to ensure clarity and balance without overwhelming the space. Hell’s Kitchen uses more than double or triple that, with speakers placed on the sides, in the rear, and even overhead.

“The system includes 12 d&b V-Subs and 4 GSL-Subs, delivering deep, extended bass more typical of arena tours than theater.”

The goal wasn’t just to let the audience hear the music—it was to make them physically feel it. Subwoofers are placed throughout the theater, creating tactile vibrations that are part of the experience.

“The show employs studio-level plug-ins like Seventh Heaven used to emulate concert hall reverb and add immersive depth.”

They were aiming for a high-fidelity recreation of Alicia Keys’ studio sound—live. But here’s the thing: music studios are acoustically controlled fortresses—built with layered insulation, isolated walls, and precision-engineered silence.

Broadway theaters—especially landmark-preserved spaces—are the opposite: aging architecture, thin walls, and shared acoustics. Trying to recreate a studio-grade soundscape in that kind of environment is artistically thrilling… but acoustically volatile.

The article also notes that they significantly ramped up the sound between the Off-Broadway run at the Public and the Broadway production at the Shubert.

All of this suggests the cast was very aware of the sound design. Kecia being a veteran of Broadway should have known this sound system was a different beast. Unless the actor’s perspective is different than the audience experience.

This wasn’t a case of Hell’s Kitchen having the volume turned up a little too high and just needing to be lowered because of a cranky old white lady who thinks she owns Broadway.

I saw the show at The Public and the concert level volume and audiophile clarity was one of the pluses for me. The breaks to book scenes were a let down. I was hoping they’d turn it into a straight up concert for Bway. My recommendation to friends on this show was to go for the music. I need to go see it again now for the new sound design alone.




The Simmering Sounds of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen”"

Bottom line Lupone complained about a sound system- that is racist against speakers !

[troynow]

Posted: 5/31/25 at 10:09pm

No one came to Patti's aide when Kecia dragged her through the streets and I do mean dragged.

Kecia is not a "STAR" I do not mean this in talent but I do mean in box office. She is NOT above title of show and when she is out, there are no refunds offered. FACT.


FACT, when you are above title and out of show the general public CAN ask for a refund. FACT.

FACT, The shuberts listen to all people above tilttle of show as it impacts their bottom line. Again FACT. 

FACT, Kecia created a post deaming and calling upon and for an pology for actions that were not abnormal. 

FACT Kecia called these actions racist, and white privliiaged. 
FACT nothing privliiaged or racists about it. 
FACT it is ok to say someone is not your friend. Audra does not need to be everyone's friend. NOR does Patti Lupone. FACT .

 

FACT, Pattil stated facts and poeple are mad. Calm down and don't start something you cant handle. Making this a issue of frace is petty and old and ignorant. From one Mexican to black people. 


LAST FACT, if some many were outraged find more folks who have worked, headlined a show filled a theatre on their talent to sign that letter. FACT. 

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 6/1/25 at 12:18am

Complaining to the press is WRONG! She should have made her complaints to the producers- and they could have taken care of it. If not, she should have complained to her manager- and let that person deal with it. Going public with complaints like these leads nowhere good.