Broadway's Best Sound Design?

[lifeisacabaret]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 3:36pm

So, now there's to be Tony Awards for Best Sound Design of a Play and of a Musical from now on, who would you nominate for each category?

[morosco]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 6:47pm

This should be the one award posted at the Box Office. If you don't see a sign that says WINNER! BEST SOUND! you'll know before you buy that the lyrics will be unintelligible.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 6:48pm

Nothing has opened yet this season except Xanadu and Old Acquaintance.

Like all the other categories: too early to tell.

Certainly not the guy who did Grease.

[lifeisacabaret]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 7:02pm

Back in the day...Martin Levan wouldve probably won for Phantom (though some dont like it, the design itself is revolutionary) and in more recent times Wicked might've won (though im not massive fan of Tony Meola's techniques), had the category existed.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 8:50pm

Coast of Utopia would've won last season. The sound blew me away when I saw it.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:54pm

No, Spring Awakening would have won the Best Sound Design Tony last season. I'm not saying Coast of Utopia didn't have the best sound, but this sort of award will always go to the "flavor-of-the-month" show unless voting is limited to those with some technical knowledge.

I can think of no better way to support my argument than to point out that Spring Awakening won the best orchestrations award this year.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 9:55pm

And choreography.

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 10:28pm

I hope they only give the award to a show that opens this season.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 11:43pm

That's kind of a weird award, in my opinion
Like, "Who has the best sound system in their theatre? Whatever show that may be, you get a TONY!"

I dont know, kind of pointless award if you ask me.

But yeah, as said, its just going to go to the show which wins the technical awards/music awards.

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 8/11/07 at 11:52pm

Journey's End would have won last season. That show is why this award was created IMO.

[don logan]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 12:46am

"I can think of no better way to support my argument than to point out that Spring Awakening won the best orchestrations award this year."

It never fails to astonish me how people who are fans of MUSICAL theater know so little about music. Sound design and orchestrations have NOTHING to do with each other! Orchesrtations are the arrangements, assignments of instruments, etc. Sound design is how the music sounds sonically in the theater, and, most shows sound awful...all you hear is lyrics and a tiny little bit of the orchestra.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 2:02am

"It never fails to astonish me how people who are fans of MUSICAL theater know so little about music. Sound design and orchestrations have NOTHING to do with each other! Orchesrtations are the arrangements, assignments of instruments, etc. Sound design is how the music sounds sonically in the theater, and, most shows sound awful...all you hear is lyrics and a tiny little bit of the orchestra."

I think you'll find that TechEverlasting was refering to the fact that Tony voters have absolutely no clue about orchestrations. He wasn't saying that Sound Design & Orchestrations have any thing to do with each other. He was saying that when they bring in the category for Best Sound Design the Tony voters will have no idea what makes good sound design and they'll give the award to any show they like. That's what happens every year in the orchestrations category.

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 2:42am

I liked the SA orchestrations, it was different than the usual sweeping score type thing.

[emg_sound]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 3:13am

Well Coast of Utopia would have walked away with the best sound design for a play, easily. Mark Bennett's compositions and sonic gestures far outweighed the literal bombardment of Journey's End (Not saying I didn't love that show and the design, The Coast's design was just far better!). The other nominees would have been Coram Boy and Talk Radio.

As far as musicals go, nominated - Company, Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens and Mary Poppins. Personally, I'd vote for either Company or Mary Poppins, both of which had far more old school approaches to broadway sound design.

oh, and Dirty Rotten Guy, I don't know if you know this, but no theater on broadway has a "house system". For every show, the designer has to bid out, and build a system for the show, that's everything from all the speakers and mixing consoles to every last run of cable to make it happen.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 3:21am

Are they dividing this award into play/musical categories or are all shows considered for one single award?

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 3:24am

Dividing into plays/musicals.

[lifeisacabaret]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 5:01am

I really hope the following quote is bourne of general technical ignorance rather than a disdain for those who work in technical theatre:

"That's kind of a weird award, in my opinion
Like, "Who has the best sound system in their theatre? Whatever show that may be, you get a TONY!" "

Sound Design is not just about the equipment, its about how the show sounds as a whole, how it works in cojunction with the piece and the directors ideas, and with the creative ideas of every other member of the creative team.

Sound Design for the theatre is a Creative art whos execution happens to involve a great deal of technology in most cases. Sometimes the simplest sound designs are the best, and sometimes the most complex are the best- its all dictated by the tone of the show and the requirements that it has.

Its about time that Theatre Sound Designers were recognised by the Tony Committee, and at last they have been.

On a side note, as some people often wrongly assume, operating the sound for a musical is not a matter of turning microphones on and off, its an incredibly complex task often with hundreds of cues, and theatre sound operators know the entire script off by heart, everyones lines and movements, so that the cues are triggered in the right place. The operation of a professional musical is one of the hardest jobs in technical theatre, and the people who do it are some of the most talented people working in the industry.

Updated On: 8/12/07 at 05:01 AM

[My Oh My]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 5:11am

It saddens me to know that most people (yes, even so-called "theatre fans") don't appreciate the craft of sound design and, especially, the expressive art that is a show's orchestration (which I'm fully aware is a separate thing).

Whenever I attend a show, I am literally overwhelemed--in a good way--because my mind is focusing all at once at the individual performances, the story, the subtle nuances of the orchestra (which, in themselves, have a story to tell), the sets, and lighting, even the costumes.

Wow, theatre is an amazing art. So many layers of communication to take in at once. It's pure magic.

Updated On: 8/12/07 at 05:11 AM

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 5:44am

My Oh My, you must be my twin!

I am always listening to the orchestra and I am a total orchestration nazi! If the orchestration's not good, the show's not good (^_^). If anyone's read my reviews on BWW, you might notice that I often comment on the orchestration. LB would be my all-time favourite show if it weren't for the dodgy orchestration.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 6:11am

"Orchestration Nazi" I like that.

That's exactly what I am. I love orchestrations! They are most under-appreciated!

Glad to see I'm not alone.

Updated On: 8/12/07 at 06:11 AM

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 9:35am

"Sound design and orchestrations have NOTHING to do with each other!"

don logan, thank you so much for clarifying that for me. I've been working as a tech on Broadway for over 15 years, and I can never keep straight whether it's those people in the orchestra pit who are doing the sound design or if the guys at that big sound desk thingy at the back of the house are actually playing the orchestrations.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 9:39am

Wouldn't be the first time...

[parker russel]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 9:40am

anything Carl Cassella designs deserves the award. The man is BRILLIANT...he's also the first sound designer to ever be represented by William Morris. Watch (or listen, I guess) for this man's work in the future. He's the best, hands down.

[don logan]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 11:47am

"don logan, thank you so much for clarifying that for me. I've been working as a tech on Broadway for over 15 years, and I can never keep straight whether it's those people in the orchestra pit who are doing the sound design or if the guys at that big sound desk thingy at the back of the house are actually playing the orchestrations."

Hey man--I apologize. It was late, and I admit I didn't read the top of your post. I get your point, and you're right, the tony voters wouldn't know what sound design is. My bad. We are actually on the same page here.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/12/07 at 12:14pm

wow, I am unintelligent!

I thought that every theatre had a house system, and the technicians just hooked up the various microphones around the stage, but yeah...shows how much I know :P

Well, all I can say is LEGALLY BLONDE certainly wouldn't have won that award...I don't think COMPANY would've either, but maybe I just can't hear.