Stunning audio disasters at the Tony's

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:16am

I'm sitting in a room with a group of musicians and sound people out here on the West Coast watching the Tony's and we are stunned by the number of technical flubs. Open mikes abound and during the last number (Sit Down...) a dead mike was king.

Fire the sound guy.

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:17am

The balance was the worst part.

Loved hearing Jen Cody sing Duloc solo.....

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:21am

There were major audio issues, but I'd hardly call them "stunning disasters."

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:26am

Shocking. It was just a ****ty night for whoever was in charge of sound.

[Taryn]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:28am

Somebody got their ass handed to them when the show was over, I guarantee it. I would totally agree that they were indeed "stunning disasters," considering that this is an annual, nationally-broadcast awards ceremony.

[bwaybri2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:28am

Sounded like our High School's production.

And the Billy Elliot angry dance had funky sound as well. WTH? (What the Heck)

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:30am

It was very annoying. I was wondering at first if it was something happening with the feed here to Denver but realized that wasn't the case.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:30am

The entire show was an audio abortion.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:42am

also, (not that i mind, check my avatar) i couldn't really hear gavin creel just will swenson for about half of HAIR.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:47am

And the little girl who has a solo in the Shrek number was live, talking in the wings.

Ouch.

BTW, know how hard it is to post on this site without looking at the screen (the show is still running out here. This site is spoilerific) Click post and AW DAMN I JUST SAW ONE.

Updated On: 6/8/09 at 12:47 AM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:50am

Yes. it was a disaster. Every musical number had problems. The broadcast is a promotional tool for every one of those shows. Plus, the performers were having trouble with the feedback. Elton actually stopped when he was introducing BE. For a second, I thought he might have a diva moment, but he carried on. The sound folks were abysmal and shows who paid for spots deserve some money back...

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:51am

You would think that since it's the same production company doing the show over and over, they would learn from the past. Instead, you have half the cast in the opening number opening their mouths and nothing coming out. And seriously, over three hours they couldn't find that open mic? It was embarrassing for an otherwise strong show.

[heo1128]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:52am

Well, at least we know it was sung live and wasn't Ashlee Simpson-ed!

[scaryclowns2232]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:54am

Actually, its not the same production company this year.

The show was produced by new producers this year- and these sound problems won't reflect well on them. (Though the rest of the show was lovely.)

[rgaywrites]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:57am

The sound problems were disasters and there's really no excuse for the many many problems. There were so many awkward open mic moments. I kept thinking, "We can HEAR you." There were balance issues that made some of the numbers downright uncomfortable. It's a real shame because it was otherwise one of the best Tony telecasts I've ever seen.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 12:59am

It wasn't just the audio, in my opinion. The camera work in places was sloppy too. And I personally think the tribute thing should have been put in through a feed for the television viewing audience because it was hard to see some of the pictures and names at times. I also cringed a couple of times when the camera was moving backwards with Neil coming up the aisle. Not smooth at all.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 1:00am

New producers, but White Cherry Entertainment Inc produced it for television. And a web search shows them doing the show since 2004 in association with the Tony producers.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 1:13am

I agree about the camera work. Some of it was bad. They almost messed up in memorium. A few times my mind flashed back to the awful camera work during the "Spring Awakening" number.

[proptart101]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 1:50am

I knew we were in for a rocky ride when they chopped Elton John's first two lines of the opening number. Not a good start.

The mix was all over the map, unbelievably uneven. I wonder how it sounded in the hall? Was it just the teevee feed that sucked or was it bad at RCMH too?

And the camera work - sloppy, horrid directing - for example - cutting to a shot of Dolly backstage immediately after the announcement of best score, rather than the winners.. Oy - low class...

The Mamma Mia! bit was as uninspired a piece of filler as I've ever seen? Did they forget to bring the costumes in from the road shows? And why were half those chorus kids form the B'way cast?

But the sound was the most annoying - not just mics cutting in and out - live mics backstage, vocals being drowned out by instruments, harmony vocals drowning out leads, more snap crackle pop than a month of breakfasts...

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 2:08am

And the guy running out with the Shure Unisphere hand mike (which, actually would not be out-of-period if Guys and Dolls were set as it was supposed to be in the late fourties; the Nazis developed the ball mike in 1944) whispering "I'm going, I'm going now....") was a hoot. Church recital time.

[willep]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 3:09am

Haha yeah that was funny, allmylife. I agree that the sound was dreadful and so was the camera work. I was quite shocked really with them both. During the In Memoriam half the time I didn't know who they were showing pictures off because the one camera was lined up without the names in frame...

[crushgroove]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 3:33am

My theory...it's the economy...and don't forget The TONYs went "Green" this year...and the TONYs are always looking for ways to "cut back"...so I figure is was a culmination of less people...new equipment...and the cheapest company to do the job

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 4:51am

Next year the orchestra is replaced with a Close 'n Play.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 9:01am

During the WSS opening number you can hear a soprano (was it Josefina) doing warm-ups! Very Funny!

The Shrek ensemble was funny too!

[fgreene1938]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 9:25am

A technical disaster! In the opening number, Elton John's mic was off, the West Side Story cast was barely audible, Stockard Channing's mic was off...and they hadn't even gotten to the "Guys and Dolls" mishap yet. And whoever directed the show shouldn't direct traffic in a cornfield. "West Side Story" and "Billy Elliot" showcased dance numbers from their shows, but both times the camera angles meant the dancers kept dancing out of the frame. During the "Hair" number, much of the screen time seemed to be given to the elbows and knees of the dancers as they marched through the auditorium. And the "In Memorium" section must have been based on a suduko puzzle for the viewer to figure out because seeing the names and faces of those honored was an ordeal. It's a shame because this is Broadway's big night to show the nation what they can do and this was horrible.