chenoweth's opera voice- Page 2

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/29/08 at 4:23pm

The history of the State Theatre and why the theatre was specifically designed to muffle sounds onstage was also discussed in the article I linked above.

As I wrote above, I agree about miking at the Met. I think it's a myth that singers are miked there.

But I attended City Opera in the days before they installed the current system. (Which Beverly Sills always insisted was miking.) I know the acoustics weren't great, but I heard people. Lots of people without huge voices sang there and were heard.

You wouldn't want to do plays there. One of the earliest bookings there was the RSC with King Lear and The Comedy of Errors, and they had hell.

For that matter, 20 or so years later the RSC again had hell when they played the Gershwin with Cyrano and Much Ado. The company insisted on no miking but didn't realize just how bad the acoustics were, even with a thrust added to the stage. The actors were screaming the entire engagement.

But for opera, I think the State Theatre wasn't as bad as some insisted.

Anyway, let's hope that the next acoustical renovation works as even now people aren't too happy with the acoustics. The critics mostly don't think too highly of the current system, whether it's miking or not.