EAST HADDAM, CT – The Goodspeed Opera House stages musicals in an intimate setting, giving audience members an up-close look at the detailed choreography and costumes. Goodspeed Musicals' sound team uses compact wireless microphone systems from Sennheiser, and the clip-on mics and transmitters are small enough to stay tucked away and out of view.
"Keeping the microphones completely hidden is a major priority for us," said Jay Hilton, sound designer for Goodspeed Musicals. But it still takes some doing to make sure microphones remain completely out of sight, yet deliver natural-sounding, non-muffled sound.
"Whenever possible, I mount the transmitter and microphone in actors' wigs," Hilton said. "Our wig designers actually design the look of the wig to accommodate the transmitters."
For last December's holiday production of Jim Henson's Emmet Otter, Hilton was presented with the challenge of hiding microphones among bright woodland creature costumes.
"Blending the mics into the bright orange fur of the foxes and bright green scales of the lizard is not common practice for the more traditional musicals we do."
He ended up painting the microphone cables to match, and applied a special painted tape to the "head" of the microphone that also kept extra sweat and moisture at bay.
"Supreme attention to detail is a cornerstone of every one of Goodspeed Musicals' productions," said Stefanie Reichert, vice president of strategic marketing at Sennheiser USA, which happens to be located just a few towns away in Old Lyme, Conn. "We're very proud to support such a major force within our local arts community."
Visitors to the Goodspeed Opera House can experience the Broadway-quality sound of Sennheiser throughout the year. Productions include Carnival! (July 9 through Sept. 18) and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (Sept. 24-Nov. 28).
For more information, please visit www.goodspeed.org and www.sennheiserusa.com.
