Central Park's Delacorte Theatre Ushers in "The Seagull" with a New Meyer Sound System
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On August 12, the Delacorte Theater in New York's Central Park kicked off its 2001 public season with a production of Chekhov's "The Seagull" that featured a nationally famous cast and received accolades from the press. The unsung stars of the show, however, were the theater's new Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers. Though it went unnoticed by most theatergoers, the fully weatherproof sound reinforcement system actually clinched the selection of the Delacorte for this star-studded show, and earned rave reviews from the production staff. Adapted by Tom Stoppard and directed by two-time Academy Award winner Mike Nichols, this production, the first Chekov play to be produced at the Delacorte, was only magnified by its dream cast. The two-week run not only marked Meryl Streep's first stage appearance in 17 years, it also boasted a remarkable lineup including Kevin Kline, Christopher Walken, John Goodman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Marsha Gay Harden, and Deborah Monk. Admission to this New York Public Theater production was free of charge, but tickets were only available on the day of each show. The extraordinary cast drew throngs of people who braved Central Park in the dark, camping out overnight to be first in line for the next day's seats. With such massive pre-show publicity, the heat wasn't just on the box office, it was also focused on the entire production crew – the public and press were watching and listening. From the outset, Streep and Nichols intended to mount the production for free in an outdoor venue. A return to the Delacorte would also have been a homecoming of sorts for Streep, since she had worked there soon after graduating from Yale Drama School. But the sprawling open-air theater wasn't an obvious choice, in spite of its nostalgic associations: there was a great deal of concern about the noise levels in the space. Only after the Public Theater confirmed the recent installation of a new sound system, including 31 Meyer Sound loudspeakers, was the Delacorte finally chosen. "There were two overriding challenges in putting together a sound system for the Public Theater productions at the Delacorte – weather and ambient noise," said Tom Clark of Acme Sound Partners, designers of the system. "Our new wireless microphones and the Meyer loudspeakers helped a great deal in solving the audio fidelity problem," said Clark. "And Meyer's assurance that their product would be waterproof for many years to come was very important in helping resolve the weather issue." Self-powered Meyer Sound systems are known worldwide for their reliability, having performed for years under the most severe weather conditions in stadiums, theme parks and outdoor concerts. Provided by Masque Sound of Moonachie, NJ, the Delacorte system includes fourteen UPA-1P Compact Wide Coverage Loudspeakers, two UPA-2P Compact Narrow Coverage Loudspeakers, and eleven UPM-1P Ultra-Compact Wide Coverage Loudspeakers, plus four 650-P Subwoofers, arranged in a distributed system that provides smooth, full-frequency coverage for the entire 1900-seat house. Meyer Sound self-powered cabinets provide superior coverage and take up less space than conventional units, eliminating the need for amplifier racks and complex cabling, while preserving sightlines in the theater."The response to our work with this equipment from people who have been going to the park for years has been overwhelmingly positive," Clark concluded. September, 2001 |
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