the human voice unplugged...

gaeadea · **Posted:** Mon Nov 18, 2002 11:34 am

I went to see the production "west side story" at the bass music hall in Ft. Worth Texas this weekend... and i thought the sound was just terrible. apparently someone at the Star Telegram agreed with me...

Let's hear it for the human voice unplugged
By Douglas Perry
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Quote:

When Casa Mañana's co-production of West Side Story opened at Bass Performance Hall on Tuesday night, it had a lot going for it: a director who specializes in the show, members of the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet tackling iconic dance moves, and, of course, Leonard Bernstein's incomparable music.

All of that was almost trumped, however, by one persistent problem: The audience couldn't properly hear much of what was going on. The dialogue was occasionally interrupted by electronic buzzes and crackles; the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim's lyrics were often lost in a cacophonous garble.

<a href="http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/4540929.htm">click here for more...</a>

LMCtech · **Posted:** Mon Nov 18, 2002 6:22 pm

Yes, this one of my musical theater pet peeves. I don't understand the need for extensive mic-ing. If opera singers can do it what can't musical theater singers? Is it that we don't ask it of them? I'm inclined to think they are rather spoiled.

As for the technology. It can be tricky if you have out dated equipment or an inexperienced crew. And the minute a battery pack or its wires get wet, they tend to short out.

salzberg · **Posted:** Mon Nov 18, 2002 7:02 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by LMCtech:
If opera singers can do it what can't musical theater singers? Is it that we don't ask it of them? I'm inclined to think they are rather spoiled.

That, plus the fact that in many cases they're no longer being taught the proper technique.

gaeadea · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2002 5:51 pm

I'm also inclined to think that a lot of the "untrained" and "popular" styles of singing seen in musicals these days are impossible to truely project without hurting yourself. Nasal and throat-singing just dont have the tonal qualities that project well.

LMCtech · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2002 7:32 pm

Yes, very true, I was also going to mention that. although I prefer to here a more "natural" voice on a musical thater stage instead of the rather affected "opera" voice (which I LOVE in opera, don't get me wrong), I think there has been a trend towrd pop-y belting that is bad for the voice and which most voices are not suited to. I also wonder how many musical theater performers actually CAN'T SING and are using amplification to help them fake it.

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the human voice unplugged...

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