The Steadfast Tin Soldier
Based on a poem by Hans Christian Andersen
Adapted and Directed by Mary Zimmerman
Based on a poem by Hans Christian Andersen
Adapted and Directed by Mary Zimmerman
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Lookingglass Theatre Company Water Tower Water Works November 13th, 2022 - January 8th, 2023 Scenic Design: Todd Rosenthal Costume Design: Ana Kuzmanic Lighting Designer: T.J. Gerckens Sound Design: Andre Pluess & Christopher LaPorte Composer: Andre Pluess & Amanda Dehnert Audio Supervisor: Brandon Reed |
Photos taken courtesy of Liz Lauren
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Based on a poem by Hans Christian Andersen, The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a holiday tradition that Lookingglass produces for the holiday season and it is a delight for the family featuring an imaginative story with gorgeous spectacle, music, and movement, that only Lookingglass and Mary Zimmerman can tell. Every year this show is remounted with mostly the same sound system, but often features minor changes to help make it a little bit better each time.
The show is told entirely through movement from the actors as well as a four piece live band that features piano, cello, violin, and flute. Sound plays a major role in this show in supporting the band tell the story as well as provide fold back for the actors on stage as well as a few necessary sound effects. The scenic design is setup in a large traditional proscenium arrangement and allows the sound design to play with stereo imaging as well as some fun immersive qualities. We had over eighteen speakers used for the system design, with an A1 actively mixing the show every night. We made use of a traditional main left, center, and right setup with the left and right having an upper and lower speaker to adequately cover the audience in the front and back of the house. We also had front fills added inside of the orchestra pit to provide coverage for the first couple of rows that the center cluster could not reach. We also had two side left and right speakers for the audience as well as a rear left and right speaker to add immersive surround sound. Onstage we had downstage and upstage left and right speakers to source sound effects as well as provide foldback for the performers on stage.
For the inputs, we had sixteen channels of QLab from a primary computer as well as a backup computer (total of 32 channels). Then we had sixteen channels of inputs from the band and various other sources. We ran a 100ft analog snake from the mix position to underneath the deck of the stage in order to run all the band inputs into the system. The piano was an electronic upright that was a stereo DI Box into the system. For the cello, we had a DPA 4099 attached to the bridge to add clarity and punch, with a distant mic from the F-hole of the cello to provide low end and beefiness to the sound. For the violin, we had a pencil condenser near his music stand that aimed directly at this violin. For the flute, we had a DPA 4099 on a mic stand near the flutist's mouth for their upper register flutes, and a Neuman KM184 underneath their mic stand to capture the lower register flutes. Both the violinist and flutist had wireless lavs inside of their costumes and wigs to help provide support for the moments they join the performers on stage. Lastly, we had floor mics on the downstage portion of the deck to provide support for the final moment in the show that the performers sang on. The musicians had Aviom monitors to provide their own monitor mix so that we were able to fully concentrate on the mix.
The show is told entirely through movement from the actors as well as a four piece live band that features piano, cello, violin, and flute. Sound plays a major role in this show in supporting the band tell the story as well as provide fold back for the actors on stage as well as a few necessary sound effects. The scenic design is setup in a large traditional proscenium arrangement and allows the sound design to play with stereo imaging as well as some fun immersive qualities. We had over eighteen speakers used for the system design, with an A1 actively mixing the show every night. We made use of a traditional main left, center, and right setup with the left and right having an upper and lower speaker to adequately cover the audience in the front and back of the house. We also had front fills added inside of the orchestra pit to provide coverage for the first couple of rows that the center cluster could not reach. We also had two side left and right speakers for the audience as well as a rear left and right speaker to add immersive surround sound. Onstage we had downstage and upstage left and right speakers to source sound effects as well as provide foldback for the performers on stage.
For the inputs, we had sixteen channels of QLab from a primary computer as well as a backup computer (total of 32 channels). Then we had sixteen channels of inputs from the band and various other sources. We ran a 100ft analog snake from the mix position to underneath the deck of the stage in order to run all the band inputs into the system. The piano was an electronic upright that was a stereo DI Box into the system. For the cello, we had a DPA 4099 attached to the bridge to add clarity and punch, with a distant mic from the F-hole of the cello to provide low end and beefiness to the sound. For the violin, we had a pencil condenser near his music stand that aimed directly at this violin. For the flute, we had a DPA 4099 on a mic stand near the flutist's mouth for their upper register flutes, and a Neuman KM184 underneath their mic stand to capture the lower register flutes. Both the violinist and flutist had wireless lavs inside of their costumes and wigs to help provide support for the moments they join the performers on stage. Lastly, we had floor mics on the downstage portion of the deck to provide support for the final moment in the show that the performers sang on. The musicians had Aviom monitors to provide their own monitor mix so that we were able to fully concentrate on the mix.