Disney Theatrical Productions in partnership with OCESA recently celebrated the world premiere of the second Spanish-language production of The Lion King at the Telcel Theatre in Mexico City, Mexico.
Masque Sound was on location to support veteran sound designer Steve Canyon Kennedy and associate sound designers John Shivers and Hugh Sweeney.
The theatrical sound reinforcement, installation and design company collaborated with the sound design team to assemble a custom audio equipment package for the lively stage adaptation of the Academy Award-winning 1994 Disney film.
Having been involved with The Lion King’s many productions over the past 15 years, the sound design trio was well-prepared to handle any curveballs that the new location might have presented and was predominantly focused on the audio distribution—that its delivery was consistent and maintained its transparency.
“When designing the sound for any type of entertainment show, the goal is to provide an even, balanced sound to every seat in the house,” says Shivers. “The trick is to do it unobtrusively. I think the best sound design is one that simply doesn’t call attention to itself.”
In order to achieve this vision, the designers worked closely with Masque Sound to create a custom audio equipment package that would remain discreet, yet effective in its resounding deliverance. At the heart of the package is a DiGiCo SD7 digital mixing console, which has been the standard console on The Lion King for the past six years after meeting incredible success when first implemented on the Broadway stage.
Masque Sound also provided a PA system from Meyer Sound, featuring MINAs on the proscenium for the orchestra section, M’elodies for the center cluster and MICAs for the upper right and left. Meyer Sound UPJuniors were used for fills and d&b E0s for front fills to accommodate the tight spaces in thetheatre where speakers were required. Meyer Sound 500-HP, 600-HP and 700-HP subwoofers were utilized, as well.
The microphone system supplied by Masque Sound included DPA d:screet 4061s with Sennheiser MKE-1s as back up for the performers. The orchestra was also well equipped, relying on Shure SM57 and SM81 instrument microphones, DPA d:vote 4099S clip microphones, Neumann TLM 102 large-diaphragm studio condenser microphone and KM 84s, as well as Radial Direct boxes.
In addition, Sennheiser SK 5212 transmitters were used for the show’s 46 channels of RF and QLab 3 for the effects playback and TC Electronics S6000 for reverb. The team tapped into the theatre’s existing Meyer Sound Constellation System, which worked well to complement as a surround system.
“I love Masque Sound,” Shivers concludes. “I think that they are the best shop in the industry when itcomes to providing for our needs. In the past, we’ve gone with other companies for some foreign productions and had mixed success. With Masque Sound, I am consistently confident in their services and know that the audio package will be well put together and technically sound. The equipment always arrives in its entirety so that all we have to do is unpack it and integrate it into the show. With Masque Sound behind us, we knew that we would have no concerns in implementing a stellar sound system for this Mexico production.”
The Lion King’s Spanish-language premiere in Mexico City is produced by OCESA and is the largest theatrical production ever to be mounted in Mexico. The production features lyric translation and adaptation by Armando Manzanero and Aleks Syntek, and book translation and additional lyrics by Susanna Moscatel and Erick Merino. OCESA also produced successful productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and, most recently, the Disney and Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins in 2012.