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Holoplot X1 makes musical theater debut for Atlantic Theatre Company’s “Buena Vista Social Club”

The new off-Broadway production “Buena Vista Social Club”, based on the true story of the famous Cuban ensemble, has brought the 1966 Grammy-winning album to the Atlantic Theater Company. Produced by Cuban American playwright Marco Ramirez, the show debuted mid-December 2023 at the Linda Gross Theater.

Sound designer Jonathan Deans, known for work on Broadway shows and Cirque du Soleil productions, collaborated with music supervisor Dean Sharenow and director Saheem Ali on “Buena Vista Social Club”, with global technology provider PRG furnishing a comprehensive audio and lighting solution for the production, including the first Holoplot X1 system to grace a musical theater production.

Deans recalls Sharenow reaching out about the project, piquing his interest because of his familiarity with the “Buena Vista Social Club” album. Working with a new team and venue, Deans aim was to gain a deep understanding and respect of the music’s origins, blending this with his expertise in theater sound design to create a cohesive audio experience. “My role is to take the musical ideas, performance ideas, and actors, and put it into some kind of shape and structure for the audience to respond to”, says Deans. “I specify the equipment, make it work for the production, and work with everyone involved.”

The Atlantic Theater is a converted church, with architecture that poses acoustic challenges. “The theater itself has undergone significant modifications to become a space for any show”, continues Deans. “However, accommodating live percussion instruments on stage, including congas, bongos, and timbales, sometimes just six feet away from the audience, means it inevitably gets loud. The one thing that I was very concerned about was the vocal presence of the actors.”

Deans needed precise audio control over the seating area, with vocal clarity amid live percussion being his main priority, which is why he specified Holoplot. Utilizing its proprietary 3D Audio-Beamforming and Wave Field Synthesis technology, X1 allows for the creation of precise coverage zones for the audience as well as sound localization in 3D space. The combination of this proved essential for managing vocal presence in a tight and potentially loud space without overwhelming the audience and led to Jonathan Deans using the small X1 deployment in a creative way.

Reese Kirsh, Segment Manager of Performing Arts and Live at Holoplot, explains the system setup: “A single central mono cluster of three X1 modules is configured horizontally, and exclusively designated for vocal reinforcement. Jonathan opted to trial Holoplot in this way due to the theater’s compact size and the steeply raked seating, employing Holoplot 3D Audio-Beamforming to minimize space requirements.”

“Three beams are formed from the cluster”, continues Kirsh. “One optimized coverage beam covers the entire audience area, while two further beams function as virtual sources placed behind and alongside the array, delivering stereo ensemble vocals. The system design creates space within the mix, letting the vocals shine within a complex musical arrangement. It’s a unique concept for a traditional mono cluster. We’re thrilled to have introduced Holoplot to musical theater for the very first time.” In charge of mixing each performance was A1 production mix engineer Timothy Jarrell.

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