Jason Robert Brown was joined for the production by several of the West End's most revered leading ladies, including Golda Rosheuvel, Clare Burt and Frances Rufelle in a cabaret-style performance of his most popular songs. "Although the performances consisted of just vocal and piano, the fidelity of the sound system was paramount to the production," explained Dunne, who was brought in by producer David Dolman to bring the composer's witty and poignant lyrics to a wider audience. "I used three EMS-121s as the main system, supplemented by two EMS-81s, three I-1s and two EMS-215 sub-bass enclosures and was immediately impressed by the linearity of both the phase and frequency response from the main system, particularly considering that the boxes are passively crossed over. Coupled with the total weight and extremely competitive price of the system, this makes them a 'must-hear' box."
David Dolman added: "Bringing Jason Robert Brown to London to perform with our finest leading ladies, the biggest concern as a producer was getting the sound specifications right. I had heard great things about EM acoustics from Mike Mann at Autograph and the guys from EM acoustics delivered by succeeding in making the composer, cast and audiences extremely satisfied. I received fantastic feedback on the quality of the sound both from audience members and from theatre industry associates. I moved around the auditorium during the run and could not find a spot where the sound was not consistent. What was also so unique was experiencing the immense passion the EM guys have for getting it right; they are a pleasure to work with. Brown also commented on what strong allies they were in making him feel confident for the entire run."
Mike Mann added: "This is the kind of production where everything is audible - there's no hiding-place when the music is so simple. The coverage, uniformity and detail of the EMS-121s and their smaller companion speakers was astonishing. The system required almost no EQ and allowed the quite significant reinforcement of piano and voices to be almost undetectable by the audience."
(Lee Baldock)
