Permanently housed in the Na Dubrovke Theater, Nord Ost had broken Russian theatrical records by playing to full houses for just over a year, when the hostage crisis occurred. More than 150 people died in the events of October 2002, including 17 cast members. These last few months have seen great uncertainty over the future of the production, but, finally, after substantial charitable donations and grants from the Kremlin, the show premiered to standing ovations from an audience that included most of the world's press, the Deputy PM of Russia, the Mayor of Moscow and many of the surviving hostages.
I.S.P.A. Engineering, which specified the original sound reinforcement equipment for the show, the first Broadway-style musical to be based on a Russian novel, were appointed to refurbish the audio systems for the revival. This was just one part of a comprehensive restoration of the theatre, from the colour of its seats to the filling-in of bullet holes in its auditorium. The I.S.P.A team took the opportunity to improve aspects of the sound of Nord Ost, in particular by bringing in DPA miniature microphones for several principal members of the cast. More than 23 DPA 4061 miniatures are now being used on stage, and the production has also taken delivery of 11 DPA 4021 Compact Cardioid condenser mics for members of the orchestra.
"With these microphones, the quality of the sound of Nord Ost has improved considerably, and that has been noted both by sound producers working at the musical, and by the spectators," says Gregory Kasatkin, I.S.P.A system engineer. "We've supplied DPA miniatures to other musical productions in Russia, such as Chicago and 42nd Street, as well as to a number of broadcast users. They are also used in the State Kremlin Palace.
(Lee Baldock)
