The Outsiders, Broadway Theatre

Context

The Team

Provider

PRG

Sound Designers

Cody Spencer

L-Acoustics Services

Show Support

L-Acoustics Immersive Hyperreal: A Tony-Winning Immersive Audio Experience in The Outsiders

The 2024 Broadway production of The Outsiders garnered critical acclaim and received 12 Tony Award nominations, including wins for Best Musical and Best Sound Design of a Musical, which was awarded to Sound Designer Cody Spencer. This production, staged at the historic Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, features the NYC Theater District’s inaugural deployment of L-Acoustics L Series loudspeakers and utilizes L-ISA immersive sound technology. Spencer’s innovative approach delivered a groundbreaking immersive audio experience to support the acclaimed story.

The Challenge

The historic Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, originally a vaudeville venue, presented significant acoustic challenges for the sound design of The Outsiders. Designed for omnidirectional voice projection, the venue’s architecture resulted in complex and unpredictable reflections, requiring meticulous speaker placement to mitigate unwanted reflections and comb filtering. The production’s elaborate stage design, including a rain curtain, necessitated relocating the front-of-house speaker positions. The sound design presented a unique challenge in creating an immersive sonic experience that would do justice to the beloved story and characters of The Outsiders.

The Solution

To address the complex acoustic challenges of the Jacobs Theatre and create an immersive soundscape that would draw the audience into the world of The Outsiders, sound designer Cody Spencer and his team utilized L-Acoustics’ Soundvision software and a comprehensive array of L-Acoustics loudspeakers. Soundvision played a critical role in defining the boundaries of coverage, ensuring even sound distribution across all seating areas while minimizing reflections.

Main System
The main system, focused on the orchestra and front mezzanine, features five hangs of L-Acoustics’ new L2D line array loudspeakers. These were chosen for their long throw capabilities, which proved essential after the front-of-house speaker positions were moved further out to accommodate the production’s elaborate stage design. This change, visualized in Soundvision, revealed that the L2D provided better coverage of the prime seating areas than traditional line arrays. Two centrally flown sub arrays of three KS21 subwoofers each are augmented by two more KS21 positioned under the stage, delivering powerful low-frequency support. Seven spatialized X8 coaxial speakers serve as front-fills for the main floor seats.

Balcony Delay System
The balcony delay system employs five Scene arrays of two A15 Focus enclosures flanking Extension arrays of two A15 Wide. This configuration ensures clear and consistent sound for the upper levels of the theater.

Surround System and Fills
A combination of X8 and A10 enclosures provides surround sound for the main system, while four Syva enclosures, two on each side, deliver surround sound to the balcony. Various combinations of X12, X8, and 5XT speakers are strategically deployed as fill speakers throughout the theater to ensure even coverage and address specific acoustic needs. For example, a row of 5XT speakers covers the front of the orchestra, while X8 speakers fill in the back of the orchestra under the overhang.

Stage Monitoring
The stage monitoring system is extensive, comprising six X12 flown as stage side-fills, six X12 as overheads, ten X4i for downstage fill, one X8 on each side of the proscenium arch as proscenium fills, and twelve 5XT as under-platform monitors. This comprehensive setup guarantees that actors and musicians on stage have clear and detailed audio, further enhancing the immersive experience.

Control and Processing
The entire system is powered by a combination of LA7.16, LA12X, and LA4X amplified controllers. A redundant pair of L-ISA Processor II manages the sound system, creating an immersive audio environment. Milan-AVB networking simplifies signal routing and system configuration, especially given the complex arrangement of amplifiers and speakers throughout the theater.

The Result

The Outsiders reflects Broadway’s increasing investment in more immersive audio, with technologies like L-ISA at the forefront. L-ISA simplifies the implementation of immersive soundscapes, offering sound designers, mix engineers, and artists unprecedented creative control. For instance, the scene where the lead character is kicked in the face utilizes L-ISA to create a stunning effect of ringing ears surrounding the audience, placing them directly in the character’s experience. By deploying L-ISA, the production immerses the audience in the story, creating a more profound connection and enhancing the emotional impact of key moments.

Project Photos

A view of Broadway’s Jacobs Theatre, currently home to The Outsiders, seen from the stage, New York City, USA.

The reason I chose to use L-ISA is that, early on, in communication with my director, music department, and choreography team, we wanted the audience to be enveloped by the sound. With much of the show, the audience is ‘inside’ the actors’ heads—it’s a play in which much of the action is being recalled by characters instead of happening in the moment. Using L-ISA, we’re able to get people feeling the sound from all around them at all times.