A Singer's Notes by Keith Kibler 18 Give My Ears a True Face: murderous amplification in Berkshire theatres!

Harriet Harris and Jeff McCarthy in Barrington Stage Company's "Sweeney Todd" - Music Murdered? Photo by Kevin Sprague.


I would like to say something about Barrington Stage's "Sweeney Todd" and the singing therein, but I feel prevented from doing so mainly because of some wires and gadgets.  The amplification in the show was so extreme that most of the ensemble singing was close to distortion. I think some of the singing in the show was quite good, even excellent, but I didn't really hear it. When one hears only a disembodied voice coming from God knows where, one doesn't see the face of the singer the same way. Hearing and seeing are not disconnected. There seems to be a plague creeping up on us. Everything on stage must now have a little boost. I think the excellent companies in our county should trust us.

Read the full article on the Berkshire Review for the Arts!

Michael Miller