Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash
Created by Richard Maltby Jr., Conceived by William Meade
Adapted from the Broadway production by Richard Maltby Jr. and Jason Edwards
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2014
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 2015
Musical Director: Jeff Lisenby
Choreographer: Denise Patton
Scenic Designer: John Iacovelli
Costume Designer: Lou Bird
Lighting Designer: Kenton Yeager
Sound and Projection Designer: Joe Payne
Incredible music, beautifully sung. Even more incredible were the musicians, if that's possible. Challenging, exciting, and rewarding. Let me sum up the production by describing the rig: Rock and Roll volume with theatrical wireless placement on 10 performers. Other wireless units included: 6 acoustic guitars, accordion, mandolin, fiddle, cajon/crate, trumpet, 2 electric guitars, and 2 upright basses. Round that out with 5 in-ears, 2 Avioms, full drum kit, keys, and another 6 un-amplified acoustic guitars, and you've got a wild ride!
A particular highlight of the presentation is sound and projection designer Joe Payne’s shrewd use of old black and white photos on a background screen at stage right to complement the chronological succession of tunes. The opening number of the second act, e.g., I’ve Been Everywhere, is bolstered by a catalog of travel destination postcards that concludes, of course, with St. Louis. -Mark Bretz, Ladue News
The sound is really fantastic, with only a handful of moments where it wasn’t perfect. Surprising given how rarely the Playhouse uses amplification, but they do know how to do it. -Kirk Sheppard, The Sappy Critic
The design is greatly enhanced by Joe Payne's projections and atmospheric sounds. -Chris Gibson, Broadway World.com, St. Louis.
Audio clips of the live mix are not included due to Actor's Equity restrictions, and live recordings do not accurately represent the theatre space.
Please check with producing organizations if interested in quality of the mix, which I proudly stand behind.
Console Patch, Speaker/Projection Plan
Photos by Sandy Underwood
