Pride and Prejudice: A Musical
August 19-22, 2008
de Jong Concert Hall
Brigham Young University
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The Gerrit de Jong, Jr., Concert Hall is used for concerts of the major choral and instrumental organizations, musical theatre productions of the opera workshop, special lyceums, and official meetings of the college or University. It is also used for high-quality recordings and live film and television productions of musical events.
The de Jong Concert Hall is beautifully designed, aesthetically and acoustically. Its seats are arranged in continental seating style with no center aisles. The stage is 94 feet across and 47 feet deep, with a tip that adds 10 feet for a total depth of 57 feet. A functional, handsome facility, it seats 1,268.
Source: BYU Arts Venues
The hall is so central to the school of musics [sic] operations that studies aimed at getting ideal sound quality in the hall have been published by the Audio Engineering Society.
The de Jong hall was designed by Harvey Fletcher (the “Father of Sterophonic Sound“).
Source: Wikipedia
4 Comments
Mr. Wickham, I’ll be seeing you in your finale on Friday.
I found myself looking at my reflection in the spotless, almost surgically sterile bowl of one of the de Jong’s drinking fountains last night and thinking, “Have I died and gone to heaven?”
The same thought repeated over the course of the evening, a second time while awestruck by the clean, freshly-painted hardwood stage floors; a third time as we sang and the sound came back and smacked me in the face, rather than disappearing instantly and leaving all of us feeling as though we’re singing solos.
Bliss.
…or perhaps not so blissful after all:
-No nice summer breezes occasionally speeding the evaporation of the gallons of sweat pouring down the small of your back, under your umpteen layers of clothing.
-Not just one, but two layers of terrifying audience members.
-No helpful daylight backstage to keep you from running into [insert any person/piece of machinery/prop/nameless solid object here].
-Dressing rooms with ceilings and doors. I became quite enamored with changing in makeshift dressing rooms outside, with only fresh air and the Medevac helicopter overhead. We currently feel like bridezillas at one of those insane sales where there’s taffeta-and-chiffon flying everywhere and people racing to get into and out of complicated gowns in 10 seconds or less.
Jenny, I know the VERY drinking fountain of which you speak. The sweet, cold nectar which flows in such a strong, unwavering stream… I have knelt and worshipped it after many an overseas trip.
But is there truly any other theatre where one can have a Sunset Break? Or know how many Level 1 traumas have been flown into UVRMC? Or smell what is being served at the reunion in the park? Ah, the Shell and its own peculiar magic… Enjoy the deJong. It is glorious.