CityView Magazine

42 May 2021 F or someone who said he loathed the idea of ever becoming an actor, Rob Kaplowitz certainly earned considerable applause on the stage of Cape Fear Regional eatre recently. Kaplowitz, a Tony Award-winning sound designer and composer, was in town in April to discuss the new custom sound system he is craing as part of the theater's $2.5 million renovation. He twice gave a presentation to fans of the theater, including members of its Board of Directors, to resounding feedback. "e two biggest pieces of constructive feedback I hear from patrons in the lobby at intermission are about the seats being uncomfortable and not being able to hear the sound well," said CFRT artistic director Mary Kate Burke. Burke and her team have used the time the theater has been closed due to COVID-19 restrictions to fix both issues. e renovation is extensive, including the removal of all the old seats. "We will add a mid-house cross-over aisle, which will allow for better audience flow within the auditorium," Burke said. "We will have handrails on the lower half of the audience, increasing safety and accessibility within the theater itself. e theater will have several rows of demountable seats, allowing us to accommodate more wheelchairs and creative seating options like the party tables we featured in 'Music City' and 'Mamma Mia!' At the heart of this renovation is the installation of brand new, luxury seats." Burke added, "We didn't want to fix the patrons' comfort in the house renovation, and have the sound remain a problem." Enter Kaplowitz, a longtime friend of Burke's, who won the 2012 Tony Award for sound design for his work on the Broadway production of "Fela!" e musical depicted the life of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Kaplowitz won an Obie Award in 2007 for "Sustained Excellence in Sound Design." When Burke realized Kaplowitz had more than his usual amount of free time available due to the pandemic, she enlisted his help. Over a couple of trips to the theater, he came up with three different models to fix the uneven sound that diminished the experience of live theater. His FEATURE Rob Kaplowitz This Tony Award-winner is making CFRT's sound system sing BY KIM HAST Y PHOTOGRAPHY BY CINDY BURNHAM

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