As the highest-grossing stage musical of all time, ‘The Lion King’ has been seen by a global audience of over 100 million people. The German version of the production has become the nation’s most successful musical show, having welcomed upwards of 700,000 spectators each year since opening at the Stage Theatre im Hafen in Hamburg in December 2001. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, producer and live entertainment company, Stage Entertainment, has undertaken a significant technical upgrade to ensure the production continues to deliver the same impact to future audiences. A key part of this upgrade is a comprehensive KV2 Audio sound system designed to support the show’s dynamic sonic environment.
The theatre’s existing sound system was beginning to show its age. Stage Entertainment decided to upgrade the system to meet audiences’ growing expectations for high-quality, immersive entertainment. A like-for-like replacement would have presented a costly investment without delivering a comparable step forward in performance. Working closely with Stage Entertainment on the system specification was renowned sound designer, John Shivers, who has worked with KV2 Audio across various stage musicals worldwide.
“In honour of the 25th anniversary of The Lion King in Hamburg, the audio upgrade was part of a broader strategy to enhance the show’s quality for the next twenty-five years,” says John Shivers. “Vocal intelligibility was a critical consideration for such a globally recognised story and soundtrack. Each member of the 2,030-seat theatre should experience every word or musical note without compromise. Having used KV2 many times in past musicals, including the Broadway productions of The Lion King and Pretty Woman, I specified the brand’s point-source loudspeakers for the Stage Theatre im Hafen. They deliver exceptionally natural, detailed sound at any level, with superb coverage and minimal listener fatigue.”
A total of seventy-eight KV2 loudspeakers were deployed throughout the theatre. “The installation was carried out by Stage Entertainment’s technical production management team with help from the theatre’s local sound department,” Shivers explains. “For the main PA, each side of the auditorium features two VHD2.0 mid-high loudspeaker systems, arranged as upper and lower PAs to deliver the primary programme audio, from the soundtrack and effects to clear, intelligible spoken word. The lower VHD2.0 works alongside a VHD1.0 downfill enclosure to extend coverage into the lower seating areas and maintain an even listening experience throughout the auditorium.” Two VHD2.16 subwoofers per side add controlled upper-bass extension, working with the VHD2.0 to deliver the output and tonal balance required by the production. An EX12 on each side provides additional left and right infill, maintaining even coverage and clear, detailed vocal reproduction across the seats closest to the stage.
At floor level, six VHD2.18J subwoofers are positioned as three ground-stacked cabinets on each side of the stage, providing additional low-frequency extension and high-output impact. “These subs deliver exceptional output when working in conjunction with the main PA to ensure subtle sonic detail and effects can be heard,” reveals Shivers. Flown centrally above the auditorium is a pair of VHD2.21 subwoofers, positioned upstage and downstage, operating in a cardioid mono configuration, providing controlled low-frequency energy from the centre of the room. “Extensive effort has been made to pull vocal imaging all the way to the back of the audience,” Shivers reveals. “Two centrally positioned SL412 systems deliver wide-dispersion vocal reinforcement, with one serving as the centre downfill and the second as a centre delay.”
Under the balcony, seventeen CS6 ultra-compact 2-way loudspeakers are configured in two rows of eight and nine respectively, providing dedicated coverage to the seating below. “These delay lines help fight high-frequency compression under the low ceiling of the balcony. The compact and discreet form factor makes the CS6 well suited to maintaining consistent coverage in this more acoustically challenging section.” Working together with the under-balcony delay lines, the SL412 systems help keep the vocal image focused through the depth of the auditorium, supporting clear spoken word and vocals beyond the central seating area.
A further thirty-four CS6 loudspeakers create the surround system, with eighteen positioned around the sides and rear of the orchestra level, twelve covering the sides and rear of the balcony, and four mounted overhead. “Their exceptional speech clarity in such a compact enclosure allowed us to place them throughout the auditorium to ensure even the subtlest details of the jungle soundscape can be heard.” Four full-range, active EX10 loudspeakers, split between the orchestra and balcony levels, provide additional outfill coverage, using their compact, high-output design to supplement the main system where wider peripheral coverage is required.
Finally, four ESD25 loudspeakers are integrated into the front lip of the stage as frontfills, providing discreet close-range coverage for the first rows. Their low-profile design allows them to provide discreet front-stage coverage without compromising the theatre’s sightlines. “With the 25-year celebration approaching, KV2 has exceeded all expectations for sound quality and reliability,” says Shivers. “Countless details in the arrangement can now be heard that previously went unnoticed. Due to the system’s exceptional resolution, you can hear every keyboard texture and layer within the arrangement. The full complexity of the musical concept comes to light, and suddenly you can place the vocals clearly above the powerful orchestral levels in the mix, with remarkable ease.”
Further cementing the success of the new system, The Lion King will also feature in an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience as part of this year’s LEaT con on October 7th. An exclusive technical tour led by Stage Entertainment and KV2 Audio will explore the workflows, systems, and technology that deliver one of the most globally recognised musical productions. The tour will give sound designers, engineers and production specialists the opportunity to meet members of the technical team and explore the infrastructure behind the show, including how its audio system has evolved. The new KV2 sound system will play a central role in the experience, offering visitors an opportunity to see how the system was designed, installed, and integrated into the production. “After twenty-five years, The Lion King continues to demand the highest level of performance from every part of the production,” concludes Shivers. “The new KV2 system gives us the clarity, consistency, and impact to preserve the character of the show while bringing a new level of detail to the audience experience. It is a system built to carry the production forward for the next twenty-five years.”
