The Wicked Musical Debut in Riyadh: Sound Designer Puts His Trust in Point Source Audio SERIES9 Headsets and Lavaliers

The sound team on the Middle East premier of Wicked was refining the mic colors and placement amid a flurry of costume changes — right up to the moment before the citizens of Oz broke into the opening number, “No One Mourns the Wicked.”  

Staging Wicked is always a technical feat, but the production’s Saudi Arabia debut amplified the stakes for Sound Designer Shannon Slaton. As only the second large-scale Broadway show to be staged in the Kingdom, Wicked would be seen by an audience largely unfamiliar with musical theatre on this scale. Shannon was determined that their first experience of the genre would be unforgettable.

How to Mic a Green Actor

One of the biggest challenges was the character of Elphaba. Her face, hairline, and neck are coated in dense green paint—a substance that typically destroys microphone elements over time. Shannon notes, “There was a lot of back and forth to get the right shade of green. Eventually, the wardrobe crew was able to match the mic perfectly to the makeup and wardrobe. Without the Point Source Audio mics, Elphaba would not have been nearly as compelling.”

Miking Technique When Your Actor is a Goat

The character of Dr. Dillamond presented another tough dilemma miking around glued hair, a full goat mask, and a hat. By matching the mask with the right brown paint, both the GO-9WL dual element lavalier microphone and transmitter pack were built directly into the mask and hat.

Mics for Some Monkey Business

For the performers in dual roles, accommodating rapid costume changes with the monkey characters’ balaclava-style masks was solved by not miking the actors—but by miking the masks themselves. Not every performer required a microphone, but for those who did, the mic element and pack integrated into the headpiece so performers could remove it backstage and slip it back on without losing placement. “Quick changes can be brutal on mic placement,” Shannon explains. “Once they were dressed into the headpieces, the mics stayed put.”

From the outset Shannon chose Point Source Audio, microphones he trusted after more than a decade of using them on nearly every show he designed. The SERIES9 GO2 dual-element headsets and lavaliers provide instant mic backup—built-in for each actor, a critical safeguard for a high-profile international debut.

Combination of Headset and Lavalier Mics Made the Sound Magical!

While dual element lavaliers are Shannon’s go-to mics, this production was an exception. The leads in Wicked—Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero—required headsets so they could hear themselves clearly. “You can only get away with vocals in the monitors if you’ve got headsets.” Elphaba’s staging made the choice even clearer. During “Defying Gravity,” she flies directly into the house, moving in front of the sound system. A headset ensured stability and clarity as she soared above the stage.

Throughout the production, Shannon used dual-element microphones across the full cast, a technique he has championed for years. 

Ultimate Reward: Cast Member Sings the Sound Designer’s Praises 

Shannon’s core mission is always to serve the actors, serve the director and music supervisor, and give the audience an aesthetically aligned, high-quality audio experience.

A spontaneous moment during rehearsal was proof he’d accomplished his mission. Becky, the actor playing Elphaba, suddenly broke into an improvised song—over her live mic—about how much she loved Shannon’s sound design. “It was a rare moment that still brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction,” he says.  

Shannon began his career mixing black-box experimental theatre and “accidentally landed” his first touring job with what he describes as very little experience. Six years later, he moved to New York. He spent 25 years mixing on Broadway. Now he focuses exclusively on sound design, with credits including Now he focuses exclusively on sound design, with credits including The Illusionist (Broadway), Empire, Melissa Etheridge – My Window (Broadway), A Sign of the Times, Bullets Over Broadway, Elf, and Shrek.

Wicked Saudi Arabia wasn’t just another Broadway tour stop, though. It marked a cultural milestone in the Kingdom. Shannon feels honored to contribute to the earliest chapter of musical theatre in Saudi Arabia. Many attendees had never seen a musical before; he even overheard a child ask, “When does the movie start?” The mother replied, “There is no movie. This is a live musical production!”