Dec.1, 2007. Clair Brothers (CB) from Lititz PA installed new supplementary sound at Beacon Theater New York. Designed by Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager and opened in 1928, the 2,800-seat Beacon Theatre is a fantastic Art Deco treasure, built as silent pictures began talking and as vaudeville capitulated to the movie palace era. Recognized as a national landmark -- the interior remains legally protected from alteration and demolition -- the three-level auditorium is distinguished by 30-foot statues of Greek women on each side of the proscenium arch. Other features include an open-air lobby, bronze front doors, ornate moldings, white marble floors, and corridor murals depicting elephants, camels and traders.
Today, the Beacons chief reputation is as a fierce concert house where, amid a curtain-less stage and flawless acoustics, Patti LaBelle, Korn, Tina Turner, Morrissey, VH-1s 'Divas Live' have done their thing.
Cutting-edge hardcore bands, gospel singers and world music superstars rock the town here as well. The Beacon also often houses popular comedies geared toward African- American audiences, making it the favored Gotham stop along the Chitlin Circuit.
The owner was concerned about providing improved coverage for the upper balcony and the center section on the orchestra level that are often not adequately covered by the touring sound systems.  CB provided two, four element line arrays (JBL VT4888’s) trimmed at about 55’ for the upper balcony coverage; maximum top grid trim height for a touring rig would be in the 25’ > 30’ range.
For the center orchestra level section CB provided two high “Q”, PD5212/43’s trimmed tight to the proscenium arch.  All three clusters are on motors for maintenance or removal in case a road show choose to use their own speakers for these applications.  The rack on stage left provides xlr inputs for left, right and center inputs from the tour console matrices.