Casa Ma ana Theater is both a landmark and an engine of creativity for Fort Worth's cultural landscape. Its iconic dome has sheltered generations of performances, from Broadway classics that delight audiences of all ages to youth musicals that ignite the imaginations of thousands of schoolchildren. For Resident Sound Designer and Engineer Allan Branson, Casa Ma ana is a place where precision audio and heartfelt storytelling intersect.
Branson first joined the company in 2021, after years of designing sound for Arkansas Repertory Theatre and Pioneer Theatre Company. We stay busy pretty much year-round, he says regarding Casa Ma ana's schedule. Between our Broadway season, the Theater for Youth series, cabarets and summer camps, there's always something happening here. Our mission is to bring professional-level theater to Fort Worth. For many of the kids who come through our doors, our shows are their very first experience with live performance. It's amazing to watch their faces when the lights go down and the music swells. That first gasp of awe is why I do this work.
Behind the curtain, Branson's toolkit includes DPA Microphones' new 2061 Omnidirectional Miniature Microphones. He debuted the mic during the theater's production of CATS, fitting one on Broadway veteran Jackie Burns, famed for her record-breaking run as Elphaba in Wicked. She's discerning; she notices every nuance and could actually hear the difference that DPA made, Branson explains. When she tried the 2061, she told me it felt effortless, like her voice was coming through completely uncolored. She even said it gave her the freedom to focus entirely on the performance, instead of worrying about whether her vocals were cutting through.
The 2061 offers DPA's premium capsule technology at a more accessible price point than the flagship 4061, making it ideal for regional theaters like Casa Ma ana. Built to resist moisture, the 2061 has IP57-rated construction, which proved itself during the theater's youth production of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, where a particularly energetic actor never managed to sweat it out. I was anticipating a sweat-out on that show, Branson admits. That kid was running, dancing and leaping across the stage-you name it. I double-miked him just in case, but the 2061 never flinched. We didn't have to touch the backup; that reliability under those conditions really earned my respect for the mic.
Casa Ma ana's seasons are as eclectic as its audiences. The Theater for Youth series stages 90-minute musicals for thousands of elementary students each week, featuring professional actors along with pre-recorded tracks to keep costs manageable. The Broadway season brings names, live bands and full-scale productions like CATS or the upcoming West Side Story. Additionally, the theater's cabaret space offers intimate performances for 100 patrons, often spotlighting local jazz talent. Branson explains, Those cabaret nights are special. They're up close and personal, and you can really feel the energy in the room. It's a different kind of magic from the big stage, but just as important to our mission.
Branson also leans on DPA's 4099 CORE Instrument Microphones, which he calls the Swiss Army knife of his toolkit, for everything from violins and congas to Yamaha recording kits in the cabaret space. I'll put a 4099 on the snare, high-pass it, and that's it-the 4099 is perfect every time, he says. I don't even touch the EQ because the sound is already so detailed and true to the instrument. When you're working in a small room with a great PA, that accuracy makes a huge difference. It allows the musicians' dynamics and subtleties to shine through without me having to shape or correct anything.
He also keeps a pair of DPA 4091 Condenser Microphones handy, using them as dependable measurement mics for tuning the venue's PA system and, on occasion, for creative percussion miking. The 4091s are kind of my secret weapon, Branson admits. I've even used them in a pit for percussion before when I needed an omni option that could handle a lot of sound pressure without coloring the tone. They've saved me more than once.
For Branson, choosing DPA is about more than pristine sound. With DPA, we can deliver Broadway-caliber clarity to all our audiences, even the 4,000 schoolchildren who stream through Casa Ma ana each week, he says. For many of them, this is the moment they fall in love with theater. If their first experience of live performance is distorted or underwhelming, you might lose that spark forever. But when the sound is right, when it feels like magic, that spark catches, and maybe it changes their lives. That's the power of what we do here.
As Casa Ma ana looks ahead to a new season, the theater continues its mission: dazzling Broadway titles, apprentice productions that give 15-to-19-year-olds a taste of professional theater and auditoriums full of children whose first encounter with live performance may shape a lifetime of appreciation. Branson sums it up: We're not just making shows sound good; we're giving people in this community the kind of theater experience you'd expect on a bigger stage. For the kids, maybe we're lighting a spark that will guide them back to the theater for years to come. That's what keeps me coming back every day.
ABOUT CASA MA ANA THEATRE:
Casa Ma ana Theatre has produced professional Broadway and Childrens Theatre in Fort Worth for over 65 years. As a performing arts organization, Casa Ma ana strives to create, nurture and advance live professional theatre unparalleled in artistic excellence for the enrichment and education of its diverse community and future generations of artists and patrons. Casa Ma ana's Broadw
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Casa Ma ana Theater is both a landmark and an engine of creativity for Fort Worth's cultural landscape. Its iconic dome has sheltered generations of performances, from Broadway classics that delight audiences of all ages to youth musicals that ignite the imaginations of thousands of schoolchildren. For Resident Sound Designer and Engineer Allan Branson, Casa Ma ana is a place where precision audio and heartfelt storytelling intersect.
