Before Tylor Foster graduated from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, he had already been consulted about the sound system capabilities for a brand-new theatrical venue. Foster had intentionally chosen his undergrad school because it was planning to expand its theater department. Indeed, according to Foster, while he was a student, the university opened a 300-seat proscenium theater, a black-box space and a 1,700-seat auditorium.
“The official title of head sound came with the opening of the larger theater in 2006, my junior year,” Foster told Broadway News. “It was a great experience to work with the consultants during construction, outfit the theater and create an effective system for both internal school productions and touring productions.”
After graduation, another new theater opened in Foster’s hometown of Virginia Beach. Foster took up the head sound position and served for three years before joining the realm of theatrical touring. “After a couple small tours, I landed a position on the NETworks tour of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in 2011,” he recounted. “After about a year as A2 [a position on the audio team], I moved up to A1 and stayed on that production for five years in total, including one year of international touring. Later was a year on the ‘Dirty Dancing’ tour and finally three years on ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ tour.”
Foster loved his decade touring, but he was ready to live in one place. He searched for a job on Broadway. “A friend was able to convince [two-time Tony Award-winning sound designer] Brian Ronan that I would be a good sub for the Broadway production of ‘Mean Girls,’” said Foster, who eventually became a mixing sub, as well. “Thankfully, Brian kept me in his camp and kept me busy with sub work, including on the production of ‘Tootsie.’ He gave me the opportunity to take on my first production as A1 on Broadway with ‘Funny Girl’ in 2022.” In 2023, Foster served as head sound for the production on the out-of-town tryout of “The Great Gatsby,” designed by Ronan, and moved with it to Broadway — where he’s been ever since.
Just as his career began early, so did Foster’s love for music and audio. “I was interested in playing music during grade school, eventually leaning toward guitar,” Foster said. “But I often found myself interested more in the equipment operation than practicing music.” He found theater, specifically, quite by accident. He missed the bus home and stumbled upon signups for his school production.
“I felt like I found the thing that tickled all the right parts of my brain: using technology to bring art to the stage,” Foster said. “I had always had a love of technology and ‘making things work’ along with a desire to do some kind of performance art. That was it. I was decided. The only choice then was to pursue theater or concert-style music performances. I leaned [toward] theater and always enjoyed it.”
Here, Foster illuminates the tasks of the head sound, shares industry lingo and explains the “invisible” parts of his job.
