For director James Michael McHale, this production needed to highlight the lasting effects of the war on terror from its origins in the early twentieth century through the decades to summer 2022. The sound design (in collaboration with video designer Nick Santiago) supported these ideas through the sporadic use of television and radio soundbites interjected into transitions and instrumental breaks in an homage to the original Broadway production.

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To support the ensemble choreography by Miguel Cardenas, a gestural approach was taken with sound effects and ambiance to enhance the individual movements of the performers. Here, I leaned into the mood of each song rather than trying to evoke a sense of setting or locale. My aim was to fuse aural themes of stereotypical Americana (fireworks, trucks revving, eagle screeches) with elements of magical realism (droning, gusting, tonal sounds) and punk rock instrumentation (drum hits, guitar licks & screeching).