Ken Wesler had a classic "what have I done moment" when he first saw the two 80-inch monitors purchased for the Strand theater at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center.

Wesler said he thought the monitors, which arrived earlier this month, were too large to be placed on either side of the 1,262-seat theater and would compromise the audience's view of the live performance.

But the high-definition, flat-screen monitors - purchased to enhance the audience's theater experience - fit perfectly and seem smaller than their actual size amid the theater's grand dcor.

Wesler, the theater's president and chief executive officer, said he worked the monitors and their accompanying camera system during the York Symphony Orchestra's

Ken Wesler, president and CEO of the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, enjoys being able to wow concert-goers with the addition of two 80-inch monitors to the Strand experience. The theaters new camera system allows for close-ups of performers to be displayed on the monitors to either side of the stage during shows. (Randy Flaum photo)

He said comments from concert attendees ranged from "wow" to appreciation for being able to see performers' faces and up-close shots of musicians' fingers onscreen.

"We had a guest pianist, and I zoomed in on the piano and you could see how gracefully her fingers moved as she played," Wesler said. "When the trumpet parts came up, I put the trumpet section on the screens so the audience could really see the players."

Photos of composers and artwork associated with their pieces also can be shown on the monitors during the performances of their music, he said.

How it works: Images for the monitors come from three cameras - two hanging near the theater's balcony area and one onstage facing the audience.

"This is especially great for symphony performances, where the conductor's backis to the audience," Wesler said. "Now the audience can see the conductor's face."

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Strand adds personal touch with new monitors