Klarinet Archive - Posting 000166.txt from 1998/03

From: Dodgshun family <dodgshun@-----.nz>
Subj: Re: Pit Orchestra Problems
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 17:24:27 -0500

> "Grand Hotel" is not a Lloyd-Weber show. It was written by someone whose
> name I don't recall and by Maury Yeston, who was brought late in to
fix the show. The music is pretty good, not surprisingly since
Yeston also wrote "Nine". If "Grand Hotel" is anything like "Nine",
you'll have a blast - playing "Nine" is possibly the most fun you can
have in an orchestra pit.
>
> Cheers,
> Jordan
>
I'm not sure I quite agree with this!! I played reed 4 (I think - can't
quite remember) for "Nine" last year. It was OK, but I've had more fun!
(Just about having a tambourine hit you in the head when it's thrown from
the pit to the stage does not qualify as fun. Don't ask.)
Over the last few years I've also done "The Wizard of Oz", "Oliver!",
"Camelot", "Sweet Charity", "Nutcracker" twice (Ok, it's not quite a show,
but I was in the pit!) and this amazing version of "Ben-Hur" where the
original silent film was shown and we played a specially written score. I
think Ben-Hur was the most fun, but I loved Nutcracker. Sweet Charity was a
fantastic score (Cy Coleman with lyrics by Dorothy Fields) but I'm probably
biased because I was playing the most fun instruments - baritone sax, bass
clarinet and Bb clarinet. Although I haven't played it, I think "West Side
Story" is among the best show music ever written. Also, does anyone know
anything about a show called "Ghetto"? My old school's putting it on, and I
wondered whether there are any clarinet/bass clarinet parts - if there are,
I get to go back because they haven't got any decent players left.
Thanks
Anna