 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Robyn
Date: 2004-04-26 00:09
Hi,
I've found snippets of information in the archives, but not everything I need, so I'll consult the board. I am desperately searching for a summer job, and I have a strong possibility of performing with the local summer theater, but I need to know what doubling is required. The shows are:
42nd Street
Little Shop of Horrors
Cats
If you know, will you let me know what instrumentation of each woodwind book is? Thanks!!
Robyn
Post Edited (2004-04-26 00:38)
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Author: BG ★2017
Date: 2004-04-26 18:06
Hi Robyn,
I can help you with some of the information that you are seeking. First, you need to know that the orchestration/instrumentation can be different if you are comparing the national tour books with the rental books from the major copyright holders.
For the show 42nd street, the Reed 1 and Reed 2 books are the same instrumentation for both versions. Here is the list that Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc. provides for their rental version:
Reed 1 -- Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Sax, and Alto Sax
Reed 2 -- Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, and Alto Sax
Reed 3 -- Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone
Reed 4 -- Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone
Reed 5 -- Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, and Baritone Sax
Little Shop of Horrors, according to Music Theatre International, is scored only for guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard (no reed parts, I believe.)
Cats, as I recall, uses 3 woodwinds:
Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
Flute, Baritone Sax, Soprano Sax, Clarinet
Oboe, English Horn
Often, you can look at the three major rental companies' websites for a lot of information about the shows that you are seeking. They are:
1. Music Theatre International Catalog
2. Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.
3. Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatre Library
Also, try a Google search using the name of your show and the word instrumentation. It works well, too.
I hope that this helps you and good luck with your playing. I hope you get the gig!
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Author: Robyn
Date: 2004-04-26 20:41
Thanks BG!! That's what I needed to know. Unfortunately, the information is kinda what I was afraid of....my big weakness at the moment is saxophone. I've played quite a bit of tenor, but hardly any alto and no soprano. I've worked for this theater before, but only as a sub, and I wanted to know what I would be getting myself into before I called and inquired about a position (as far as I know, they've only hired people for one show so far). I might call anyway (the worst they can do is say no!), but now I know what to expect.
Thanks again!
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-04-27 06:26
Lucky for you, you've got saxophone experience already under your belt. While there are some practical problems here (for example, can you get access to the horns that you need?) most who play saxophone end up playing all of them at one point or another. The fingerings are the same, and with the possible exception of soprano, you should be able to master the embouchure of the others with little trouble.
I've found that I have "specialized" over the years when playing shows to the extent that I fit the "low reed book" better than the rest. In order to do that, you sometimes have to play something odd, like the bassoon, but almost always it ends up being clarinet, bass clarinet, and baritone.
As a general rule, if you master clarinet and the saxes, and get by on one or two of the others (flute in particular), you'll generally be employable in the pit. If you can't hack both clarinet and sax well, then you aren't employable at the pro level and will usually get passed by for the paying community theater jobs as well.
The recent touring show of The Producers had a low reed part with baritone, bass clarinet, bassoon and the dreaded contra alto clarinet. That's one that I not like to play without locked instrument storage at the theater...
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