Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-03-13 14:35
Hi DougR:
Thanks for your Broadway pit horror story, but it's not a typical example of the pit scene in NYC. You post:
I have a friend who's subbing pretty regularly on Broadway, and he describes situations where you may or may NOT have headphones providing you an overall sound mix; (the only people who usually use headphones "cans" are rhythm & synth players) the mix may or may NOT include your instrument (each horn is individually miced and runs into the house PA); the headphones may be over-the-ear, or may be those cheesy little Walkman things (high end "cans are regularly used, Walkman "cans" are used to listen to the ball game scores, joke); you may or may not even be able to hear yourself at ALL (you can always hear yourself playing acoustic instruments, the electronic players need "cans" to hear themselves accurately); where you may only see the conductor over a video monitor (video monitors are regularly used throughout the pit to give various players additional views of the conductor) ...talk about a demanding situation (this is Broadway)!!
You continue:
My favorite horror story of his: occasionally he subs on the new Beach Boys musical (Good Vibrations I think is the title, that would seem logical) playing the following: bass sax, bass clarinet, baritone-tenor-alto sax, a little flute, maybe some clarinet (I forget) (Sounds like a big $$$ chair, although saxophone, no matter how many you play, pay one double). But it's not what he plays, it's WHERE: all by himself, under the stage, in a room he shares with the front end of a Corvette (which ascends on cue thru a trapdoor onto the stage) and two stagehands to caretake the Corvette. He's connected to the conductor via video monitor, and to the rest of the orchestra thru headphones and multiple mikes; he may as well be playing in an orbiting satellite! Actually many Broadway shows have limited pit size, and require a few musicians to be in comfortable rooms away from the pit. At WICKED, there are 2 large rooms, with a bathroom, for our harpist & a room full of percussion equipment for our percussionist, as there are 21 more of us in the actual pit!
BTW: If your friend over at "Good Vibrations" is unhappy or uncomfortable with his accommodations at the theater, he, or the regular player, can call our Union representative, and all possible adjustments will be made to make his conditions better. No one, these days, needs to suffer on Broadway, and that's another reason the Union here in NYC is so helpful for live music.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
Post Edited (2005-03-13 15:07)
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