 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2009-05-31 17:20
I've played the Reed 4 on this one, many, many, MANY years ago. Not a favorite, music wise. The fact that Glen Close had the female lead in this one may have had something to do with it as well - I'm not her greatest fan...
You're going to have a hard row to hoe if the production is going to dump most of the reed books. The "Come Follow The Band" number is a piece of typical circus band music, complete with shrillin' and trillin' clarinets and octave flute (piccolo). Hard to reproduce the harmony and ornament there with only one player. You might get away with two.
Bass clarinet is critical to the female vocal numbers (as it is in all Broadway shows). The baritone sax part lends bottom to the "elephant" section of one number ("Thank God I'm Old", maybe? Like I said, it's been a long time.) Other than that, the low reeds can be dispensed with.
(I don't recall any soprano sax on this one, but I didn't have much to do with the other players. (I only came in for the dress rehearsal and the production shows), so I don't remember what was what with the rest of them.))
The biggest problem is how you are going to replicate the "circus band" sound (already done with a reduced group in the first place) with only one high woodwind sound. I'd return to the music director and ask if you can be complemented by a "primary" flute player who can also handle one of the saxophones (although sax isn't as critical in this show as in most) and maybe clarinet.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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timw |
2009-05-30 13:10 |
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Terry Stibal |
2009-05-31 17:20 |
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timw |
2009-06-02 15:30 |
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Terry Stibal |
2009-06-08 17:32 |
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