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March 23 You know you're playing to much when...Here I sit, this is the only night I'll have off in 11 nights. Of coarse, this is over & above my "full time" job with Henry. Funny, but I feel like I'm on vacation because I'm sitting home....
Friday is OPENNING NIGHT. I'm sure we'll do a good job. Practice last night went well. A couple of bumps in the road when the singers decided to come in went they want to, and not when the music wanted them to. But we are good enough to made this a seamless transision.
It's the "being on the edge" that makes musical theater fun. You've got: 20 musicians, 50+ cast members, a dozen or so crew, a house full of folks and props. Any thing can go wrong.
The fun is in the reactions to these "panic" times.
March 20 In Musical Theater - Life IS the pitNOT THE CHERRY!
Just back from Brigadoon practice. I'll share with you a prespective few get when attending a musical production. This is a good thing. If this was the typical prespective, few would come back. But such is the life of a musician....
I ofter to you, two pictures that tell a story. First, my view from the music stand. Deep from the bowels of the pit. So deep in fact, the conductor must stand on a very tall podem to see the singers. See his foot. That's right, foot. So what are my chances of seeing his baton and the music at close to the same time.... none.
But than again, we're lucky, one of the trumpets set-up a video feed so we can see parts of the play (when we're not playing)... See the cage (net) in the video monitor?
The second pic has me standing at the pit enterance. You can see the conductor's head poking out of the cage. That's right, cage, don't feed the animals. The cage is there to protect the musicians if it starts to rain cast members. All in all, this is a great pit. Lots of room. Very clean.
Oh, did I mention, many years ago, I played a musical in Michigan that was in a converted barn. We (the pit) were stationed in the hay loft. We hoisted my brother's drums by rope into the loft. No way to climb the ladder while holding a bass drum. Don't ya just love it....
March 18 Brigadoon - Hell Week BeginsSunday at 2:00PM the baton drops on first "on stage" rehearsal for Brigadoon. We'll run thru the show twice that day. Than its everyday until openning night FRIDAY....
March 11 Brigadoon's Openning Night ApproachesLess than two weeks until opening night. We (the pit) had our first rehearsal with the cast. All of us locked into the band room together working on the musical tunes. Looks & sounds like it will be a hit. The music is very challenging. This show has some fast tempos with many hard key signatures. But than again, ALL shows have hard signatures. I can't decide if these signature are to make the vocalist or the keyboard player's life easier (all black keys).
In either case, they were not thinking about the instrumentalists.
I'm sharing the first reed book with Vicky. It makes it all the more challenging. We have to match pitchs. This is good for me. It forces me to do alot of listening & fine adjustments. I addition to the "musical" challenges (the toot), it's a hoot to be with these fine musicials. We have a good time joking around. I guess its because most of us have been doing this annual show for 10 plus years.
So much music in my life. Playing in four groups, conflicts are always a problem. Case in point, I have a problem with the show on the 25th. Oh well, what can you do. February 10 Brigadoon - First RehearsalThe pit got together tonight for our first rehearsal. If I got paid for the notes played, I'd be a rich man. But no such luck. Like most musicals, the key signatures are a real challenge. Jumping from 6 sharps (the most popular signatue) to a couple of pflats with little of no notice. All the while, the fingers moving at a rapid pace.
In the the pit, are many framiliar faces. One from the Wind Jammers and another old friend from the Black Tie Big Band.
November 23 Up Coming Musical - BRIGADOONJust got an invite to play in the Mighty Goliath Production's 2006 show, BRIGADOON March 24, 25, 26, 31, April 1 For those of you who need a refresher on this musical:
July 08 Crazy For You
Crazy For You is an adaption of the 1930's musical "Girl Crazy", including two new Gershwin songs that were discovered in a warehouse in 1982. The story is a classic tale of boy-meets-girl, starting out at the Zangler Theater in New York, and ending up in Deadrock, Nevada.
Crazy For You earned Tony Awards in 1992 for Best Musical, Choreography and Costume Design, as well as numerous Outer Critics Circle Awards and Drama Desk Awards.
Please check out the picture of George Gershwin in my photo Album and his bio.
A "Midi" version of Embraceable You is available now... This is just one of the many "old chestnuts" in the musical production. Thanks to for this sequence. Please visit there site. July 07 Life in the PIT, or "Living under there noses"A good friend of mine, asked why I haven't made a page for the "Might Goliath Productions". The MGP is just one of the many musical theater groups that I've played with over the years. I'm sure its close to 100 different shows. I played while in Detroit MI, Beamount TX and now Lorain OH. I hope to continue this for many more years.
This original blog entry was for my most recent pit experiance, Lorain Palace's production of "Crazy For You". I've already been asked to play another show in North Ridgeville this winter. Due to my schedule, I try to hold it to 2 shows a year. If you've you've been reading, you know the week prior to the show's openning is HELL.
Following are links to the theaters I've played with in the area:
We're getting down to crunch time. One more practice before the show opens. I'm playing the "Reed 3" book: Tenor Sax, Clarinet, and Oboe. Sorry, I don't play the Oboe. I do have one, tried to learn it at one time in my life, but in deed, life is to short. Like one of my favorite quotes says "You can do anything you want, just not everything you want". Therefore, I'm sight transposing the oboe parts on my clarinet.
We have a 20 member orchestra (brass, woodwinds, strings, keyboards and rythmn). All experianced and ready to have a good time. Still some rough edges, but it will all come together. It always does.
Nothing beats live theater. Getting all of the pieces to fit: singers, dancers, full band and conductor all on the same page is a trip. The fun is in the reaction to the unexpected.
With me on nights, I leave the pit at 9:45pm to make it to work. Long, Long, days, even longer nights....
The pic below is from my chair looking across the pit. Bobbi (blue top), our conductor, is taking a quick break between numbers.
 May 31 Lorain Palace Musical TheaterI'm excited about starting up a new musical. Rehearsals start soon with the show dates listed below. I'll be in the pit playing my heart out. I'm scheduled to play clarinet, alto & tenor sax. The Palace is a classic theater built inthe 20's. Click on the link and read about its history. Check out the pics in my album. Once rehearals start in the theater, I'll give you some more. Dates Friday, July 8 7:30 P.M. Saturday, July 9 7:30 P.M. Friday, July 15 7:30 P.M. Saturday, July 16 7:30 P.M. Sunday, July 17 2:00 P.M. Show Description: This musical is an adaption of the 1930's musical "Girl Crazy", including two new Gershwin songs that were discovered in a warehouse in 1982. The story is a classic tale of boy-meets-girl, starting out at the Zangler Theater in New York, and ending up in Deadrock, Nevada. "Crazy For You" earned Tony Awards in 1992 for Best Musical, Choreography and Costume Design, as well as numerous Outer Critics Circle Awards and Drama Desk Awards. ********************************************************************************** This high-energy musical comedy has mistaken identities, plot twists, fabulous dance numbers and classic Gershwin music, including "I Got Rhythm", They Can't Take That Away From Me","Embraceable You", I Can't Be Bothered Now", Bidin' My Time", and "K-ra-z-y For You" ********************************************************************************** |
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