When I saw the recent revival of Fiddler (the only show I've actually seen
on Broadway) the orchestra was placed on stage, off to audience right. A
clarinetist did step into the action during the wedding.
Aaron J. Rabushka
[email protected]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryan" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Finale] O.T. Musical Theater (was Secco recitatives)
I love hearing these "horror stories" from musical theater. I'm getting
ready to conduct Fiddler on the Roof and the director has told me he's
considering putting the orchestra on stage (partly in the wings), so that
we
can become the "wedding band" at the end of Act I. I don't like the idea
of
having 15 musicians trying to perform during a brawl...
Christopher, I wonder if we've worked with the same choreographer. There
always seems to be one like her involved in every show I've done!
On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 3:52 PM, Christopher Smith <
[email protected]> wrote:
On Mon May 24, at MondayMay 24 5:42 PM, John Howell wrote:
The movie versions are ALWAYS too different to do you any good.
Hah! I wish you could have had that conversation with this one
choreographer, who watched the movie for several of our semi-pro
productions
and insisted that the dance routines (including hits) be altered to match
the movie. She even insisted that entire numbers be added or excised to
match the movie. She didn't understand how much work it was to transcribe
and arrange all that music. In fact, she would come over to the band
during
rehearsals and say, "No, like this..." and then sing it to us, as if we
would just hear her, change our parts on the spot (arranging them
spontaneously through telepathy), and play it like the film version as
soon
as she said, "Got it? 5-6-7-8..."
It was when we injured several dancers during Sweet Charity that I think
she finally got the idea that filming Shirley MacLaine in twenty or so
cuts
with pre-recorded vocals was a completely different thing than performing
all that live, dripping with sweat and puffing like a water buffalo
during
the last chorus of "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This."
Strangely, this group had a curiously low opinion of musical directors.
His
opinion was completely ignored during casting, in fact, they didn't even
invite him to the auditions for one show, presenting him with the casting
as
a fait accompli at the first rehearsal. The choreographer, however, had
the
director wrapped around her finger and got priority in all matters,
including rehearsal time. The first production that I musical directed
for
them was the one that she dropped out of after auditions, possibly
because I
was making sense with my opinions and that didn't bode well for her.
Okay, end of rant.
Christopher
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