Theater Musicians

#41
bassybill said:
Yep, it's a "who you know" job. Over here in England, the guys who book musicians for shows are sometimes known in that circle as "fixers" - does that term get used over there? Often, the guy who fixes up the band is a pit player of high regard and with a lot of work - the sort of person the MD will book first for the show, and then leave them to get some of the musicians for the band (for those slots where the MD doesn't have anybody of their own in mind).
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I haven't heard that term before, but there is only one guy in town that would fit that description. He's "the" guitarist in town, and is the musician contractor for the local Summerstock theatre (the MD is usually pulled from New York and as such, isn't familiar with talent in town). I get a lot of recommendation requests from MDs that need some slots, but nothing farther than that.
 
#42
One Bad Monkey said:
I haven't heard that term before, but there is only one guy in town that would fit that description. He's "the" guitarist in town, and is the musician contractor for the local Summerstock theatre (the MD is usually pulled from New York and as such, isn't familiar with talent in town). I get a lot of recommendation requests from MDs that need some slots, but nothing farther than that.
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Both of those cases (yours and that of the guitarist) sound pretty much the sort of situation I was talking about, yeah.
 
#43
I can't help you get networked but I strongly encourage you to do the musical theater thing.

I've played in the pit for a few community musical productions over the past several years. The first one I played I could barely read music (even though I had played bass for almost 25 years at the time). I had gotten a CD of the show several weeks in advance and remember sitting there, figuring out the parts by ear and then penciling in the note letters over top of the staffs for large portions of the score (NOT fun to erase). That was enough to convince me I needed to learn to read and by the third production I could get through the score on the first go with very little trouble. The biggest adjustment for me as a veteran rock player was to adapt to the "fluid" time of the singers and follow the conductor as opposed to the drummer. But again, all that came with time. The only thing that can really down the gig is if the conductor / MD is a jag-off which unfortunately I did experience with one of the shows. But by and large it will definitely make you a better player. Good luck!
 
#45
Late to the party on this one, but I've come across both types of situations:

1) MD hires the musicians directly based on past experience with those musicians.
2) MD uses a fixer/contractor to assemble the pit musicians. This seems to be for the bigger shows where the fixer/contractor is also one of the musicians and the right-hand of the MD. The MD handles the music and cast. The fixer/contractor handles the musician logistics...hiring, firing, scheduling, etc.

In both situations, it is who you know. It took me a while to comprehend this because I assumed auditions were the norm. They're not. Like someone posted earlier:

1) Network
2) Let the appropriate people know you are interested.
3) Hopefully you get a call when everyone else on their list is unavailable.
4) You get the gig and don't blow it.

Those are the steps that I went through.

Oh, and one more thing: It seems to be the norm in the theater world that you get the music, have a few days to sort your self out, then rehearse once or twice with the band, then a a couple times with the cast and BOOM...you're on. Needless to say, strong reading chops cannot be emphasized enough.
 
#46
I've only played at one theater as I'm a teacher and not looking for steady gigs. Before I started working full time I got a call from the MD asking if i was available for a month and that was it.

He mailed me a contract and the book and I learned it. I showed up for rehearsal and knew my stuff, was flexible for edits, and followed. I did the whole run of "I Love a Piano" and had a great time. I worked well with the group and they liked having me because I was pleasant, down-to-earth, and open to criticism. Also because I did my job and did it well.

I got that gig because they were looking for a bassist and an actor in the previous show recommended me simply because we were both attending the same university music program.

Over a year later I got a call from the theater again to fill in for 8 dates. That was a few months ago and haven't heard anything since.

However; during my time subbing, I got to meet the go-to bassist for theater gigs and fill-ins in the area and he now knows my name and has offered to recommend me in the future. That hasn't happened yet, but now I'm on his list.

Things to keep in mind:

The music director is crazy busy. He was playing the piano, conducting, playing tracks on a laptop, and making notes on paper and verbally while the show and rehearsals were running. Immediately after the rehearsal he was running stuff with us and vocalists. Try not to be a nag.

As stated by others, be a good-great reader and learn to adapt to watching a conductor and listening to the rest of the group, and especially the vocalists. Also, know how to transpose your low notes. Many books double tuba and go lower than E. Learn to transpose not only the notes but also the phrases. Nothing sounds worse than breaking a melodic line.

Relax and have fun. If you do a whole run you will be seeing these people every day for a month or maybe more. Get to know them. Be interested in their lives and what they have to say. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. The more personable you are, the better chance they will want to call you in the future.

Good Luck!

-Cory
 
#47
It certainly is about who you know, so network! I did several shows. The first was at a community college where I think I was asked due to going to a jazz improv class. I would check out what is going on at your local community college. In fact, this first experience was just bass and piano.

The other shows were at local community theatre. That was unpaid, but it was good experience with a full orchestra. I would like to get into doing this again, been a long time. A lot of good advice here.
 
#48
I met a fellow from around here (he's a TBer) at one of my gigs. Nice guy, but we didn't get to talk too much.

I saw him playing in the pit at a local theater production a few months later. Holy crap! That guy kicks my ass!
 
#51
I know this is an 11 year old zombie thread, but I'm looking for the same thing. I'm in the Chicago area and looking to find local theater productions to play in. I don't care about the money as I am retired and recovering from a long and difficult illness, just trying to get my life back. I've played trumpet in many local musical productions but my medical condition has destroyed my chops. But I've also played bass in a half dozen musical too. I can read and/or play off of lead sheets (though I suck at tab! :poop: ). It's hard to find gigs for community theater as they pop up here and there and getting to the MD'seems difficult because the gigs and the MD's kind of live in the shadows.

Thoughts?
 
#52
You need to be in with the pool of musicians who do this stuff, so you are on the radar and can be recommended when asked.
That means you have effectively passed or failed the pre-audition.
I can't see banging on people's doors getting you anything more than putting your name down...but that might be out of politeness.
They need to know you are worth using.
 
#53
vindibona1 said:
I know this is an 11 year old zombie thread, but I'm looking for the same thing. I'm in the Chicago area and looking to find local theater productions to play in. I don't care about the money as I am retired and recovering from a long and difficult illness, just trying to get my life back. I've played trumpet in many local musical productions but my medical condition has destroyed my chops. But I've also played bass in a half dozen musical too. I can read and/or play off of lead sheets (though I suck at tab! :poop: ). It's hard to find gigs for community theater as they pop up here and there and getting to the MD'seems difficult because the gigs and the MD's kind of live in the shadows.

Thoughts?
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All I know is you have to be in the crowd that get called. High schools typically hire a few ringers; local theater groups will have a musical director (who's probably a music instructor at the local high school or college) who will call the folks in his Rolodex for these gigs.

I used to get a fair number of inquiries about whether I was interested, because I was in multiple bands being led by directors who either served as MDs for theater groups, or were on the first call lists for such MDs. They knew from leading bands I was in, that I could read and double several instruments (this is me as a sax player). Unfortunately for them, I don't play clarinet, and the clarinet parts in most musical plays are quite demanding.

As a bass player I'd think you've pretty much got to have both upright and electric chops and be able to play a variety of styles on both. Maybe at the lower levels of musical theater just doing it all on electric is considered acceptable.

But I don't have any genius ideas about how to move yourself in front of people who are currently in that loop and get yourself being thought of as a pit musician. Tougher as a bass player because there'll only be one; you might have three woodwind players, three violinists, a couple of cellos, two or three percussionists, but only one bass player.
 
#54
I stopped getting calls for theater gigs until I joined a community orchestra. There were like 90 musicians and a lot of them were gigging around town. That's a lot of people giving out your name. One of the other bass players in the section was doing a ton of pit gigs and would ask me to sub quite often. If money isn't an important motivator, then high schools and college productions are often looking for outside musicians. I did a few high school productions where most of the pit was for hire. The bigger schools will have their own orchestras though.
 
#55
turf3 said:
All I know is you have to be in the crowd that get called. High schools typically hire a few ringers; local theater groups will have a musical director (who's probably a music instructor at the local high school or college) who will call the folks in his Rolodex for these gigs.

I used to get a fair number of inquiries about whether I was interested, because I was in multiple bands being led by directors who either served as MDs for theater groups, or were on the first call lists for such MDs. They knew from leading bands I was in, that I could read and double several instruments (this is me as a sax player). Unfortunately for them, I don't play clarinet, and the clarinet parts in most musical plays are quite demanding.

As a bass player I'd think you've pretty much got to have both upright and electric chops and be able to play a variety of styles on both. Maybe at the lower levels of musical theater just doing it all on electric is considered acceptable.

But I don't have any genius ideas about how to move yourself in front of people who are currently in that loop and get yourself being thought of as a pit musician. Tougher as a bass player because there'll only be one; you might have three woodwind players, three violinists, a couple of cellos, two or three percussionists, but only one bass player.
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A couple thoughts...
I am just now recovering from 3 years of treatment of a very serious illness which came right after covid. So I've been out of the loop of everything. I played tons of musicals ON TRUMPET and probably 1/2 dozen on bass. I know I have one school hire for March. I think they're doing Aladdin (?). Nothing else in musical theater. I do know one MD, but I think he has had all of his shows locked down, but I'll call him again and see what he says.

But you've given me some things to think about. I decided to take private applied bass lessons at a local college just to get weekly hands on coaching. Perhaps the instructor can recommend me as now he is aware of my ability level after a few lessons. Thanks for your inspiration.
 
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