Subject: [Harp-L] Playing on Broadway/subs

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

VERY cool story, Michael....and well written.  Actually, THIS is the  kind of 
thing I'd so love to read about in Harmonica Happenings.  I think  you should 
submit it for the next publication (many SPAH members don't post  here)....
 
Thanks for a most enjoyable interlude.
 
Elizabeth
 
"I was on vacation and read some archives things that I am commenting  on.  I 
was the original harmonica player for the Broadway show The Civil  War.  The 
whole experience lasted about a year although we were only on  Broadway for 
previews (about two months) and then about 2 months after the  official opening 
and then we lost the Tony to Fosse and closed a week later  along with 11 
other shows.  Pre Broadway we did 2 other cities, Houston and  New Haven.

First off I have no idea how they found  me.  I was living in Austin, Texas 
and was not a member of the Union.   Texas is a right-to-work state.  One day I 
received a phone call asking me  to audition for the Houston show.  I was 
told there was no possibility of  getting the Broadway gig.  I audtioned, lied 
about my ability to read music  and got the gig.  I quit my part time day job, 
kissed two bands and my  students and my apartment goodbye and moved to 
Houstoin for a 3 month gig.   I went with the intention of getting the Broadway gig 
and did not want to have  any ties at home.  

I took two reading lessons  and practiced 8 hours a day for 3 weeks.  I was 
the worst reader of the  orchestra by far, but I made it.

In Houston, we  practiced for 3 weeks.  This is an unusually long time for 
Broadway.   I think this was because the writers were still writing the show.  
Most of  the singers (a great ensemble cast where any one of them could have 
starred)  went on to Broadway.  Only 4 musicians did and the other three were 
New  York and LA cats flown out to Houston.
There were no subs in  Houston.  I was expected to make every show no matter 
what.   

About half way thru they told me they wanted me for  Broadway.  Rumor has it 
Rob Paparozzi was offered the gig and turned it  down and so I got the call.  
Thanks Rob!  I believe I lived in around  11 different spaces in that year's 
time moving from city to city and living on  couches while I found an apartment 
in New York.

In  New York we prepared one week for the New Haven show and then moved to  
New  Haven.  The musicians were almost all different, like I say.  So was  the 
music.  Whatever I had learned in Houston was out  of the  window.  Until a 
show "opens"  the writers can change the show as  often as they please.  As a 
musician, I was allowed to show up one minute  before the show started.  There 
was no policy forcing me to show up  early.  Quite often I would arrive to find 
new songs or parts written out  on my music stand.  

In New Haven, the orchestra  pit was small.  The horns and myself were placed 
in a separate room we  nicknamed the Blow Room (because we all blew to make 
our instruments work you  sex and drug minded people!)  We baffled my amplifier 
and I had a vocal  mic. We watched the conductor on a television screen.  We 
listened with  small monitors.  

In New York, there were  plastic walls between most of the musicians.  We 
each had our own monitor  and although we were in the pit together I still 
watched the conductor on a  small tv set.  My mic was sent to my amp in another 
room.  I also  played thru a vocal mic.

Although one contractor is  in charge of booking almost all Broadway shows, 
the musicians were in charge of  finding their own subs.  Although paid 
vacation days were limited, a  musician could sub out close to 100% of the shows if 
he wants to.  Also,  unless he screws up big time, a musician has the right to 
his chair for the run  of the show.  Pretty much the only way to screw up was 
to arrive  late.  They understood that you people make mistakes trying to play 
what is  written.

Finding a sub was excruciatingly  difficult.  I knew no one in Manhattan.  If 
I called anyone to tryout  they either blew me off or assumed they had the 
gig without any audtion and some  people acted quite hurt when I did not choose 
them.  I played both  acoustically and electrically, with chromatic in 
multiple keys and diatonic in 3  positions and both read music and improvised.  
Finding a harp player to  handle it was tough.  The potential sub would sit next to 
me during a show  and see what I did.  I got to interview both Don Brooks and 
Rob Paparozzi  and got to know them.  Don did not want the gig, Rob seemed 
willing but  busy.  I wound up writing all the improvised parts and giving the 
sub part  to a very nice guy (sorry if you are lurking, but I forget your 
name.)   and we spent many hours training him for the one day I subbed out, my  
girlfriend's birthday.  It was worth it.  

To give you some idea of the musicianship caliber, the musicians in the  
orchestra were in other bands you might have heard of... Steely Dan, Barbara  
Streisand, Prince, THe Woody Hermann (I suppose memorial) orchestra, Donna  
Summer, Gregory Hines, Arlo Guthrie, The Blues Brothers, etc.  AT the end  of the 
night I had to take a solo right after the Steey Dan guitarist.  He  would show 
me up night after night.  My only strategy was if he played  slow, I played 
fast and vice versa.

For a year I made  around $1500 a week.  When it was over, I was depressed 
for a little while,  mmoved back to Austin and got happy again. I also fought 
the union and won  proving that I should get paid a double for playing both 
chrome and  diatonic.

If the show had continued I would have had  more stories. 
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com"  




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