Re: [Harp-L] How Musical Theater differs from Blues gigs and jams

[tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx]

I did the 'B' National tour of that show. After the 'A' tour, which played places like the Schubert Theatre in Chicago and LA, etc., a 'B' tour was put together to play places like the Civic Center in Cheyenne. We did 275 shows in 45 states in a year. I had a blast! The harp, guitar and fiddle were on stage in original Broadway costumes.

We spent three months putting the show together before going on the road. There was a lot of rehearsal at the beginning but after a month or so musicians were no longer required to attend. I didn't have to do a lot of sight reading as I was able to cop Don Brooks parts from the original recording. After about 50 shows I gave the book back because I had the show memorized and didn't want to be responsible for it.

For me that show opened a lot of doors. It led to a Hohner endorsement deal and the following five years I was in an acoustic duo that played ski resorts and National Park lodges throughout the Rockies. 

I gave up a very good engineering job to do it all and wouldn't change a thing.


On Apr 6, 2014, at 2:03 AM, Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Working Harmonica this month in a  Mesa, Arizona (Phoenix) production of
> "Big River, the story of Huckleberry Finn" (11 songs by Roger Miller - Dang
> me)
> 
>   1. Lotsa rehearsal! Three 3-hour weekly rehearsals preceding show open,
>   plus tech-week run throughs with full cast and dialog
>   2. Lots of sitting quietly and waiting for your cues. Lots.
>   3. Helps to be a treble clef reader (Gotta count those measures when
>   laying out!)
>   4. Read it, play it correctly, and do it every night
>   5. Try not to sneeze or cough (we are not in an orchestra pit, but
>   visible to the audience throughout, and mic'd)
>   6. Be agreeable to frequent changes right before each show -  "play
>   more, play less, improvise" where there is no score to read
>   7. Bring sticky tabs and pencils - Directors will add repeats or cut
>   sections out of your book. Then you must erase it all when you return the
>   rental books
>   8. Sight read and sing tenor to a four part hymn, reinforcing the
>   on-stage singers (finger-in-ear to keep the pitch - no monitors)
>   9. Buy a Trump (jew's harp) in the right key, although no one else
>   thinks that would matter
>   10. Bring all your diatonics, because they may ask you play on a tune
>   that did NOT call for harp in your score, or change the key for a singer
> 
> So yes, it's all very different, and still very fun and  challenging.
> Meet lots of great new friends in cast, crew, and band/orchestra.
> In Mesa theater, the pay is not stunning when looking at your hourly rate,
> but you get to update your resume and and website.
> 
> If you get the opportunity, do it!
> I would love to hear what others have encountered in Musical Theater.
> 
> Robert Hale
> Spiral Advocate (Fanatic!)
> Learn Harmonica by Webcam
> Low Rates, High Success
> http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
> http://www.dukeofwail.com
> https://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL