[Harp-L] RE: Big River Followup

["the_jukester@xxxxxxxx" <the_jukester@xxxxxxxx>]

     My Big River experience was definitely educational, both musically and personally. I got the call for a local production of the show through another harp player who didn't feel that he could make the show's rehearsal and performance schedule due to the demands of his day job. Since I didn't have a day job it worked out fine. The musical conductor and most of the other musicians in the pit were very friendly. I was able to get together for some early sessions with the main guitarist to go over parts of the score that I was struggling with. He was very patient and I was able to sit right beside him in the pit so he could give me necessary the cues for my parts. There were 18 other musicians in the group besides me.       As the only non-reader in the group, even though some of my parts were to be improvised, I needed some specific cues and had to write out most of my parts of the score in harp notation so I could play them adequately. Having the CD of the original production with Donnie Brooks on harp saved my butt. The overture opening of 18 bars of solo harp was in musical notation that I could easily translate to harp tab, and by the first rehearsal I had it down. The fiddle player who had the next section had a father who was a harp player and we hit it off right away. By the time the rest of the orchestra came in on that first day things were sounding good. Everybody was smiling at the overture's end.      That was the easy part. Lot of changes were made over the next couple of rehearsals in subsequent parts of the score. Some of the sections that I really had a handle on were cut. At least one was given to the piano player. But all in all it was big fun, and the pay was great, and even included my travel time to and from the venue. Plus the director liked the overture so much that he decided to repeat it at the end of the final performance. The only downer for me was that I had to sit out a couple of sections that I felt more than adequately able to play. I would definitely recommend doing the show if the opportunity arises. There are obviously different approaches to the score by different directors, but that opening harp part sets the tone for the show. Roger Miller did us all a favor. And Donny Brooks helped make harp players "legit" in musical theatre. Pete SheridanJukester's Harmonica SuppliesVintage  Harp Mics, plus...www.petesheridan.net Author,"The Quest For Tone In Amplified Blues Harp""Affordable Axes And Cool Amps""Wayne Raney, That Hillbilly Boogie Boy With The Talking Harmonica"         
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