[TPIN] seeing the musicians

[info at chasesanborn.com]

> You tell me, what is the
> difference between live and canned??

While it is likely true that hiding the musicians was a step towards  
firing the musicians, in CATS the set and the sound mix doesn't  
really suit a traditional pit orchestra. As Rod pointed out, in one  
location we were set up in another building. The conductor was  
visible to the cast via a monitor mounted on the balcony. One irate  
customer wrote the producers to complain that the music was not  
'live' as advertised, and there was a videotape of a conductor.

On the up side, the backup singers in the room with us used to cook  
crepes during the show and we threw some good parties.

Seriously, though, I had to answer this question numerous times  
during that run: if the orchestra can't be seen and the music is  
piped in through speakers, what's the difference if it is a tape? One  
big difference is the energy of the cast on stage. Performing to the  
same tape night after night is much different than performing with  
live musicians. Even if the audience can't tell the difference, the  
cast can. They are very aware of the subtle changes in the orchestra  
from show to show. This helps to keep their performance fresh. This  
is something the audience can see. When you are paying $100 a ticket,  
you expect more than just going through the motions. Live music is a  
big part of that.

Preaching to the converted, I know.

Chase Sanborn

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