"Beauty and the Beast" National Tour

[Reedman]

Anyone see the national tour of "Beauty and the Beast"?

Next week I will be playing in the pit orchestra for it's six-day run at the Hershey (PA) Theatre.  I received the advance music book on Saturday.  Wish I was getting paid by the note!  Very busy, fast music for the most part.

[Jerry]

Congratulations!  Enjoy and have a Hershey bar.

[CT]

How exciting! Congratulations!

[Esther]

Wow, good for you. What a great gig!

[Teresa]

I think it's so cool to know a working musician!  Congrats!

[LeeAnne151]

When you work on all these different shows, do you get to see anything? Or hear anything of the show? or is it just work? Just curious. You get to participate in a lot of great shows.

[Reedman]

Thanks.

LeeAnne151 - we are in the orchestra pit and are usually too low to see on the stage.  We never rehearse with cast, except for a few numbers during sound check.

I did get to meet (briefly) Cathy Rigby during "Peter Pan" and Tom Wopat during "Annie Oakley".

We were on stage for "Chicago" - Alan Thicke was in that one.  So were a lot of scantily clad female dancers - I hate when that happens! 

[jclements]

I noticed a sign on our theatre for Beauty and the Beast in Nov. I thought it said Disney though...could it be the same show?

[LeeAnne151]

 

[karen J]

That is something I have always wondered, Reedman: How much time do you get to practice before you have to perform?

So, you essentially have one week to learn the music? Do you have full practice sessions with other bandmates before the shows? When I learn a new piano piece it takes weeks or months to get it down- I'd stress out big time if I only had one week. 

Anyway, have fun!

[Reedman]

karenJ,

For these national tours, we local musicians each get our book (mine is 123 pages  ) two Saturdays before the opening Tuesday - comes via FedEx from the local contractor.

Opening Tuesday: 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. rehearsal full pit orchestra only, no cast members; 5:30-6:30 sound check with the cast (do some numbers to get the microphone levels for everyone); 7:30 curtain - first time with the actors doing the entire show.

Rest of the week shows: wed 7:30, thu 7:30, fri 8:00, sat 2:00 & 8:00, sun 2:00 & 7:30.

When I play for groups like "The Four Tops", "Temptations", "Manhattan Transfer", we get the music that day at the rehearsal  . Then there are one or two shows the rest of the day.  Fortunately, I have always been an excellent sightreader.