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Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: vegas 10:24 pm EST 11/03/15

Tonight I'm attending my first community theatre musical in decades. The show is using recorded music rather than live musicians. Is this common? When I was a teenager our community theatre always used live musicians, even in children's theatre productions.


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NEVERWHERE ruined

Posted by: NeoAdamite 12:33 am EST 11/04/15
In reply to: Recorded music at community theatre - vegas 10:24 pm EST 11/03/15

The show is using recorded music rather than live musicians.

The problem with prerecorded music (besides the aesthetic and ethical ones) is that it puts performers into a straitjacket.

NEVERWHERE (at New World Stages), for example, was ruined by the performers having to pay constant attention to an orchestra that wouldn't follow them. As a result the whole thing became just a little bit boring. (All the reviews noticed the tendency to boredom, but nobody recognized the musical problem.)

I say 'ruined' because I believe the show would have attracted twice the audience even with only piano, bass, and drums, or piano and violin.


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re: NEVERWHERE ruined

Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 12:59 am EST 11/04/15
In reply to: NEVERWHERE ruined - NeoAdamite 12:33 am EST 11/04/15

NEVERWHERE... was ruined by the performers having to pay constant attention to an orchestra that wouldn't follow them.

It's not really the role of the orchestra to "follow" the singers (and the larger the pit, the more difficult it would be to effect that, anyway). Rather, it's for the conductor, not the stage performers, to set the tempi.


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re: Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: Teacher64 10:50 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: Recorded music at community theatre - vegas 10:24 pm EST 11/03/15

As someone who is trying to put together a production of a major musical with my local theater group, I can tell you that the expense of musicians is sometimes prohibitive. My Music Director alone gets anywhere from $1500 to $1800. The musicians get $65 per event. With three rehearsals and three performances that comes to $390 times 5 musicians. For a total of $1,950. At that expense, pre-recorded music is always in the back of one's mind. So far, I have managed to not use it, but it is always tempting.


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re: Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:02 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Recorded music at community theatre - Teacher64 10:50 pm EST 11/03/15

In my opinion, even the smallest live orchestra or combo is better than recorded music for any musical, and if you don't agree or can't understand why, you should probably not be producing and/or directing musicals.


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re: Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 10:33 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: Recorded music at community theatre - vegas 10:24 pm EST 11/03/15

I think and hope it's not common, and I urge you to complain to someone in charge.


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re: Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: StageDoorJohnny 10:42 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Recorded music at community theatre - Michael_Portantiere 10:33 pm EST 11/03/15

I was performing to recorded music starting in the 70s and going up to 2011. Singing to a prerecorded full orchestral track is not ideal, but it usually beats the pants off of two pianos a base and drums. (tho' with keyboards even that has improved).
A noted producer, in the 80s, confronted the musicians union prior to a strike with a sampled 'soundtrack' of his hit show and said "I don't need you." Like it or not, it will be the wave of the future -- especially if people keep complaining about the sound of small orchestras in revivals of shows


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re: Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:05 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Recorded music at community theatre - StageDoorJohnny 10:42 pm EST 11/03/15

"Singing to a prerecorded full orchestral track is not ideal, but it usually beats the pants off of two pianos a base and drums."

I disagree. (And it's "bass.")

"Like it or not, it will be the wave of the future -- especially if people keep complaining about the sound of small orchestras in revivals of shows."

Your logic here eludes me.


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re: Recorded music at community theatre

Posted by: Thom915 12:56 am EST 11/04/15
In reply to: re: Recorded music at community theatre - Michael_Portantiere 11:05 pm EST 11/03/15

I just saw my first musical using prerecorded music and I have to say it was definitely lacking. I know the idea was to save money but in doing so, the performers seemed to lose a good deal of conviction and spark even in the non-musical parts of the show. My opinion seemed to be a minority view however since most of the people there I spoke to seemed impressed by how well the cast technically performed.


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