I saw the production - I believe it was in the spring of 1980 (a school trip). I could see the conductor from where I was sitting. I specifically remember his cutoff at the end of the show (I was wondering how that would work in the theatre, as it's of course iconically a fadeout on the cast recording).
When it was at the Public, of course, the orchestra was backstage, and the conductor was not visible. And that was in pre-monitor days. Shows where the conductor was not visible to the actors managed to survive without monitors back in the past. There weren't that many back then, but there were some. Probably more Off-Broadway.
