What’s it like to play in a band for a musical stage show?
Sax player and student Brooke Jessop shares her experience of playing sax for a theatre show for the first time.
Guys and Dolls
Recently I was lucky enough to play in the pit band for the musical Guys and Dolls at my university.
It was my first ever time playing sax for a theatre show and it was a lifelong dream come true for me. It’s an incredibly fun and rewarding experience, and I would recommend it to any other amateur musicians to get involved with their local productions.
Here I have compiled what I learnt from the whole journey from practice to performance, as well as some tips and tricks I picked up along the way.
Finding an opportunity
Whilst professional musicians will get paid to play on the West End, on tours or in bigger theatres, for newcomers like me it’s best to look local.
I found my musical via the university musical theatre group. I sent some videos of my playing as an informal audition for the pit band.
The best places to look are local universities, schools, or amateur productions. Don’t forget to keep a keen eye on social media pages. While these gigs may not offer financial compensation, they provide invaluable experience and a chance to hone your craft.
Networking
They say it’s not what you know it’s who you know. But in musical theatre it’s who knows you!
Get your name out there so people know that you’d like to play sax in a theatre show. Network with musicians or performers who can put in a word for you, or let you know of any pit band opportunities.
And when you do land a spot in a show, make sure to impress the musical director with your talent and reliability. After all, word travels fast in the pit! There’s no room for divas so approach every opportunity with professionalism and humility. Show up on time, prepared, and ready to collaborate. Your reputation as a dependable musician will precede you, paving the way for future theatre show gigs.
Practice
Congratulations, they’ve chosen you! Now what?
First things first – you’ll need to be able to read scores with ease and confidence. With tight rehearsal schedules and a plethora of music to tackle, being a proficient sight-reader is important.
And don’t forget about transposition – knowing your scales in all 12 keys can be a lifesaver when the conductor throws a curveball your way.
The rehearsal process can vary between groups. For us, we only received the rights to the music 4 weeks before show week, so rehearsals were very few and quite intense.
In many productions you’ll find the band gets together just a few days before the show. So, it’s essential that you practise at home as often as you can. I’d also recommend going to cast rehearsals to familiarise yourself with the script and how your part fits in. It’s also exciting to see all the dance choreography you’ll miss when you’re playing.
Marking your scores
Start by familiarising yourself with your scores. Find a recording for your production on a streaming service and follow along.
During practice, you must always have your trusty companion with you – your pencil! Mark everything. Point out tricky passages and make note of important cues, tempo changes, time signatures, repeats, and cuts.
If you’re worried about getting lost, write in lyric cues or dialogue. This can be super-helpful. Post-it notes are also useful for making longer notes or for quick page turns.
Doubling
When you are playing sax in a theatre show, versatility is key. Pit musicians often find themselves switching between multiple instruments during a single performance – a practice known as “doubling“. This not only saves space in the pit but also reduces the need to hire additional musicians. Typically, musicians may handle 2-4 instruments per performance.
For example, during Guys and Dolls, there were 4 ‘REED’ parts with some of the variations including:
• Alto sax, flute, piccolo, clarinet
• Alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet, oboe
• Tenor sax, clarinet, bassoon, flute
• Baritone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet
However, fear not if you’re loyal to your sax. In my show, I primarily played tenor sax and some alto. I then chose to play the clarinet parts on my tenor, as it’s in the same key of Bb. With some practice, I could easily transpose the bassoon part too without any problems.
Stands
Whilst a music stand may be provided for you (always best to have one on hand anyway), for us woodwind players it’s important to have stands for your instruments. This means you can put down you’re instrument safely whilst you’re not playing, or if you are switching between saxes. And it makes the process swift and efficient. Sax stands are easy to find online or in local music stores, but I would advise not skimping on the quality as they’ll be holding precious cargo.
Other bits of equipment
Along with your instrument stand you’ll want things like pad blotting paper or cigarette paper for sticky keys, and maybe some tiny screwdrivers for quick adjustments. Of course you will need your pencil, and a tuner or a tuning app so your instruments are all set for the show.
Stand lights
The musician’s pit is exactly as it sounds. It’s a section tucked away somewhere near the stage in complete darkness, so be prepared for some pretty poor lighting. Whilst some music stands will have built-in lights, it’s always good to have your own stand light so you can see your music and your instrument.
Watch the conductor
The conductor is keeping busy watching the stage and you guys in the band. So to make their lives easier, always remain alert. Whilst the actors can’t see the band and you can’t see the actors, the conductor is your one port of call for tempos, cues, dynamics, and changes.
What to wear
Concert dress will usually be all blacks and the formality will differ from production to production. Some expect you to wear Black Tie, others will just want you to be comfortable, or perhaps they want you dressed like the world of the musical!
Plan your page turns carefully
The trickiest part I found was the speed at which you need to turn pages or switch instruments. The logistics are a nightmare and I had to practice this part the most. I found it helpful using a tablet or iPad to take pictures of the music and quickly swipe through the score that way. Experiment with what works for you.
Earplugs
It can be very loud in the confined space of the pit band, so I would recommend getting yourself some earplugs for the show. It took me a while to get used to balancing the sounds from my instrument and those around me. I was very grateful for my earplugs by the end of the week though. Prolonged loud playing can give you a headache, or even permanent hearing damage.
Allow yourself rest
If possible, consider taking some time off work for show week. I would definitely recommend this as I found it exhausting playing sax for a theatre show. I arrived 5pm for soundcheck each day, and I would leave after 11pm. So it’s important to get good rest between shows. Don’t stay out too late at post-show drinks – save that for the after party!
Reliability
Night after night, you’re entrusted with delivering flawless performances that captivate audiences and bring the show to life. During pieces, unwavering concentration is paramount.
Resist the temptation to noodle around during downtime. Instead, stay poised and ready to play your part at a moment’s notice. While there is a lot of waiting around and tedious periods, especially with sound checks, it’s just part of the job in the pit band! Think about bringing a book along with you to fill all those boring gaps.
Despite the occasional boredom, don’t get distracted by the show itself. If you get lost in the storyline, you might miss your cue. However, if there are long stretches where you’re not playing, it can be great to catch some of the action. I always found myself inadvertently memorising dialogue and mouthing along with the actors.
Final Thoughts
So here is a comprehensive list of everything I learnt from playing my first pit show. You might feel daunted at first. But remember it’s okay to make mistakes when you’re just getting started (I know I did). The most important thing is to have fun and to take it all in. It’s such an amazing experience. I’ll certainly never forget my time in Guys and Dolls and I’m eager to get involved with another show as soon as possible!
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