Asked to play for first Sondheim musical -- help!
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Topic: Asked to play for first Sondheim musical -- help!
Posted By: redhead
Subject: Asked to play for first Sondheim musical -- help!
Date Posted: 6/11/12 at 12:31pm
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I'm not an MD, but I've played piano for a few shows (RENT, Godspell, Hairspray) and really enjoyed it.
The MD I've worked with before just called me and said they were doing Sweeney Todd in about 6-7 weeks, and could I play? I took a peek at the score and listened to some songs on YouTube. Holy mackerel!!! It's a lot different from those other shows. It looks HARD. It looks crazy! I'm not even sure I will even be able to play it. Am I over-reacting, or is it as bad as it appears? For those of you who have done ST (or other Sondheim shows) before, did you use live music, and how did it go? Any advice for how I should tackle this -- or if I should even try? Thanks! Redhead |
Replies:
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 6/12/12 at 8:15am
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In my opinion, Sondheim music is often much more complicated than your traditional musicals. You are the best judge of your own ability. If you feel the music is beyond your ability, let the MD know now. It is better they have the time to find an pianist for the show. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 6/12/12 at 9:51am
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I'll always remember the time I took a copy of the score for "The Fantasticks" to a potential pianist to see if she would agree to do the show for me. She sat down and (sight reading) played the Overture almost perfectly, all the while saying, "No. No, I can't do this. This is much too hard." - Needless to say, she was wonderful. It was the first show she ever played for, and she (and her family) became involved in theatre for the next forty years. pdavis69 is right to a certain extent. You are the only one who can judge your comfort level - which is a bit different from your "ability". My guess is that the "Sweeney Todd" MD heard you playing for at least one of three shows you've already done and thinks you're capable. Have a "heart to heart" with the MD, express your doubts, then listen to your heart. |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 6/20/12 at 3:34pm
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Talk to the MD, express your concerns. If you still don't feel confident, pick one song practice it a bit and then ask the MD to 'audition' with it. Remember this could be an opportunity for you to grow with this music. ------------- _____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people |
Posted By: redhead
Date Posted: 8/13/12 at 4:57pm
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Thanks everybody. Edh, what you said really helped. I spoke to the MD and then went ahead and did -- we just opened this past weekend! Had a harp, trumpet, trombone, flute, and clarinet.
It's been stressful, but good. At least now I know I can do Sondheim. On a side note, I've been surprised to see that, in this and other shows I've played, almost everybody else in the pit/band is a teenager. For example, the violinist played her first show when she was twelve, and the harpist is only sixteen and has already done Sweeney Todd three times. Is that typical, that theatre musicians are usually kids? I guess I'm surprised (and slightly embarrassed, although I know it's silly) about this, because I am, uh, NOT a teenager, and I actually thought I was doing something pretty tough and challenging, and not a job that usually filled by a high schooler (or younger!) Just curious if that's typically ... who your musicians usually are and what age/level/experience. Anyway, thanks for the responses! |
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 8/14/12 at 8:27am
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The majority of our musicians are teenagers. The biggest reason behind this for us is the pay scale. As a community theatre, we cannot afford the big ticket adult musicians. This does not mean we get second rate artists in our orchestras, we just get the very talented young people who don't know they can make more somewhere else yet. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 8/14/12 at 9:22pm
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I'm so glad you were able to do it and have a good time in the bargain.
Yes, musicians come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Primary requisite: a desire to play and enough talent to not look (or sound) foolish. |
Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 8/15/12 at 6:56am
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There simply are so many talented YOUNG people out there that play in these musical orchestras that I've seen. And it always amazes and impresses me. I've had this conversation before with my violin teacher and the thing he pointed out to me was that in HIS experience younger people have a little bit easier time because (and if) nobody tells them that it's really hard to learn to play an instrument and they're NOT intimidated like we older folks tend to be. I mean I didn't start violin lessons until a few years ago and I'm in my 60's. I was so distraught that I had to give up playing guitar - and I had three good ones - but developed osteo-arthritis in my left hand - specifically my left thumb - so that killed my guitar playing for life. I got annoyed so I figured the next best thing that I could do - since it wasn't RELIANT on the full use of my thumb as it is for guitar playing - was to take up the violin - something I always wanted to do. So I did. And I've enjoyed playing for the last couple of years and learning. BUT KIDS or young people in general, if you can get them started early enough and interested enough, AND if nobody tells them it really is NOT easy to learn to play an instrument - often do incredibly well with it and can have a lifetime of enjoyment from it.
We've been lucky enough that our city has a philharmonic orchestra made up of loads of professional orchestra musicians who don't get to work enough so they sneak around their union rules and play for some of the shows when they can, for scale. But that doesn't always occur. AND not all the groups can afford larger orchestras. Right now the opera company I work with is about to open a world premiere of an opera written by Ernst Bacon - called A Tree On The Plains - which was the forerunner and basis for OKLAHOMA by R&H. Bacon was a Pulitzer Prize winning composer of American music and though now deceased, his wife still is alive and will be in attendence. I couldn't be involved this time but the music/artistic director has gathered a significant orchestra of about 30 some odd people from the university, from his local contacts, from philharmonic players, to students, to local professional musicians to play for this. So we DO get to enjoy orchestras of caliber once in a while. BUT young people in many of the local high schools - which do a GREAT DEAL to teach MUSIC to younger people in this state in general - produce some really good musicians and orchestras even on the high school level here. So it can happen.
By the way, SONDHEIM for ANY musician is NOT a walk-in-the-park so to speak. He writes some complex stuff so that you were able to play it and do well with it as you did, and as Ed says - to HAVE FUN - well icing on the cake and a star in YOUR crown!! KUDOS for a great job...I'm sure.
TonyDi ------------- "Almost famous" |
Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 8/15/12 at 6:13pm
| Amen to that. I recently played Turpin in Sweeney Todd and had the Judge's solo Johanna cut, largely because I was late getting it into performance-ready state. Now, part of that was missing a week of rehearsal early, but another part was me dithering at really working it on my own -- it's such a freaky, hard piece that I wanted to get a recording from one of our two rehearsal pianists, but every time I recorded there were multiple, significant errors, so I'd just say "well, next reharsal, I'll get a good one..." only to have the same thing happen, 4 or 5 times, until I finally knuckled down and said "gotta do it NOW and just work the hell our of the thing even with the bad recording," but by that time it was too late. |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 8/15/12 at 9:33pm
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On the age range: Don't be embarrassed! Embrace one of the most beautiful things about community theatre (aside from actors): People don't see your age, just your talent. In what other artistic or non-artistic endeavor is that true? In almost all parts of life we segregate the young from the rest, but in community theatre people 'play' together. How wonderful!--for you and for them!--to play talented younger musician right beside a talented adult. You are showing them that age is irrelevant. And you are sharing a love of music. And then enjoy the amazing progress amoung the young when the arts are loved and supported. Some of the talents are truly AMAZING.
------------- _____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people |
Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 8/16/12 at 6:53am
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Rorgg - I know - right? The Judges Johanna song is just one of the most dissonant pieces of music almost that I think I ever heard and VERY LITTLE help from the music/orchestra/piano for sure. That without a doubt in even the best of situations is probably THE most challenging thing in the show. So many people DO cut that song but it's such an INTENSE piece that fits that character so very well - I hate it when it's not there. But yes I do understand that issue.
By the way IF YOU or anyone NEEDS to have this music - I just happen to have midi files for EVERY portion of the show I think - just piano but it is a good rehearsal method when you don't have someone around all the time to sing along with. They're broken out into maybe 50 files but they're midi files so they're relatively small. All total they're only about 755K (notice K not meg M or G gig) so they're comfortably small. If anyone needs them I can zip them to a single file and if you have a method to UNZIP them you can have a listen to rehearse with. I also have the complete score someplace - many pages (100's) but someday hope to get those scanned in. Not sure but I think it's the piano/conductor's score not the full orchestra parts although in the piano/conductor score they're all there I think. Don't rememeber - it's packed away down the road in the storage building someplace!! But someday I'll have that scanned too and will create a PDF file of it.
And VICKI - I LOVE what you said - you're so right about this. There IS nothing like theater to bring people together who are talented and where the age barriers melt away and aren't necessarily an issue. It's great to see the younger ones along side the "seasoned" ones doing good work. And it happens quite often. But I love the way you put it. Thanks for sharing it in that manner.
TonyDi
------------- "Almost famous" |
Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 9/02/12 at 11:29pm
Thanks for the offer, but that's come and gone, and now that I've played the judge TWICE, I'm hoping I can take it easy next time and play Sweeney.  I've actually been called back for Todd all three times I've gone out for the show, just haven't landed it yet. It'll come.
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