The nice part is that they can afford a larger orchestra this way. During Orchestral down time, they also recorded backing tracks for a laxative commercial and the intro to a Korean documentary for PBS.The Tony Award orchestra will be able to play the theme for the ABC evening news, then play a bat mitzvah in Trenton, then the Tonys!
"There were two music ensembles; one that backed up Adele for the obvious reason and the other playing from one of the studios at Capitol Records.
I couldn't tell, but the two professional conductors in the room with me swore the on-stage orchestra with Adele was faking it."
That's entirely possible because at one point I saw Adele's drummer either drop a stick or attempt to re-adjust something down by his left foot and he was completely bent over fixing it while playing with one hand.
JR Robinson was the drummer in the studio group at Capitol. I heard the Adele drummer was Peter Erskine.
In most Broadway theatres today, I find that very little sound comes from the pit (on the rare occasions when it isn't entirely covered); what the audience hears is primarily coming from the amplifiers scattered around the house. Acoustic music is a rarity on Broadway - and most people are unaware of the difference.
The orchestra was pretty prominent at the recent "South Pacific" play. Wouldn't have been the same if they weren't there (at least I don't think so...)
Don't forget Chicago. That orchestra is even more prominent than the 2008 Gypsy one was because they can't hide them the way they did for a good portion of Gypsy.
And having done a summer stock Gypsy years ago with a drastically reduced orchestra I hope to never hear that score without a full brass section again.
"And having done a summer stock Gypsy years ago with a drastically reduced orchestra I hope to never hear that score without a full brass section again."
Saw Les Mis at the NJPAC a few years back. Didn't sound right. Looked onto the orch pit at intermission and noticed that there wasn't much there, mainly synthesizers. Reallllly missed the full orchestra!!!! Was obvious....