Question about touring productions musicians

[gfaustswa]

This will be a very simple question for someone to answer.  Just got back from seeing If/Then in Nashville.  I've asked myself this question many times, but have never asked anyone....does the orchestra tour with them or are they local musicians from each city?  Thanks!

[TheGingerBreadMan]

It can vary from production to production. Most shows will have their own musicians, and sometimes smaller touring orchestras may be supplemented by local musicians brought in for their city's run. 

[gfaustswa]

Thanks.  I've noticed here in Nashville the musicians are always really good, but honestly, you would kind of expect that here.  Your answer makes even more sense!  Thanks for the reply.

[Mr. Nowack]

Usually here in Pittsburgh its a combo of local musicians and people that came in with the tour.

[Call_me_jorge]

Usually it's always the conductors and the drummer who travels with the show.

[nycgogetter]

It does vary from show to show - some shows, percussion and keyboards travel only - but it depends on the score, and what the musical director / producers find what is important in the score.  

 

It will also depend on the local union musicians union, and the length of the stay - which may also affect the number of locals versus out of town.   

[gfaustswa]

Thanks for all the imput.  Always kind of blows my mind how everything comes together for a show.  More power to those of you who do it for a living!  Let me buy you a drink or four!   I can't imagine all the scheduling that goes on.

[JBroadway]

I know a percussionist who is based in San Francisco who will sometimes get hired for the orchestra of national tours when they stop there. like others have said, it varies. 

[gfaustswa]

Very interesting!  I will continue to read this and what cities do what.   Not a huge question ringing in many ears, but I find the answer, well, like I said....interesting.

[RippedMan]

Did a non-Union tour and we traveled with a 6-piece band. 

[trpguyy]

As others have said, it varies from show to show. Most large tours (playing primarily one-week or longer sits) will travel only a portion of their band, and pick up the rest locally. Some tours will carry their entire band, which can be very helpful for the overall quality of the production. The American Federation of Musicians have all sorts of rules and "Pamplets" (their "contract" regarding tours, much like AEA does. If a tour carries its own band and they play certain major cities (LA, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, etc.) Rule 24 takes effect and most of the band is replaced by local musicians.

Here's an example: http://www.afm.org/uploads/file/West%20Side%20Story%20Troika%2012-13(1).pdf

[gfaustswa]

@rippedman

What would be a typical band size?  6?  Seemed to me tonight, maybe as many as 15 or more.  Would that be reasonable?

[trpguyy]

gfaustswa said: "@rippedman

What would be a typical band size?  6?  Seemed to me tonight, maybe as many as 15 or more.  Would that be reasonable?"

The Broadway production was orchestrated for 15, it's possible that it's the same orchestration but often times they pare down for the road. I can't speak to this specific production.

 

10-12 is about average these days.

[gfaustswa]

Thanks @trpguyy

[jomilo21]

Once the Musical travels with the full band

[Call_me_jorge]

Would out of town tryouts use local or ny musicians?

[¿Macavity?]

I believe that it is generally local musicians, Jorge. Some may travel to NY with the show, but I think most do not.

[trpguyy]

Call_me_jorge said: "Would out of town tryouts use local or ny musicians?"

Mostly local, with the exception of the AMD (who's probably playing Keys) and sometimes the drummer, or other rhythm section if it's a grooving show.

[RippedMan]

We did Cabaret so not a huge orchestra show. 

[KnewItWhenIWasInFron]

A musician friend told me, horrifyingly, that some shows now tour with little more than a couple of synthesizers. They hire the minimum number of local musicians to satisfy union rules but those musicians just sit in the pit while the synthesizers pump out an approximation of the score. I hope he's exaggerating but a couple of recent touring shows make me wonder...

[Mike Costa]

The current  non-equity tour of Ragtime just played Dallas with a total of TWO traveling  musicians in the pit.  The top ticket was $99.  For NON-equity ...with TWO musicians ... in a MAJOR city... of a show with a SWEEPING score.

It is quite APPALLING  how producers are scamming the public with non-union shows at huge prices.

http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2016/05/ragtime-with-canned-music-at-dsm-no-thanks.html/

[Call_me_jorge]

I remember being appalled there were no string instruments for the beautiful tour. How could that be when Carole has to learn how to orchestrate the string section.

[GavestonPS]

In cities with regular tours and concerts/night clubs, there's an actual profession called "musical contractor". The contractor is a local whose job it is to supply any musicians needed to augment those who travel with the show. (As said above, the travelers usually include a keyboardist or two and maybe a drummer.)

Perhaps things have changed, but back when I was working tours in the 1970s, the musical contractor had enormous power and--I suspected--tremendous earnings from kickbacks. After all, local musicians couldn't work if they didn't stay on the good side of the contractor.

On the other hand, as a rep of management, I had to deal with each IATSE member individually PLUS the official union rep PLUS the district union officials. When it came to musicians, all I had to do was whisper a few words to the contractor and a substandard player was replaced.

[knc68]

Often you can find a list of the musicians who travel with the tour on ibdb.com. For example, If/Then lists Conductor, two keyboardists, guitar, drums, so most likely that is the set that travels with the show. I can't speak to its accuracy for this particular tour, but that's probably either accurate or close, and those people travel with the show, and the rest are hired locally. https://www.ibdb.com/Production/View/500921

Or, for example, I recently toured with a different show where the conductor, two pianists, and drummer traveled with the show, and 10 musicians (brass, woodwinds, strings, etc) were hired locally by a contractor. Music is sent ahead to them, and then once the tour arrives there is a rehearsal to combine the traveling group with the local musicians before opening night.

I think this is pretty common to most Equity/AFM tours--- I have heard that some of the non-eq tours that do fewer performances in each city carry all the musicians they have in the pit (and maybe therefore are more likely to reduce the orchestration significantly?) because it would be too much to add in new musicians if you're just doing one or two nights all the time, but I don't have personal experience with any of the non union tours.

[katonkeyz]

@callmejorge

The Beautiful Tour uses the exact same orchestration as Broadway.  There are no live strings in either.  They added/used a live section specifically and only to record the cast album.