Profile for csmithmusictheater

I have the privilege to accompany lessons for a retired Tony nominee/Oliver winner. She does coachings with many equity actors when they are in town. In helping them prepare audition videos for certain roles, she is adamant that they only sing something in a key they can do 8 times a week, rain or shine, allergies, sick or what ever. Just because they ask if you can sing something, only show them what you are able to sing best. She had to request Queenie's main song in Showboat be lowered 1/2...

I first saw Sunset B in London with Betty Buckley, then later on Broadway with Glenn Close. First and only time in my life I felt the acting trumped any singing accommodations they made for her. Even in that cavernous hall, the softness of her voice drew you into her character. Beyond that, I think putting any song into a key that allows the performer to do 7-8 shows a week is smart.

Unfortunately, tours tend to book the bigger venues first, then often stick in some horrible one nighters wherever there's an opening in the schedule. The rest of their tour has some week long residencies in some nice places. Who knows what will show up in the gaps. Here's a review on this site from 11/27. http://www.broadwayworld.com/national-tours/article/BWW-Reviews-National-Tour-of-GODSPELL-Packed-with-Energy-20131127

Hey musical3 - When you saw the show recently, did you notice if they had 2 keyboards? To get the best pit players I always hire early, and so it was a bit of a shock when the Key2 book was 80% guitar and just a few keyboard licks, mostly organ. I found out that the 2012 Broadway production had someone that doubled on both guitar and keys. I ended up having to rehire that position and was lucky enough to find someone with that unique doubling skill set. Was wondering if for the tour they some...

In response to g.d.e.l.g.i. comments: Having just finished Music Directing the revival version for an amatuer group, I can attest that the new orchestrations are vastly different from the 1971 books. Sadly, I'm old enough to have played the original charts twice. While 3 guitars in the new version seemed redundant at first, the Michael Holland layering of sounds is masterful. And vocally the arrangements went from easy to really difficult, but in a good way. While the Director chose to not in...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theatremusicdirectors/

Check out a FB page called Music Theater Directors. Very helpful group for this type of question. Music Directors and Keyboard players from many shows on Broadway, West End and touring shows belong. There's even a secondary group for Mainstage programming questions.