Someone who knows more about the music side of the biz than I do posted this on another discussion forum. Edited excerpt:
1) 802 would have known about this long before the first preview. If the union is going to change accepted protocol, there's a way to address that earlier in the process, in a private manner. Springing a huge change on the band right before curtain time is unprofessional.
2) The rule was created with the intention of checks-and-balances. "one job, one person," and the orchestrator shouldn't be orchestrating for their own talents. However, the makeup of the music dept. has changed significantly since the rule was created. There used to be a MD/conductor, an orchestrator, and maybe a dance arranger. Now, there are often a lot more leadership titles on the music staff. (BMC's is actually relatively small, compared to other shows)
3) 802 has never been consistent in enforcing the rule. One notable MD could think of 10+ cases where it wasn't enforced. However, on one show, he was forced to give up an Orchestration credit because of the rule.
4) Will there be retroactive punishment for other orchestrators who have double-dipped? {I'm deleting names that were named, but we can all think of a few...several of whom won Tonys!}
5) In December, there was a big turnover in the elected leadership of 802 after a contentious campaign over the future of the union. Adam Krauthamer (a Frozen horn player and Mr. Betsy Wolfe) won by 67%, and this was largely seen as a positive change. It was also seen as a boon for Broadway, since 802 reps ALL pro musicians in NYC, not just theatre.
Updated On: 2/19/19 at 10:52 AM
