Conductors participation in shows

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 11:43pm

I think I saw a thread on this a LONG time ago, but what shows involve the conductors to be "involved/part, etc...." of the show

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 11:45pm

The current revival of Chicago is the first thing that comes to mind.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 11:50pm

Trying to avoid spoilers, but the conductor in Curtains sings the first song to open the second act.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 11:53pm

Mamma Mia & Gypsy.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 12:07am

Kimberly Grigsby always seems to find a way to work herself into the performance, whether it's called for or not.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 12:42am

Trying to avoid spoilers, but the conductor in Curtains sings the first song to open the second act.

I would go so far to say that the conductor is actually another character. Not only is he in "our" world conducting Curtains but he is also conducting the show within the show.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 12:47am

The conductor was a big part of the very beginning of Urinetown. (At least on tour and Broadway.)

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 1:42am

The conductor is usually brought a glass of champagne during the title song in La Cage.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 4:25am

Follies, with the prompting during Live, Laugh, Love

[mallardo]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 4:40am

It's been a while since I saw Sister Act but if memory serves the conductor gets involved in a major way during the finale. It would be a SPOILER to reveal it.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 5:51am

^ Yup, that's right regarding Sister Act.

Also in WWRY the Killer Queen and the band have a quick encounter but again, it's a spoiler.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 6:44am

Hair and Les Misérables.
Updated On: 9/1/10 at 06:44 AM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 7:04am

In the Joe Papp/Public Theater's Pirates of Penzance, the conductor had a duel with the Pirate King.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 7:25am

In South Pacific right after act 2's overture he yells something like a 1 2 3 4 to the actors that are dancing on stage for the Thanksgiving entertainment

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 8:02am

In the Joe Papp/Public Theater's Pirates of Penzance, the conductor had a duel with the Pirate King.

In the Papp version, the Major-General also asks the conductor to play the last verse of Modern Major-General faster for an encore, and the conductor acknowledges him. (I will avoid spelling out the Italian and French he uses for fear of embarrassing myself.)

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 8:05am

Doesn't he say "Presto Agitato, s'il vous plaît, Maestro!"?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 8:47am

When I saw The Wizard of Oz in Boston with Mickey Rooney and Liliane Montevecchi, during "If I Were King of the Forest", the Cowardly Lion's tail got wrapped around the conductor so he popped up with a "WTF" look on his face. The stage was built with a section around the orchestra pit.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 8:56am

End of Mamma Mia - The conductor takes the photograph

In the Heights - He grabs one of the actors hands in the slow motion section, think it was in 96,000.

As people have said, the conductors involvement at the end of Sister Act is genius!

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 9:02am

Doesn't he say "Presto Agitato, s'il vous plaît, Maestro!"?

Exactly, smaxie, thanks.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 9:07am

"In the Joe Papp/Public Theater's Pirates of Penzance, the conductor had a duel with the Pirate King."

I had totally forgotten about that! That was pure comedy genius. Thanks for reminding me.

[JKlock]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 6:19pm

ClapYo'Hands...can you give an example for Hair and Les Mis? I'm almost certain that there is no involvement in either

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 6:41pm

There's one bit in the revival of Hair when I swear somebody shouts something to the conductor and he responds in some way. My memory is fuzzy, so I will ask my Hair-ite friend to confirm. Also, this was in the London production.

In Les Misérables, the conductor kind of participates in the wedding scene. Depends, of course, on the production and how much participation warrants a mention.

[shrekster224]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 7:04pm

I've noticed the ITH one as well. He grabs Rickey Tripps hand as like a sign of the show going well or something. Chicago also comes to mind. But also, in Billy Elliot, the conductor sings along to the opening song, The Stars Look Down, and he always puts his hand up when Billy slides on the raked stage for the angry dance, just incase he falls.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 8:01pm

The Spamalot conductor's treatment of the trumpet player during the overture made me laugh...

"Kimberly Grigsby always seems to find a way to work herself into the performance, whether it's called for or not."

Really? I've only seen her conduct Light in the Piazza and thought that her music direction was easily the best of all the shows I saw on that trip - does she usually make more of her part?

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 9/2/10 at 12:33am

She used to bounce around and dance a lot when she conducted Spring Awakening, but I found that just added to the energy of the show rather than being distracting.