Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia

[macbeth]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #1

Posted: 5/18/26 at 2:30pm

https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/9248970/musicians-vanishing-from-australias-major-productions/

Musicians are disappearing from Australia's biggest stage shows as technology usurps their roles.

The world's highest grossing musical returned to Sydney in April with a smaller orchestra after Disney cut all four string parts from the 2026 season of The Lion King.

 

[John Adams]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #2

Posted: 5/18/26 at 5:14pm

macbeth said: "The world's highest grossing musical returned to Sydney in April with a smaller orchestra after Disney cut all four string parts from the 2026 season of The Lion King."

To clarify, the string parts might not be cut from the score. They might possibly be re-written to accommodate for a single keyboard player. 

Instead of hiring (4) musicians, a keyboard player will be hired to utilize a program called, KeyComp. Per KeyComp's site: KeyComp is a revolutionary, keyboard-driven system that enables a single player to produce the sound and dynamics of a full-sized, live orchestra with an unparalleled level of detail and control."

Such an extremely greedy little mouse, wanting all the cheese for itself. 

[Sutton Ross]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #3

Posted: 5/18/26 at 6:22pm

Programs just like that and AI will replace many musicians in the next decade, unfortunately.

[rosscoe(au)]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #4

Posted: 5/18/26 at 7:37pm

It has been called out in nearly every review of the show, that it doesn’t sound as lush as it used too. 

Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist. Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino. This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more. Tazber's: Reply to Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian

[everythingtaboo]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #5

Posted: 5/18/26 at 7:59pm

How exactly are musicians supposed to compete against AI?

"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #6

Posted: 5/18/26 at 11:06pm

everythingtaboo said: "How exactly are musicians supposed to compete against AI?"

This has been the age old argument ever since the 80s when synth technology and sound amplification started becoming more prominent. A really good combination of Ableton and synths can make a 15-piece orchestra sound better than a 30-piece orchestra. (Bad sound design can also ruin a decent sized orchestra, which was my experience at BEACHES.)

[Fred Mason]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #7

Posted: 5/19/26 at 6:54am

I believe you also said that the Sunset Blvd Jamie Lloyd revival sounded just as good as the previous revival with the 40 piece orchestra, a palpably ridiculous thing to say. Broadway has boiled your ears.  Please take a trip to the NY PHIL and familiarize yourself with what a real orchestra sounds like, as you’ve clearly become accustomed to the manipulation that happens on Broadway and have even started to prefer it. How embarrassing 

[ColorTheHours048]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #8

Posted: 5/19/26 at 7:39am

Disney has more than enough money to pay for the additional strings. They’re cutting them because the people at the top aren’t seeing these shows and don’t understand the impact reducing an orchestra can have. There are savvy ways to reduce orchestra size to cut costs without it also sacrificing the integrity; Disney doesn’t know how to do that.

Updated On: 5/19/26 at 07:39 AM

[darquegk]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #9

Posted: 5/19/26 at 7:45am

See also: the recent "new version" of Beauty and the Beast in licensing and on tour which cuts half an hour and a number of vocal harmonies, so as to run cheaper and shorter and not do overtime.

[Tag]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #10

Posted: 5/19/26 at 7:59am

Not sure why this is making news now (I guess because the show just opened in Australia) but Keycomp is used all over the place, on many Disney and non-Disney shows.  The Lion King US tour uses it, the Toronto company used it, etc.  This isn't unique to the Sydney company.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Disney Testing Musician Replacements in Australia #11

Posted: 5/19/26 at 8:24am

Fred Mason said: "I believe you also said that the Sunset Blvd Jamie Lloyd revival sounded just as good as the previous revival with the 40 piece orchestra,a palpably ridiculous thing to say. Broadway has boiled your ears. Please take a trip to the NY PHIL and familiarize yourself with what a real orchestra sounds like, as you’ve clearly become accustomed to the manipulation that happens on Broadway and have even started to prefer it. How embarrassing"

Oh I go to the Met, the Phil, and Jazz at Lincoln Center all the time to hear unamplified music.

But those aren’t the ears that Broadway is catering to (nor should they be).

And how would you know what I said months ago when you’ve just joined the board within the past 30 days, Flash?

Updated On: 5/19/26 at 08:24 AM