Freak accidents during Broadway shows endangering musicians

Freak and potentially career-ending accidents are happening more often at Broadway musicals, according to the maestros’ union.

During an Oct. 8 performance of “Back to the Future The Musical,” a skateboard flew from the stage into the orchestra pit near the end of the first act, smashing trumpeter Raul Agraz’s horn into his mouth.

Flying skateboards! Plummetting meat grinders! Freak accidents during Broadway shows endangering musicians: union

IMO, the most disturbing incident in this article is of the conductor at Wicked fainting and stage management deciding to continue the show, all while the musicians dialed 911 for help. Maybe others more knowledgable can enlighten me but I'm hard pressed to think of a good reason why the show should not have been stopped at that point.

Updated On: 12/16/23 at 10:49 PM

Except there's no reason the show couldn't have continued once the conductor was taken care of. Emrgencies stop shows all the time.

Then you’ve had remarkably good luck. I’ve attended many Broadway shows that have stopped, and it’s usually for the safety of the company. That performance of Wicked should have been stopped. The conductor, along with the calling stage manager, runs the show. That show has so much music, I’m not even sure how that performance went on.

I've been at several shows that have needed to stop... Sometimes for illness in the audience, sometime because of something involving a cast member, sometimes just set malfunctions. People didn't leave in droves, although I can't promise no one left...and if they did, they would not be entitled to a refund unless the show was actually cancelled. It's live theater, IT HAPPENS.

BrodyFosse123 said: "That show has so much music, I’m not even sure how that performance went on.

Another musician in the pit is a designated standby conductor if the lead conductor is unable to. The switch happens often during performances for various reasons without the audience even knowing there was a momentary switch."



LOL, the poster you’re replying to is a Broadway musician. I’ve always assumed a keyboard player and/or conductor, but don’t actually know.
I myself am not a musician, but through the thousands of performances I’ve worked, this has never happened. Not once in my career has the associate conductor swung in; though they can if need be.

I was in a shower where the set tracking out somehow fell over while the next set was tracking on and the song we were singing to cover said transition just had to keep going.

So the producers of some of these shows were saying NO, NO, NO-NET?

I assumed a net was standard practice.

As with some other 802 matters, that article is written with the tone of Fox News blaming Democrats for the border. That doesn't change the facts of the matter, but there's a reason why so many roll their eyes at 802's antics. The stagehands and actors' unions don't air their dirty laundry in this way and surely have more encounters with life-threatening matters at the workplace.

Updated On: 12/18/23 at 06:05 PM