JDonaghy4 said: "Even if there was a full camera crew filming from the mezzanine, that does not explain why the actress and conductor both called out mid show."
I proposed a reasonable theory above. Other possible reasons -- all of which I have personally witnessed -- include but are certainly not limited to:
- The associate had been conducting, and when the actress called out the MD decided it was best to take the podium.
- It was the first performance for a new sub conductor, and it wasn't going well.
- Food poisoning
- Family emergency
It's not unusual for a performer to call out mid-show, and it's not entirely uncommon for a conductor change to occur during a show either. If it happens during the second act, the audience would never know. In this particular instance, the show had to pause and an announcement was being made as per AEA requirements, so the conductor was also announced, as per AFM requirements.
They two things may have been related, they may not have been, but nobody is owed an explanation.