Musicals with the Orchestra/Band onstage

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:06pm

I can name a few that I've seen:

Strike Up the Band, The Pajama Game, Bye Bye Birdie, The Apple Tree (all of them were City Center ENCORES! productions under the musical direction of Rob Fisher and either the Coffee Club Orchestra or the ENCORES! Orchestra)
Smokey Joe's Cafe
Swing!
Annie Get Your Gun (1999 Revival)
The Music Man (2000 Revival, overture only though)
Rent
The Rocky Horror Show
Big River (2003 Roundabout Revival)
Fiddler on the Roof (2004 Revival)
The Boy from Oz (only at the top of the second act)
Brooklyn? (The Playbill Yearbook lists this as one but I'm not so sure since they come out at curtain call.)

And soon to see:
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (of course)

Updated On: 12/19/05 at 09:06 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:07pm

I don't remember BKLYN's being onstage.

[dramaparoxysm23]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:08pm

I can't believe you didn't list Chicago!

[roquat]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:08pm

"Cabaret", "Songs for a New World", "Big River" (sometimes).

And of course, all the actor/musician shows ("Pump Boys", "Radio Gals", etc.)

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:08pm

Because I didn't see Chicago.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:10pm

Johnny Guitar

[kelly0ann]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:10pm

Grease

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:11pm

While we're talking about this, just like I'm crazy about musicals with banjos, I'm crazy about musicals with the orchestra/band onstage.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:11pm

Wonderful Town

[RuprechtJr.]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:15pm

Jekyll & Hyde...their pit was at the (looking at the stage) upper left hand corner. If you look closley during "Murder, Murder" you can see the conductor's hand going up and down furiously...wait that didn't come out right...and neither did that...Anyway don't turn this into a "Hasselhoff Hate Thread".

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 9:17pm

"Grease" ~ kelly0ann

Yeah, but which version?

P.S. The interesting thing with Rent is that Jonathan Larson originally wanted a rock band onstage (which he got) and a traditional Broadway orchestra in the pit (which he didn't get, and not a single musician has played in that pit ever since).

Updated On: 12/19/05 at 09:17 PM

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:03pm

Well the musicians in Chita are technically on the stage, though somewhat hidden behind a curtain.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:07pm

Lennon

[singingwendy]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:11pm

I've seen a few productions of Godspell with the musical ensemble on stage.

[Isabella2]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:14pm

candide

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:16pm

CHICAGO is one of the ultimates.

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:20pm

BARNUM, I LOVE MY WIFE



Daisy Gamble
NYC, NY

[pab]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:21pm

Ain't Misbehavin'

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:22pm

Does this production of Sweeney count?

[kikki327]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:34pm

Movin' Out

[heaja123]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 10:40pm

umm how could you forget GOOD VIBRATIONS!

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 12:27am

I can't Believe no one has said Suzanne Somers' THE BLONDE IN THE THUNDERBIRD!

[ally_kay_on_broadway]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 1:41am

footloose

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 2:26am

The main time I noticed it, I treated my neice to one of the very firt ever tours of "Chicago" and our seats were IN the orchestra pitt. It was raised up to floor level and it was so strange to keep getting little "Hi there, We see you are sitting up here with us!" winks from the cast onstage, LOL! It was funny because it was her first Theater piece and she handled it very well and has become a Theater admirer in her own right. Maybe all those little winks payed off, LOL!

[rent_nodaybuttoday]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 2:35am

1940s radio hour