THE BROADWAY OVERTURE — Page 2

There should always be an Overture. This is really the orchestras chance to shine - of course the play the whole time and they get a bow at the end but how many people listen to the Trumpet when Elphaba is belting (or mixing) her D-Flat.

The Entr'acte is for people to get back to their seats.

Exit Music is not heard by 3/4's of the audience because they are leaving. I personally always stay to give a little extra applause at the end because I like getting it myself when I play for a show - it is an unexpected surprise.

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I had almost forgotten about ON THE 20TH CENTURY'S overture which is an ABSOLUTE CLASSIC! I think from your name OSCAR JAFFEE you might be slightly biased!

JULE STYNE shows often had great overtures often featuring a big brassy section. Loved FUNNY GIRL and even SUGAR was fun!

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^^^^200 years ago, the house lights remained on and fruitsellers and prostitutes pedaled their wares in the aisles. But I know what you mean: Wagner was just around the corner, waiting to demand that theater audience members behave like churchgoers and sit in reverent silence.

I'm willing to be corrected, Eric, but it seems to me that, yes, audiences used to shut up pretty quickly after the first few notes of the overture. On Broadway and even for a high school production. Theatergoers understood the overture to be part of the show.

Count me among the old-timers who miss the excitement of dimming houselights and the start of the overture. (The latter was an important part of educating the listener's ear to the music of the play.)

Equally exciting were shows like A CHORUS LINE, 1776 and FOLLIES that did NOT have overtures, but began with immediate action on stage because that made sense to their stories.

(You can probably blame the rise of the choreographer/director for the decline of overtures. When the stager took the "muscle" from the composer, s/he tended to cut out the part where his work wasn't required. There are exceptions, of course, particularly in the 1950s. I'm speaking more of the 1960s and 70s.)

Updated On: 3/31/13 at 06:27 PM