Shh_413 said: "Scarlet Leigh said: "So I just looked at the Instagram story for Once On This Island and they were at a "Tony Recording session." I know that performances on things like the Macy's parade are pre-recorded but... the Tony Awards? I never thought that the performances were canned before. Do they can the ensemble part and the principle players are live? Either way, looks like the full company was there for the recording."
As far as I know, some of the background vocals are pre-recorded to act like filler vocals, and the lead vocals are live. The full company might be there to add background vocals. I'm not sure though and would love it if someone could correct me on that."
The ensemble, orchestra, and sometimes even tap dance are canned. Only the leads sing the performances live. In some cases, if a show has just one person with a handheld mic, that's the only live sound coming from the stage.
Aside from expense, trying to coordinate mic frequencies for hundreds of performers is a logistical nightmare