Why do musicians in long running shows continue to read their score?

I would assume so...
They have sheet music, sometimes for presentation.
Plus, they are to watch the conductor, who watches the monitor.

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As a musician, I can tell you that it's usually just for that extra bit of "whatever" that it gives you....maybe it's confidence. Still, I know that you can write things on your music that you can easily forget..

I've always thought of it as a security blanket.

Often in the big road shows 90% of the musicians are hired from a group of local union musicians to play for only the engagement in that city. So it's always new to them.

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Unfortunately Clouseau, this is no longer the case. Most road shows are self contained and utilize a watered down version of the original Broadway orchestration using half the number of musicians, if that, and/or the virtual orchestra machine, a computerized playback device. Yes folks, the audiences are getting ripped off.

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When I saw PACIFIC OVERTURES in December, Paul Gemignani conducted the entire score from memory without a score.

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When I saw Witches of Eastwick and the flying apparatus didn't work, the conductor had to cue the orchestra to jump ahead in the score to cover the long flying sequence, which was getting rather embarassing to watch as the ladies remained sitting firmly on the sofa waving their arms about. Imagine if the musicians didn't have their music in front of them? What was already a serious mishap would have turned into a major disaster. Though the end result was pretty bizarre. The audience was completely bewildered by what they were seeing and the act ended in silence.

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