CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY THEATRE

Does Your Community Theatre Produce Musicals?

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If your answer was 'yes', approximately how often do you produce musicals (ie: every few years, once a season, several slots a season, 'when we can afford it', etc)?

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• One or two each year

• Two or three each season

• Once a season

• When we can afford it and can cast it

• 5 to 6 times per year

• Two kids' musicals, one main stage full musical

• one or two per season

• 4-8 musicals per season

• 2 per year

• 4-5 times per year

• Four of five shows a year are musicals at FRT

• Once a season. Two in 2018.

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Do your musicals have live music, or have they in the past?

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Where do you find musicians?

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• Local. I have a band manager who handles this chore.

• Local talent

• locally

• Local contacts

• local community orchestra

• Local talent pool

• Local talent

• locally

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"We go to the local college, university, symphony, music stores, tap rooms, theatres, and talk to a LOT of people. It is a struggle to find good musicians for a pit band."

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• Our MD's usually find them

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Are your musicians paid (stipend or otherwise)?

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How do you find musical directors?

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• It's me.

• We have several in our area

• Locally

• Previous use & contacts

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 "From the local Chorus group"

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• Current musical director has been with us for several years.

• Local talent

• Local Schools, educators

• With great difficulty. There are very few qualified musical directors who are available to work for the stipend I am able to offer them.

• I have two I usually work with, both recommended by Directors we have worked with.

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Are your musicians paid (stipend or otherwise)?

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How do you feel your audience is impacted by live music vs. recorded music?

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• They love it

• We use mosly pre-recorded & i hear very few comments. We invest in quality tracks & therefore enjoy a full orchestra sound that would never fit on our stage. But when you do use live musicians we also get a lot of positive comments.

• I think the recorded tracks, which sound like a full orchestra, work within a budget and in our small space.

• Little difference

• We use recorded music that is supplied for "junior" shows like Shrek Jr from MTI. The recorded music is high quality and is a good match for young teen / pre teen actors. It is well received by audiemces. However fabulous live music is something we are known for.

• I believe our audiences prefer live music

• The live music is a big part of the entertainment value

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"Audiences say they like live music, and the notice our bands. That said, I think the decision is largely driven by my belief that live theatre should be just that. I know that the recordings have gotten very sophisticated. But there is nothing like a good group of musicians to "play" with when you are performing for a live audience!"

  

• Live music is a much better experience. Canned music is not something we use.

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Any other comments regarding live music for musicals in community theatre?

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• A requirement, as far as we're concerned. A solo piano is better than recorded orchestra.

• Live music is an integral part of the performing arts experience

• We wish we had a pit and the money to provide live music. We are fortunate to afford custom recorded live music and a nice system to present it. But we believe live is the way to go. Our Christmas show had all live music onstage last year

• We have live concerts at least once a month, touring artists. I produce them

• Recorded tracks cost about 40% of what I would have to pay for live musicians.

• We meant to use live musicians for our current show but did not factor in enough rehearsal time. I think if not using professionals, you would have to start way in advance.

• We just don't have the space for live.

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"We have had audience members stay in the theatre after the actors have left the stage to hear the end of the Playoff music!"

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• We use a mix of pre-recorded tracks and live music during the season, depending on the show and the Director

• I sometimes struggle with the fact that we pay instrumentalists more than we pay actors. It is just a fact that I can not get the players I need without doing that. It seems to indicate that I value the time and effort of an instrumentalist more than I do others, which is not true. I value the time an talents of all the artists we work with, each of whom must prepare and become expert in their own way. It is a conundrum.

• We are a small venue with a small budget, but we prefer paying for musicians. We have a cabaret style theater and it makes a world of difference.