Performing in Musicals - MusicianWages.com

Tagged: musical theatre

This topic has 2 voices, contains 4 replies, and was last updated by Nick Rosaci 206 days ago.

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October 28, 2011 at 3:15 am #6877
Nick Rosaci	<p>I’m on the last weekend of The Drowsy Chaperone in a local production. I’m really digging playing in the pit.</p> <p>About four years ago, I was hired on to play bass with the tour of Camelot with Lou Diamond Phillips. I couldn’t handle the gig, as it was my first gig with a bow, and I just remember not enjoying it much because I was working my hardest to not disappoint anyone. The contractor didn’t call me for another two years.</p> <p>So, this time around, I have the chops to get through a show, and not only do I enjoy watching what parts of the show I can, but witnessing the different audience reactions from performance to performance is really an enjoyable experience.</p> <p>Dave, do you experience the same when playing in New York? If there was full time work in this for me, I wouldn’t mind one bit. </p>
October 28, 2011 at 3:54 am #7920
David J. Hahn	Sure! That’s why I do it full time! Ha. It’s like everything else – some theatre gigs are great, some are not-so-great. But they generally pay better than any other work and the sense of community is fun. And, of course, now that I’ve worked my way up to Broadway it’s pretty posh. Florida is a good place for theatre – there are a lot of equity theaters down there. (Less than there used to be, but still more than elsewhere.) Try to get into the equity houses – they pay better, the shows are higher quality and the working conditions are much better.
October 28, 2011 at 11:47 am #7924
Nick Rosaci	There’s only one problem with the better paid musicals in Orlando and Tampa–the contractor for them all is one of the best bassists in the area. So he pretty much places himself on each of the gigs. I was asking a trombone player that does most of the gigs about Chicago, since I’m working on a tuba double, and he said a job like that, they just hire a separate tuba and trombone player. So, I might have some trouble getting into the well paid musicals locally.
October 28, 2011 at 12:49 pm #7925
David J. Hahn	The good stuff is always hard to get! You just gotta keep trying, eventually you’ll get it.
October 28, 2011 at 7:57 pm #7926
Nick Rosaci	The funny thing is, I rent the guesthouse from the bandleader at my Disney gig, and he knows the guy. That guy sleeps on the couch at this house when he works in Orlando (he lives in Tampa), and I ALWAYS happen to be on an out-of-town gig when he’s here! So, after a year of living here, I’ve never met the dude!

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