Interview: Ben Cohn, First Keyboardist and Assistant Conductor for Wicked on Broadway
Ben Cohn
A musician in a Broadway pit orchestra is one of the best jobs in the world for both commercial and classical musicians. Wages are standardized and protected by the AFM (musicians union) and a full benefits package with health, pension and vacation pay is included in each contract. Naturally, competition for these positions is very stiff. There are hundreds of talented and qualified musicians that live in New York City and vie for positions on each Broadway show.
Ben Cohn currently works as the assistant conductor and first keyboardist on Wicked. Ben worked his way up in the New York theatre scene and now holds one of the best jobs on Broadway. Ben has a unique combination of talent, training, experience and personality that has allowed him to rise to the level that he works at today, and I asked him if he could tell us a little bit more about his career.
Q. Can you tell us about your background? Did you go to music school? Have you always worked in theatre, or did you start somewhere else?
I grew up in Rockaway, New Jersey and was always interested in music during school. I accompanied my school choirs starting in elementary school and continued through high school. My choir teachers were always very supportive and encouraging. In elementary school, Mrs. Geiger encouraged me to play for the students as much as possible. In middle school, Mr. Smatla introduced me to pop music in a way that I hadn’t studied it before (80′s pop, of course!). In high school, Mrs. Quam gave me the opportunity to conduct the choir and write pieces for them to sing. Also, I was always involved in the school musicals, mostly as an actor (for some unknown reason).
I got my Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College where I studied piano and voice and was heavily involved in the theatre program. From there, I went to NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing where I got my Masters in Musical Theatre Writing. I always knew that I wanted to work in theatre as a musical director, pianist, and composer.
When I was finished with school, I had several freelance jobs in the field. I played a lot of auditions, classes, readings and concerts as well as coached many actors and singers. I also did artist residencies in the NYC public school system for schools with limited music programs. I would go into the schools and give classes in songwriting, singing, and acting to students anywhere from Kindergarten to 12th grade. It was a great way to make money but also use my skills in a unique and important way. As more Broadway work came my way, I did less and less teaching and more sub work.
Q. How did you get your gig?
When I played classes at NYU’s CAP 21 program, I met Aimee Francis, who introduced me to her friend and another pianist, Paul Loesel. When Wicked came to town, Paul was hired to play the Key 2 book. While the show was in previews, Paul asked me if I was interested in subbing for him. I hadn’t done any Broadway work yet, so I was thrilled that he asked me! Shortly after becoming his sub, the Key 1/Associate conductor, Alex Lacamoire, whom I had worked with previously, asked me to also sub for him. Within the first year or so, I was trained as a sub conductor, learned Key 3, and became a kind of universal “keyboard/conductor swing” for the show. In addition to Wicked, I subbed on some other shows, worked on some writing projects, etc. In the Summer of 2006, the Key 1 player at the time, Adam Ben David (Alex had become the conductor and then moved on to In The Heights by this point) went to Jersey Boys and I was offered the Key 1/Assistant Conductor position.
Q. Musician positions on Broadway are usually shared by the principle musician who has been hired for the job, and 1 or more “subs” that play for the principle musician when he takes a day off or has other duties. Can you tell us a little about the subbing process? How often do most players sub out on Broadway? How do musicians become subs, and what do they need to do before they can play a show?
Each musician on Broadway is responsible for preparing and hiring his own replacement for shows he misses due to illness or other gigs. Each player has a roster of about 5 people who are ready to cover at any time. As the Key 1 player at Wicked, it is my job to make sure that I have people who are well-suited for this show and who will do the work required to successfully cover for me when I’m out or conducting. Most subs are chosen based on reputation. Recommendations from other musicians, the musical director, or colleagues I’ve worked with are the people I called first. It is important to get to know as many people as you can and do as many gigs as possible, even low-paying or seemingly unimportant ones. That’s how you get your name out there and build your reputation.
Some players sub out very infrequently, while others do a lot of outside work. For each 3-month period, a regular is allowed to miss 50% of the shows for other work (non-Broadway, that is). You cannot sub out to play another Broadway show. This rule allows more players the opportunity for work. I usually average about 6 out of 8 shows per week, depending on whether I’m conducting during a certain week or not.
Once you get asked to sub on a show, it is your responsibility to learn the part as close to the way the regular player does it as possible. You’ll get a copy of the score and will be expected to sit in several times. Most people also make a recording from the pit and practice with that at home. This is crucial for rhythm section players especially. Some of the easier books might take about a month to learn, while some of the harder, lead chairs could take much longer. I have had subs take up to a year to really become comfortable enough to begin subbing. It is so important to come in and nail it, since your reputation is really on the line when you play Broadway.
Q. Do you find that working in a Broadway pit allows you enough free time to work on other musical projects, or does working the show take most of your time? Do you have any other projects you’d like to tell us about?
One of the great things about holding a chair on Broadway, especially at a successful show like Wicked, is that there is a lot of flexibility for outside work. Obviously, daytime work like readings, rehearsal work, auditions, is great because you don’t need to sub out. But, even nighttime concerts, etc are great because they force you to continue to grow as a musician. I do as much outside work as possible – mostly readings of new works, concerts, and my own writing. I just finished working on a reading with the writers of South Park and I am starting another project in a couple of weeks with the writers of In The Heights. I am also Clay Aiken’s pianist and we have a gig coming up in Florida [this] week. I’m sure I’ll be subbing out a bunch in the coming weeks… Hope my subs are available!!
Q. Do you ever get tired of playing the same show each night? Do you have any techniques for keeping the material fresh?
Yes – it can get tedious. New cast members and subs in the pit help to keep things fresh, but some days are just really tough. Its hard to complain when so many musicians are out of work, but like any job, keeping repetitive work interesting is key. I am lucky in that my book at Wicked is really fun and challenging, but some days it gets exhausting. I try to keep it interesting by trying new mixes with my Aviom or doing some improvising during parts where its appropriate. I also pass the time by reading during book scenes or texting :). All in all, I feel very lucky to be in my position at Wicked and in the community. I never take for granted the opportunities I’ve been given and I look forward to many more down the road!
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Fantastic interview!!
Very insightful, there is a much more complicated system within the Broadway Orchestra Pits than I ever thought. Loads of great info!!! :)
1/26/2009
Hey Ben,
Congratulations and it sure sounds like a complicated system in the Broadway Orchestra pits but I’m guessing you can handle it!
Lillian
1/26/2009
Wow, so interesting. Whenever I see a show, I always try to catch a glimpse of what’s going on in the pit. The only point he did not address was the issue of full orchestras vs. synthesizers. A friend comped me tix to see The Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco and when I came forward at the end of the show for the postlude I was surprised at how few musicians were in the pit, despite the sound of full string and horn sections. I asked one a trombonist if there was synth reinforcement and he said yes. Indeed, when I looked at the program three keyboard players were listed. Apparently there is a minimum number of live musicians they must use according to the union. In NYC is it required that it be a full orchestra, or does this also happen?
1/26/2009
That was a great interview with interesting information. It’s nice to know such a talented person.
1/26/2009
Great interview. It’s always great to hear how the music business works behind the scenes. The network of fellow musicians is so important!
1/26/2009
Hi Alexa –
Yes, that is a problem in the Broadway scene, but less of a problem in NYC. The AFM has done a great job of advocating live music for Broadway shows in town. It seems the most effective thing they’ve done is letting people know when they aren’t getting a full orchestra for a full ticket price. Audiences want a full pit for $120 a ticket!
The roster shows 24 musicians in the pit for Wicked. Conductor, 3 keys, 3 guitars, bass, drums, string quartet, brass and winds. There are lists of how many musicians there are in each pit at this article:
Broadway show closings liquidate 150 musician jobs
1/26/2009
Great interview!!! Enjoying seeing nice stuff about you guys in print.
U B
1/26/2009
Great interview! Of course, as Ben’s dad, I am a little prejudiced. It’s been just wonderful seeing his career take off. Sitting with Ben in the pit was an incredible thrill.
1/26/2009
Great interview/post!
I want to start doing something like this for the Chicago scene. I have heard stories from some of the players [namely people I have studied with], but haven’t done actual interviews.
4/10/2009
This was very good to read. Hey Ben, meeting you was so amazing and insightful. You really got me thinking about the career field I want to get into, and understanding more about it. Great thanks for that. I just wanted to say thanks again, we were kind of in a rush at the clinic yesterday but still, very good!
Christa Rose
4/11/2009
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