Phantom of the Musical

Freshman Emi Ludlow and senior Sachi Wrigley tune their instruments before the matinee show for the musical “Anastasia” on April 23.

Hired violin player Rosanne Smith practices part of a song with the rest of the orchestra on April 23. Smith was one of the four adults in the pit who weren’t selected students from the school.

SPOTLIGHTING THE PIT ORCHESTRA, WHOSE PERFORMANCE MADE THE MUSICAL MAGICAL

By Melia Rasmussen

Figures cloaked in black shuffled beneath the stage, setting up music stands and positioning their instruments just right so as to play them comfortably. Above, the auditorium came alive as members of the audience entered z Albany Performing Arts Center, debating on the best seat to watch the show that would begin shortly. Once seated, if they listened close enough, they would hear soft music as the student musicians warmed up out of sight. Some might have approached the stage and peeked into the opening at the front, seemingly talking to no one. But down in that hole were the phantoms under the auditorium, the ones who struck up their instruments to breathe life and wrap music around the vocalists who capture the eyes on stage. “The pit music is a linchpin of the whole musical,” co-band director Brian McFadden said. “It’s like when you’re watching a movie and if the music is written really, really well, you don’t notice it, but you feel the emotion that it’s trying to convey.” If the music is written or performed poorly, McFadden continued, then it’s more noticeable to the audience. One can argue, though, the more challenging something is, the more rewarding it is once pulled off. The musical “Anastasia” swept through the school, with a soft opening on April 15, soon followed by the official opening the next night. On April 20, the play was open only to students and staff, the auditorium filled with the cast’s classmates and teachers. “The most exciting part was when it all got put together and we played it successfully for the first time,” clarinet player junior Sophia Hanson said. “I’d come and be running on five hours of sleep [but] it’s really fun to be with everyone.” As her first year performing in a musical ensemble, Hanson much preferred the pit in person rather than audio through a speaker because it was easier to adapt to the vocalist on stage throughout. In previous years, the band members were stationed in their classroom behind the old cafeteria, where musicals were held. Band director Stuart Welsh would conduct from the front of the room, with the musicians peering at a singular T.V. screen mounted on the wall to broadcast the play. With this year’s musical, the band was equipped with new technology and a better sound system to amplify its performances in the new auditorium. They also had more opportunities to let loose and decorate their space, experimenting with several themed dress-up days leading up to opening night. “[Spirit Week] is a common thing that pits do and [senior] Sachi [Wrigley] really set that up for us,” McFadden said. On the first night of rehearsals, band students hung origami pineapples from the ceilings, added mini umbrellas to cups, and wore swim trunks and Hawaiian shirts. McFadden himself dressed as a lifeguard, fitting for his position in a tall chair at the front of the pit. The second day was monochromatic, and they wrapped the week up with pajama day, with pineapples and stuffed animals hanging around between performances. Another thing students could’ve noticed during the post-show celebrations was an added splash of color to a musician’s solid black uniform: something purple. Some wore bracelets or headbands or a sparkly purple bow tie. According to Hanson and McFadden, purple was the theme of the play because it appeared on the Broadway

Junior Jordan Stadstad (left) warms up on the trumpet in the pit before the performance on April 23.

musical poster, along with a giant gold “A” in the middle. Before performing in the pit and getting the opportunity to dress up, though, individual band members to be selected for the ensemble. Based on the orchestration of the original inspiration, McFadden said he sought soloists who could best play the required instrument, preferring not to switch out for alternate players if possible. If multiple people were skilled enough for the part, McFadden leaned toward older students such as seniors because it’s their last opportunity to play. With that, McFadden said, the pit was composed of some of the most elite musicians in the larger band program. The group had the opportunity to become more familiar with each other and allowed their personalities to shine through as their roles became more important. “I think the tech side of things is where we learned the most, and we’re going to apply that in the future,” McFadden said. “That goes for lighting and sound and mics and where we seat people down in the pit.” Adjusting to the layout difference was minor, with some of the challenges being making sure the music quality was the best it could be, and keeping in sync with on-stage performers. The band couldn’t stop and redo a section like during rehearsal, so if an actor jumped or forgot a line, the ensemble needed to jump forward as well in order to continue smoothly. Practice makes perfect, but when practice might change sporadically, it can be hard to get it right every time. Clarinet player senior Misaki Yonemura ran into a couple of concerns when they found out the vocal box is on the other side of the room instead of nearby like in past years. Also on the other side of the pit was trumpet player junior Jordan Stadstad, who Yonemura said shared similar parts with them. Yet because of the density and volume of the pit, it was difficult to hear what the other was playing, so going by ear was less easy to do. Even so, technical and placement problems were tuned out during tech week, and the more the band practiced through their pieces, the more streamlined they were able to perform during shows. Then, the musicians were able to focus on their music and have fun playing. “Going into the musical, I was really excited... because people are going to go peer in during [the beginning and] intermission,” Yonemura said. “It’s really fun to see all the little kids just pop their little heads inside and go ‘Oh my goodness, who are those people?’” Having administrators approach Yonemura as well and compliment them on their professionalism gave them pride in their music. Yonemura said the pit gave them a reason to seek more opportunities because they love music and hope to continue to play as long as they can. While “Anastasia” was McFadden’s eighth musical he has conducted in his career, he said that every musical is different because each year, there’s a new group of students and there’s a new culture. He also commended the band’s skill and determination to seize the opportunity to do something great, such as trying out for a seat in the pit. “It’s pretty rare that a high school will have a musical pit made up of mostly high school students,” McFadden said. “High schools will hire out pros to do the show, so we had four adults, but everybody else in the pit were students, which I’m really, really proud of.” To have accomplished performing for several weeks prior, eight full performances, and balancing school and other activities, pulling it off was, suffice to say, challenging. Yet to improve continuously was, McFadden said, amazing to watch.

A net catches anything that might fall in the opening on the stage, pit conductor Brian McFadden’s chair sits directly under it. On a raised platform, McFadden was visible to everyone, the tall chair also very fitting for his lifeguard dress-up role as a lifeguard.

Junior Ian Roberts sits behind his drum set during a rehearsal on April 23. A foldvable wall covered in soundproofing material surrounded him, with windows to watch the conductor. “First of all, it’s really hot. Second of all, it’s another experience... The drum cage holds a lot of responsibility: a lot of tone changes and queues for the vocalist.”