by Paul Castillo, President
Theater Musicians Association, SoCal

Whenever musical theater musicians meet the discussion of audience awareness inevitably comes up. Many audience members just are not aware that live orchestras are being used for musical theater. It’s an ongoing problem and discussions often end with “What can we do about it?” To fix any problem, it is necessary to follow a plan of action. The title of this article is a quote often attributed to the 20th century writer and journalist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and accurately describes what often happens without a plan. So, here’s the plan:

1. Requirement to list musicians in the program: This should be a requirement in the contract or collective bargaining agreement for the production. This is usually quite specific. Example: “The names of the musicians in the orchestra shall be published in the program for the production on the page immediately following the listing of the cast members.” Continue reading →