Legally Blonde - To play or not to play - that is the question.

ttf_MikeBMiller · Post by **ttf_MikeBMiller** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:02 pm

Anybody here ever play the Legally Blonde book? Our little theater is doing it in September and I will probably get asked to play it. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with these pit shows. It ends up being a decent check at the end of a run, but if you break it down by the hour, you can make more cutting grass or bagging groceries for a living. And it kills 3-4 weekends in a row. But I enjoy the music and the camaraderie in the pit. We have a pretty regular crew that plays most of the local shows and there are some really good players in that bunch. And I hate to not play one show since they might call someone else for the next one.

ttf_tbathras · Post by **ttf_tbathras** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:04 pm

Sounds like you may have already decided...

ttf_Matt K · Post by **ttf_Matt K** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:09 pm

I generally don't like musicals and probably would actually rather cut my own grass. But if you like playing musicals rather than cutting other people's grass then it sounds like you're going to Harvard!

ttf_Bimmerman · Post by **ttf_Bimmerman** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:13 pm

I played Legally Blonde for a two week run a few years ago, and had a blast. Pay was poor, but I did it for fun and to get back into playing so I didn't care about the poor $/hr.

Sounds like your main concern is networking for the next gig more than the poor pay--that's probably a good reason to do it.

ttf_bonenick · Post by **ttf_bonenick** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:30 pm

keep playing the legally blonde and you may very well end up at the Big Whitey thingy in Washington DC...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak6EFFgpV5s

ttf_MikeBMiller · Post by **ttf_MikeBMiller** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:33 pm

It's not that the pay is all that bad - I would make about a grand for the show. But it ends up being about $15 an hour. These guys pay better that some places - $60 a service vs $40 or $50 for some others. But a "service" can drag on from 7 to almost 11 some nights. Yes, I know the cast is doing it for free, but that's their choice.

So is the book fun? I just finished up with Spamalot and that was a fun book to play. Some of the others I have done, like Titanic and Willy Wonka were not particularly interesting for the bone player.

ttf_Bimmerman · Post by **ttf_Bimmerman** » Tue May 16, 2017 2:30 pm

Quote from: MikeBMiller on May 16, 2017, 01:33PMIt's not that the pay is all that bad - I would make about a grand for the show. But it ends up being about $15 an hour. These guys pay better that some places - $60 a service vs $40 or $50 for some others. But a "service" can drag on from 7 to almost 11 some nights. Yes, I know the cast is doing it for free, but that's their choice.

So is the book fun? I just finished up with Spamalot and that was a fun book to play. Some of the others I have done, like Titanic and Willy Wonka were not particularly interesting for the bone player.

That's quite a bit more than I made!

I enjoyed the book, though I don't have many musicals to compare to. A lot of it is boring and low (c/b below staff), which was interesting without a bass, but there are some up tempo high jazzy licks (G up to D type stuff) tossed in that are enjoyable and somewhat exposed. I ended up bringing a large tenor and a small tenor but that's because I couldn't hack it endurance-wise as a 3mo returning player using only the large tenor and I didn't/don't have a bass, so YMMV.

Have you listened to the soundtrack or found it on Youtube?

ttf_FlamingRain · Post by **ttf_FlamingRain** » Tue May 16, 2017 8:37 pm

Great book - I would personally recommend two horns for this - I played on a Bach 42 for some of it and my Yamaha 354 for part of it, there is some up tempo big band-ish licks with some high Ds and stuff, but it is an entertaining and fun book. You definitely need a .547 F attachment for some low C's and D's that show up in random places. Oh, and I did it for free, but I mean it was for my high school so it didn't REALLY matter at that point.

ttf_MikeBMiller · Post by **ttf_MikeBMiller** » Wed May 17, 2017 6:10 am

I suck on low Cs and Ds, especially after playing high for a while. My lip just seems to get stuck in high note mode and won't adjust fast enough. In pit shows, I just take them up an octave and the MD has never noticed or complained. Shrek and Spamalot had a few of those notes, including one low B natural in Shrek. I have never seen a high D in a pit show before. Thanks for the info!

ttf_savio · Post by **ttf_savio** » Wed May 17, 2017 8:53 am

I would love to play it! I always say yes if I have the opportunity. If it is a professional setting get a contract. Yesterday the kindergarten for my child asked if I could play some marching tunes for the children. They trained on marching before our national day. The people who should do it suddenly said they couldn't. No money in that game but I felt I had to do it. I didn't win anything but lot of thanks from hundreds of small kids and parents, and a big challenge for me to play alone.

Leif

ttf_William Lang · Post by **ttf_William Lang** » Wed May 17, 2017 10:57 am

making 1k playing trombone on just about anything these days is nothing to sneeze at. the per hour gets really depressing on 90% of gigs anyways, expecially if you factor in travel!

ttf_savio · Post by **ttf_savio** » Wed May 17, 2017 2:39 pm

Quote from: MikeBMiller on May 16, 2017, 01:02PMAnybody here ever play the Legally Blonde book? Our little theater is doing it in September and I will probably get asked to play it. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with these pit shows. It ends up being a decent check at the end of a run, but if you break it down by the hour, you can make more cutting grass or bagging groceries for a living. And it kills 3-4 weekends in a row. But I enjoy the music and the camaraderie in the pit. We have a pretty regular crew that plays most of the local shows and there are some really good players in that bunch. And I hate to not play one show since they might call someone else for the next one.

In the end I think its up to you. You know best your own situation....what I would do is above....

Leif

ttf_Max Croot · Post by **ttf_Max Croot** » Mon May 22, 2017 11:24 pm

I played the show at the end of last year. Did it all on my large bore tenor rather than take 3 trombones as the book said. dropped a couple of parts down an octave and the M.D. wouldn't have known any way because the trumpets nearly blew everyone out of the pit. Did not enjoy it much as we had too many rehearsals and I think after that the show was a bit of a let down, but I would do it again with a better band.

ttf_MikeBMiller · Post by **ttf_MikeBMiller** » Tue May 23, 2017 12:43 pm

Well I am officially signed up to play this show. Hopefully, it will be good fun. It might be the closest I ever get to Harvard.

ttf_MikeBMiller · Post by **ttf_MikeBMiller** » Tue May 23, 2017 12:43 pm

Well I am officially signed up to play this show. Hopefully, it will be good fun. It might be the closest I ever get to Harvard.