Anyone ever played Les Miz? I've just been hired for a run of it. But someone told me that the trombone book is mostly bass trombone with occasional tenor trombone and tuba. Do I really have to play tuba to do this show?

Hey Dana,

I just finished a year long run of it through the Netherlands and Belgium.

The new version of the production is very heavy Basstrombone with two songs that require tuba and there is no Tenor.

The tuba parts are in the end of "the bargin" and the middle of "the robbery". They are not long and not difficult, but do have a couple of loud pedal F's.

It's a fantastic show to play, it really is a Basstrombonist dream show.

Best

Sam

I'm in rehearsals right now for a 3 week run in September and you're not wrong about it being a bass trombonists dream!! So many amazing parts and I'm doing the tuba bits on trombone...

No offense meant but I'm always amazed when a particular book calls for an instrument and the question "do I really need to play this instrument" comes up. Maybe a knowing the context of the gig "might" make a difference.

[quote="WGWTR180"]No offense meant but I'm always amazed when a particular book calls for an instrument and the question "do I really need to play this instrument" comes up. Maybe a knowing the context of the gig "might" make a difference.[/quote]

I think a lot of the responsibility belongs to the contractor trying to fill the musician seats. If you have a reed part calling for a lot of bassoon you don't hire a guy who only plays saxophones and similarly if the trombone part calls for a lot of bass trombone and tuba you don't call a tenor player; regardless of how good she is.

I'm a little surprised there are no auditions and people don't see the book in advance. Could also be just a recording at home or sth like that.

Yes, I agree. If the book asked for a specific instrument at a specific moment then that's what you should play there.

The older production of Les mis had much larger tuba parts in it and was at least 30min longer. This new version has been streamlined but is still 3 hours long with only a 15 min Interval.

With all the editing done to the score to get it down to the 3 hours, they could have done away with the tuba all together. The English production team, who oversee and control the quality of all the large international productions on behalf of Cameron Macintosh however are adamant that the tuba parts are played on the tuba and after a year of playing it I agree totally with their decision.

Those moments really call for the different sound that only the tuba brings.

And they are also a nice break from the Basstrombone part, which is absolutely relentless. The first moment where you get a "break" aka 5 min without playing is halfway through the 2nd act around the 2 hour 15min mark. :lol:

The tuba parts is short and manageable enough to be worth the time to play it properly as is written, and most production companies would be able to rent a tuba for the run if you didn't have your own.

Just my 2¢

Best

Sam

[quote="EriKon"]I'm a little surprised there are no auditions and people don't see the book in advance. Could also be just a recording at home or sth like that.[/quote]

For the Dutch production, we actually did have an audition day where the whole English team were there and listened to choose who were the principle players and who the subs would be.

But yes, that is not normally the case.

[quote="WGWTR180"]No offense meant but I'm always amazed when a particular book calls for an instrument and the question "do I really need to play this instrument" comes up. Maybe a knowing the context of the gig "might" make a difference.[/quote]

LOL! No offense taken.

In this case, the contractor for this theater just likes me and hires me for every show he can, and so far he doesn't care what I play to cover the part. For some reason he thinks I can play anything. LOL! I'm not complaining, and as long as he's happy then I'm happy to take the money. I'm actually very flattered that he thinks so highly of me (and has such poor judgment). :D

[quote="BGuttman"]

I think a lot of the responsibility belongs to the contractor trying to fill the musician seats. If you have a reed part calling for a lot of bassoon you don't hire a guy who only plays saxophones and similarly if the trombone part calls for a lot of bass trombone and tuba you don't call a tenor player; regardless of how good she is.[/quote]

As with most markets these days, I suppose, every good professional trombonist in this region plays tenor and bass trombone well. Especially those of us who do pit orchestra work. It's a necessity for working here.

Tuba, not so much.

There are a few wonderful tuba players here, but none who play tenor and bass trombone well, too. The contractor has to make a compromise somewhere.

[quote="EriKon"]I'm a little surprised there are no auditions and people don't see the book in advance. Could also be just a recording at home or sth like that.[/quote]

They don't really do auditions for pit orchestras in California. I don't think I've ever seen that happen. Not when I worked in L.A., and definitely not here.

[quote="SamBTbrn"]

The tuba parts is short and manageable enough to be worth the time to play it properly as is written, and most production companies would be able to rent a tuba for the run if you didn't have your own.[/quote]

Yeah, I had already decided to have that discussion with them. But I've learned that there is very little tuba actually in this new version, so it may not be worth it.

I didn't realize that this thread was going to get so judgy.

Relationships and Colleagues you enjoy working with are so important in this line of work. You're doing sometimes 9 shows a week with these people for who knows how long. And if it's a tour it's also breakfast and dinner and drinks after. That is why it is often not selected by auditions, but recommendations by other musicians or musical directors from other shows or productions you have done in the past.

An amazingly friendly, collegiale orchestra can make a production super special! Equally so a diafunctional one with colleagues who don't like each other can really sink a show.

It's great that the contractor thinks so highly of you Dana, I am sure that it is well deserved on your part!

Sorry if my reply came across judgmental, I certainly didn't intend it so.

Best

Sam

[quote="SamBTbrn"]Relationships and Colleagues you enjoy working with are so important in this line of work. You're doing sometimes 9 shows a week with these people for who knows how long. And if it's a tour it's also breakfast and dinner and drinks after. That is why it is often not selected by auditions, but recommendations by other musicians or musical directors from other shows or productions you have done in the past.

An amazingly friendly, collegiale orchestra can make a production super special! Equally so a diafunctional one with colleagues who don't like each other can really sink a show.

It's great that the contractor thinks so highly of you Dana, I am sure that it is well deserved on your part!

Sorry if my reply came across judgmental, I certainly didn't intend it so.

Best

Sam[/quote]

Sorry, Sam. It wasn't your post that was judgy, I was just surprised by where the thread went. Your posts are greatly helpful and substantive, and I am grateful to you for supplying me with the tuba parts. :)

[quote="tbdana"]<QUOTE author="EriKon" post_id="249593" time="1722695056" user_id="15077">
I'm a little surprised there are no auditions and people don't see the book in advance. Could also be just a recording at home or sth like that.[/quote]

They don't really do auditions for pit orchestras in California. I don't think I've ever seen that happen. Not when I worked in L.A., and definitely not here.
</QUOTE>

Interesting. Yeah I guess it really depends on the theatre/company structure. Thinking back, the steady positions at musicals over here all work through auditions (but I think that's European law too). Sometimes they've already decided who they want in advance and the auditions are just formality.

But I also played a summer open air production that was just by recommendation. So it depends I guess.

[quote="BGuttman"]<QUOTE author="WGWTR180" post_id="249576" time="1722687168" user_id="7573">
No offense meant but I'm always amazed when a particular book calls for an instrument and the question "do I really need to play this instrument" comes up. Maybe a knowing the context of the gig "might" make a difference.[/quote]

I think a lot of the responsibility belongs to the contractor trying to fill the musician seats. If you have a reed part calling for a lot of bassoon you don't hire a guy who only plays saxophones and similarly if the trombone part calls for a lot of bass trombone and tuba you don't call a tenor player; regardless of how good she is.
</QUOTE>
Bruce not only have I worked in Musicial Theater for 30+ years I've contracted for 25 years and counting-mostly major Broadway Touring shows and many other orchestral and chamber type events. If a chair calls for tuba plus other instruments, rare these days on the road, you hire someone who plays what's required. Going to a musical coordinator and saying "well this is the best I can do" doesn't cut it. So yes Bruce you are correct. A high school production or another type of amateur production probably has to compromise. I have to hire some musicians in the coming months for chairs that require doubles that aren't as common except in major cities. It's not an easy job but as I said standards are different everywhere.

As far as auditioning for shows it's against the contract in New York, yet during the end of the Covid shutdown when shows were announcing "return to work dates" conductors went out and auditioned players for a chair where a musician wasn't returning after the pandemic. At my show this happened and the result was a wonderful new musician who moved up from FL after she auditioned and was offered the job. YES someone from our show flew to FL to hear her play. Of course the numerous musicians who had been subbing on that chair, many wonderful players, were all passed over.

It's a crazy business. As the work pool becomes smaller the hiring process becomes even more competitive. As usual too many players and not enough jobs.