Thursday, March 11, 2021

The Pit Band


Phantom of the Opera, 1925


Last October, the great radio show This American Life had an episode called "Music of the Night After Night After Night." It's about the lives and attitudes of the folks who play in the pit orchestra for Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

It turns out that some of the players have been in the orchestra for decades, playing eight shows a week, month in and month out, year in and year out.

Why? Well, it's a job! Jobs playing musical instruments are few and far between. This is good, steady work.

The episode is loving and hilarious, and if you know anything at all about the lives of musicians, I think you'll like this.

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