The Orchestra Pit is built under some of the seating for the Amphitheatre.
You may not see them, but they’re there: world-class musicians putting their hearts and souls into playing at each and every Tuacahn Broadway performance. The jungle drums beat in Tarzan, and you feel it in your bones. The Oompa Loompas dance in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and you laugh and tap your toes. In Beautiful, your heart swells along with the music as Carole King finds the courage to sing. And in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda pleads with God to help the outcasts and the haunting melody brings tears to your eyes.
The music in music theater is powerful. If done well, it can unlock the emotions of the story and allow us to empathize and connect with the characters at a deeper level. But why go to all the work of performing the music live? Couldn’t a recording that could be played over and over be easier and just as effective?
Christopher Babbage is the Music Supervisor for the Outdoor Amphitheatre Broadway shows.
According to Tuacahn’s music supervisor for the outdoor shows, Christopher Babbage, nothing could be further from the truth. “Singing along to tracks is like doing karaoke,” he says. “It’s just not the same as having the players breathing life into the music. Live music is crucial to the experience. It adds energy, artistry, and flexibility to theater. That flexibility allows us to change tempos, follow a singer, or respond to things that may happen during a live performance.”
At Tuacahn’s Outdoor Amphitheatre, often patrons are unaware that they are mere feet from the orchestra. Rather than a traditional orchestral “pit” in front of the stage, the musicians perform out of sight in a cement room built under the Amphitheatre seating. It’s fondly referred to as “the bunker” even though a large rectangular window allows for a view of the stage.
Christopher stands in front of this window to conduct the music of the shows. From here, he not only leads his musicians: percussion, strings, brass, woodwinds, and keyboards; but also, all of the singing that takes place on and off the massive, eighty-foot stage. How do the musicians and actors follow his lead when there’s often no clear line of sight from him to them?
Inside the Orchestra Pit.
That’s where technology comes in! Large monitors and screens are tucked away under the black baffle at the front of the stage, high above the audience at the back of the Amphitheatre, as well as off-stage in the wings. The musicians, too, have extra screens to help them keep an eye on their conductor. Some use a monitor on the opposite side of the bunker, and some even have displays on their music stands! All of this provides a way for Christopher to seamlessly bring the music together into a tightly knit performance.
This high-tech setup hasn’t always been how things were done. Christopher was hired for the first time at Tuacahn in 2008 for the production of Les Misérables. “I fell in love with this place as soon as I got here,” he says. “We used to perform outside on the rocks before they built the orchestra pit. The elements with all the fluctuations in temperature and humidity made it hard for the instruments to tune, and it was difficult for the musicians to hear each other. Then when it would rain, it would cause problems with the electronic instruments and everything else. Now we have the ideal setup for our unique situation.”
One of the tenets of live theater, especially outdoor theater, is to expect the unexpected. One night maybe an actor is suddenly unable to continue, or the wind picks up in a way that the director has to cut a scene that involves a flight or other special effect. Whatever happens, Christopher and his musicians have to be ready to adapt.
View of the stage from the Orchestra Pit.
“Customizing the music to what’s happening on the stage is part of what we do,” he says. “For example, if an actor is struggling vocally one night, we can make small changes to help them out. We can pick up the tempo of their songs to get through it a little faster or push through the final note a little quicker, so that they don’t have to hold it quite so long. Another example would be if an understudy prefers to take something at a slightly different tempo than the regular actor. The flexibility of live music allows us to make those accommodations.”
The orchestra’s flexibility, combined with the energy and artistry of the musicians and vocalists, comes together to create a bespoke musical experience for each individual performance. It’s challenging, yes—especially since they’re rotating between two or three shows every week, but that’s what makes it fun! As Christopher says, “It’s exciting to conduct these productions. The adrenaline is there for every performance.”
You, too, can share in the experience of live music this Broadway season. Anastasia, Disney’s Frozen, and Jersey Boys will be performed in the Outdoor Amphitheatre, while Ring of Fire and A Christmas Carol will take place in Tuacahn’s Indoor Hafen Theatre. All performances feature the music of a live orchestra, and, as the season starts next month, it’s the perfect time to get tickets! Go to TUACAHN.ORG to purchase online or call the Box Office at 435-652-3300. Come feel the energy and magic for yourself with a night at Tuacahn!