Mainstage

The “Sonic Choreography” Behind Cinderella with Musician Olivia Hamilton

Let’s start with some background. What’s your “origin story” for becoming an orchestra pit musician?

I was lucky enough to grow up in a musical family. Everyone sang and played instruments. Music is part of how we tell our stories, so the idea of contributing to collective and co-creative storytelling by playing in an orchestra pit just made sense. Academically, my study of theatre and music were always paired as well. Shakespeare was a huge part of my upbringing, he had songs all over the place. I’ve studied voice most of my life and found that I enjoyed luxuriating in the voice as an instrument. Really sinking into what tone and diction could do to enhance emotion and facilitate story. Playing bass feels very similar  So when it came time to really choose a path in college, I leaned into the instrumentalist’s side of things. There were a ton of shows and experiences that influenced me growing up, but we would be here forever if I started listing them, lol.

We often get to see “behind the scenes” of an actor’s rehearsal. What does the rehearsal process look like for a musician?

Usually the ensemble rehearsal process for instrumentalists is much shorter than for actors. For Cinderella, we had two orchestra rehearsals (about 8 hours total of rehearsal) before we joined the cast. And because this was a new orchestration, we didn’t have everything ahead of time like we usually would. For this show, we were getting new and revised pages basically up to opening.

Normally an instrumentalist would get the book several weeks before the first rehearsal and we do most of our part learning in the privacy of our own studios (there is a ton of unpaid prep that goes into performing for instrumentalists. Really for all performers). Then there are usually two Orchestra rehearsals, the goal of which is to put everything together and nail down things that you can really only do in the context of an ensemble, like articulations or collective dynamics. This is also where we get to learn each others’ tendencies and personalities as players. That thing that felt mundane in your practice at home might be incredibly playful once everyone gets in the same room 

After the orchestra rehearsals, the pit joins the cast in either a sitzprobe or a wandelprobe (or some combined version) a sitzprobe is where the cast stays in place (sits) and sings through the music with the band. A wandleprobe is where they move and sing. That first day with the cast is always so exciting! Once that happens, the pit is integrated into the show and tech commences.

Okay, you’ve rehearsed the show and now it’s time for performances. What happens when you’re mid-run and a musician needs to go out? We hear about understudies, swings, and standbys for actors—but what does that look like for a musician?

If a musician has to call out, a sub (substitute player) is brought in. Usually we know ahead of time if there are dates that need to be covered, so the sub can have a training session where they observe the show from the pit and some time to learn the book on their own, but it will happen where a sub will get called in last minute and have to sight-read the show at the performance. Subbing is its own skill set. You have to prepare the book on your own with no rehearsal with the ensemble and then just show up and play. It’s a fun challenge! I love getting to drop into an already established ensemble and flow with everyone. It’s very present, very in the moment.

We’ve heard that, for Cinderella, you’re the only musician (bass) who belongs to two different sections: strings and rhythm. What’s that like? How do you split your focus?

There are actually a lot of us who play with different sections at different points. For example: the French horn is sometimes a brass, sometimes a wind, sometimes with the strings. Each of the four Reed players function in different ways throughout the show. One of the really cool things about musical theatre is that it is really truly chamber music. Even in a 16 piece (which is large for a pit these days), every player is utilized very effectively to create a huge sound. That means that we all have to be aware of who we are dancing with when. That’s a big reason I love playing in pit orchestras: it’s a big dance.

You have to know when to lead and when to follow, feeling the resistance in the frame of the sound and leaning in or countering as is appropriate. You get to hear and feel the nuances of your colleagues’ playing and interact with it in real time. That’s how you get deep sexy groove and joyous effervescent waltzes  If I’m doing my job correctly, it never feels like splitting focus. It feels more like connected conversation and yummy sonic choreography.

There are a lot of different musical themes in the Cinderella score. What do you think of that approach? Which theme(s) do you particularly look forward to playing each performance?

I think using themes in musical theatre is an effective storytelling technique. It gives anchor points and is great shorthand for what can become rather complex in terms of emotion and context. It also provides a common vocabulary between the audience and the performers.

In Cinderella, I really enjoy how this orchestration treats “The Sweetest Sounds.”

What are your other musical tastes? Which musicians are you listening to right now (e.g., are on your Spotify Wrapped list)?

I’ve been on a bit of a metal kick lately. In general, my musical tastes are pretty eclectic and a lot of my listening during the week is driven by what gig prep I’m doing. That being said, I’ll always make room for some James Jamerson or some Led Zeppelin.

How many pencils are on your music stand (and why)?

Currently? Seven. Plus two highlighters and a pen. Before I leave the house in the morning, I usually stick a pencil in my hair. During the rehearsal process those pencils just ended up on my stand and I forgot to take them home. At some point I realized that I had five pencils on my stand light  I made a post about it on IG and said that people should bring me pencils to add to the collection when they come to see the show. So far I have added two this way, but there is plenty of room for more! The pencil menagerie will continue in Everett.