It's the Pits

Last night was another performance of Carousel, the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic musical that is being presented by a local community theater. I'm playing in the pit orchestra (2nd flute/piccolo). It's been since high school that I've played in a pit, well, sort of; I played in the orchestra for a couple of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas in the early 90's. I really enjoy it, but this one is a bit frustrating because all the musicians in the pit are volunteers, and thus are primarily amateurs. Not that amateurs can't play well, they often can, but in general, the orchestra could be better. Especially intonation! Yikes! It's impossible to play in tune because there are so MANY different pitches going on; if you're in tune with one player, you'll be way out of tune with another. But for the most part, it's a lot of fun. Since we don't really have a "pit" in the true sense of the word, we're just off to the side of the stage, I have yet to actually SEE any of the show. I can hear the spoken lines when we're not playing, but I can't hear the singers because we play while they sing. I had to go online to find the storyline of Carousel to figure out what was going on. I'm no theater expert, but I will say that the cast of the show seems to be doing a marvelous job.

And I'm getting a lot of reading done during the down time.......
And they give us candy......
.....which I can't eat until after the show so I don't blow sticky sugar through my flute....