Re: funniest mistake/act of disobedience


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Posted by Gerald J. on June 29, 2001 at 18:51:41:

In Reply to: funniest mistake/act of disobedience posted by James McNeil on June 29, 2001 at 13:29:56:

Playing double bass in a pit orchestra for a community theatre production of Mame. The conductor and choreographer had settled the dances at sedate tempi (probably about 90), nowhere near as active as most movies of Charleston's from the days of flappers (or that I'd played in other productions of Mame). The lead trumpet, piano, and I pleaded with the conductor to get the tempi up to normal, but she refused. So we played the dances at the tempi (probably 140+) we thought appropriate. The dancers were winded but none had a coronary during the performances. The conductor did NOT follow but conducted every measure in the score at her sedate tempi. We finished each dance minutes before she did. We cut 20 minutes from the show. If she would have had any 16 penny nails handy she would have been spitting carpet tacks, but she could only fume or join us. She fumed. I didn't play any more shows with that theatre group for ten or 15 years because they didn't ask me.

Gerald J.


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