The unsung — but heard — heroes of ‘Seussical’
Dr. Seuss’s books are full of fun, and the same can be said of CG’s spring production, Seussical. His books are also poetic and musical from start to finish, and that will be true of CG’s version, as well.
“It’s a really fun show,” said band director Mr. Magnini. “We play almost nonstop.”
Rather than using dialogue, the musical is sung through, which means there are few opportunities for the pit band to take a break.
While that makes playing for the show exciting and fun, a lot of hard work and preparation goes into getting ready for opening night. Many of the students practice for hours each night to prepare for the big show.
This year’s show presents some unique challenges for the pit band. The pit in the new auditorium, while larger than the previous one, is also set lower down, so the musicians are unable to see what is going on above them, including their director.
“There’s is a video feed of me on the back wall of the pit” to accommodate that, said Mr. Magnini.
Not only do the members of the pit band have to play in sync with each other, they also have to make sure that they are in sync with the choir.
“The most challenging part is lining up with the choir,” band member Lily Freeman said. “The music is a little challenging, but it’s really fun and exciting to play.”
Surprisingly, the band only does four or five full rehearsals. The pit band is meant to be a more challenging, realistic experience for the students, who, because they are chosen by chair, are some of CG band’s best musicians.
“We want the experience to be more like performing as a professional musician,” Mr. Magnini said.
When the band does rehearse, however, they like to mix in a little fun.
“Sometimes [during rehearsals], we try to make the people on stage laugh,” Mr. Magnini said. “The band and the choir don’t get to work together a lot. It’s nice to see them perform together.”
This year’s pit band will have 20-22 members, but many other band students will be performing in the choir, cast, tech crew and other roles, which demonstrates the diverse talents CG students possess.
“We go out of our way to get as many kids involved as possible,” Mr. Magnini said.
