I picked up a Captain's Hat and started wearing it
![]()
It's no any cooler than a 3ft long tinsel wig![]()
Hey, I played guitar for a high school production of that musical, using mostly the regular score. It was hectic but fun.
Are you playing any of the banjo parts?
Sadly there wasn’t enough room in the pit so I had to consolidate instruments and cover the banjo stuff on acoustic.
I only had room for either the banjo or the nylon string and I really wanted the nylon string for Alone in the Universe and Solla Sollew
I picked up a Captain's Hat and started wearing it
![]()
It's no any cooler than a 3ft long tinsel wig![]()
Ah yes, I recognize those titles! :)
I played electric and acoustic guitar (steel, not nylon) + banjo. I remember it was a lot of fast instrument switching that had to be done quietly and I was always afraid of banging something or knocking something over...Our "pit" was the floor in front of the stage, so it was all highly audible and visible.
Super fun musical - good luck!
Awesome. How did you get in to the theater business Met?
You are lucky you have a very supportive community that patronizes and promotes your art.I’ve always loved theater. When I was in high school my family went to a church that was big on arts. A couple guys there started a theater production company and asked me if I’d play for their first productions.
From there it was all networking. I’ve met a ton of people involved in local theater over the years and they call me for work and recommend me to others looking for musicians.
I assume you've given the Variax + Helix combination a shot or two over the years? It seems like it might be very practical for what you do, provided the tones were up to snuff.Ha, we call them “death defying guitar changes”
Some shows I spend more time practicing the choreography of switching instruments, turning pages, and hitting footswitches than I spend practicing the music![]()
I assume you've given the Variax + Helix combination a shot or two over the years? It seems like it might be very practical for what you do, provided the tones were up to snuff.
Makes sense. And I'm pretty sure you've answered this question before. Probably a dozen times, easily. :)Yeah, a few times. A lot of guys doing this stuff like to use that combo for that reason.
I gravitated more towards the Roland/Boss GK stuff because almost every show calls for nylon string guitars.
I stopped because I like the feel and response of the real acoustic instruments so much better. The digital stuff is fine for strumming chords, but I always hated the sound and feel of it for playing fingerstyle. Especially for delicate picked single note lines.
There’s nothing worse than trying to finger pick a soft single note nylon string line on electric guitar with its thin high tension strings and narrow string spacing.
It sounds like your "pit" setup on the floor in front of the stage added an extra layer of visibility and audibility to the mix. Despite the potential challenges, it's evident that you had a super fun time contributing to the musical.Ah yes, I recognize those titles! :)
I played electric and acoustic guitar (steel, not nylon) + banjo. I remember it was a lot of fast instrument switching that had to be done quietly and I was always afraid of banging something or knocking something over...Our "pit" was the floor in front of the stage, so it was all highly audible and visible.
Super fun musical - good luck!