I got called to sub once more on the Serenbe Playhouse production of Miss Saigon. Bonus gig! Right as I was walking from the parking to the pit, the helicopter flew by on its way to the staging area, and I got pumped about doing this all again.
I really enjoyed playing the show. A performance can be a real test of what you do in practice--what sticks and what does not! For instance, every show has a massive amount of flute, and it made me rethink the way I approached tuning with regards to lining up the third octave stuff with the first violin and the trumpet. I also had to consider embouchure fatigue at the end of the show--stuff that doesn't matter at home!
In other news, I think I'm tired of fighting my clarinet. I've had the same instrument since college, and I'm ready to investigate a different horn. Some of the Buffet quirks that I've put up with for twenty years...I'm starting to think it's the horn and not me! I feel good about saxophone and I feel good about flute, so why shouldn't I feel good about clarinet?
I also heard some stories on the break about guys who couldn't hold it through the first act and peed in bottles (this happened on a couple of other nights--not this one)! I don't see how you could do that without the people next to you being aware of it. Then again, I was so glued to the book and the music director that I probably wouldn't have noticed.
Moving on--I'll be at Smith's Olde Bar tonight, playing with Glen Pridgen:
And Greg Lee!