For those unfamiliar, and to make sure we’re all on the same page, please consult the following glossary.
Sitzprobe: first meeting of cast and pit, kind of like a table read (no blocking) in which the orchestra plays through the show, and the cast sings along for the first time, start to finish. Typically kicks off tech week. (Tech week = long rehearsals that add all of the production’s full AV, musical, and stage crew elements to simulate full performances. Typically, week of opening night.)
Director: person responsible for working with the cast and crew on all non-musical elements of the production (eg dialogue & scenes, set changes, blocking). Of course, the Director collaborates with the MD/Conductor and Choreographer.
Choral Director: person responsible for working with the cast musically, helping them rehearse the production’s vocals. Important note: the Choral Director begins work with the cast well in advance of the sitzprobe, and long before the pit gets brought into rehearsals.
MD: Music Director/Musical Director. MD’s do either of two things, or both of them together:
i) Serves as the Choral Director (though not always!)
ii) Works with pit musicians. (Synonym for Conductor.)
Conductor: The person responsible for leading the instrumentalists and coordinating timing of musical cues during the production. If the Conductor also plays the primary keyboard/piano 1 part in the pit orchestra, then they are also considered the MD. In this scenario, the MD would have been working vocally with the cast long before rehearsals with the pit orchestra. However, in some circumstances, the Conductor is a different person than the MD.
Blocking: word used to describe movements that happen onstage such as directions, choreography, and traffic flow.
Sub: short for substitute. In the event that a musician can’t make a service (rehearsal or performance) for whatever reason, a sub performer steps in to cover the missing part. Ideally, subs are already familiar with the music from having played it previously with other organizations.
Notes:
- Some may simply refer to “the Director” when they could mean any of 3 things: the Dramatic Director, the Choral Director, or the MD. In rare (and unfortunate) cases, one (very overworked) person will have to serve more than one of these roles at once: directing the scenes, teaching the cast to sing the songs, AND working with the pit as a conductor.
- In putting together the production, one of the biggest questions the Director will have to answer is: will an external MD be necessary? The answer to this is yes, unless there is a faculty member (usually from the music department) who will teach the cast the vocal parts, and/or lead the pit as Conductor. If yes, then the external MD needs to be involved in the production as early as possible in order to work with the cast well before the sitzprobe.