Post your pit setups

[Merlin]

There's plenty of gear threads...but people rarely post pics of their doubling show setups.

I'll get things rolling with a few shots.

First up is my setup from Cabaret at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival this summer. I was playing Reed 3 which on this version was clarinet/bass clarinet/tenor sax/bass sax.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3199/3022322485_3bea8f20ce_o.jpg

[Merlin]

Next up is my setup from A Chorus Line. I'm doing a lot of subbing on the touring production while it's in Toronto. I'm playing Reed 4 - clarinet, contrabass clarinet, flute & bari sax. (There's bassoon on the book as well, but it was cut - $!)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/3022322687_3f0e3f80ca_o.jpg

[Merlin]

This is from Secret Garden. I've posted it before, and it's just the rehearsal setup...but it's an impressive number of horns.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/2407865503_87741568e1_o.jpg

[Merlin]

This is from a concert with Vince Mendoza at Humber College in Toronto. Clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, bari sax, bass sax.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/3023190846_9fcc7648fe_o.jpg

[Gandalfe]

Ooh, padded chairs. :twisted:

Actually, I alway brought my own chair rather than use the plastic ones they usually provided. I had double stand lights too and another spare. Often others in the pit ended up borrowing some of my gear. Always made me gnash my teeth a bit.

Tuner, must have. It is interesting to see how far from in tune we had to get to work the piano sometimes.

[SuperAction80]

Geeze Merlin, that's quite a collection of horns you have. Suddenly I have the urge to work in a Pit again. My collection isn't nearly as impressive (tenor/alto/soprano/clarinet), but it was still fun to double. I miss the cooperative effort it took to pull off productions like this.

I don't miss the early mornings after a club gig, and I certainly don't miss the dancing instructors who felt like making last minute cuts and additions to the music. :lol:

[RCNELSON]

A mix of reed books 1, 2, and 3 of Millie.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/3051303286_5d335d5172.jpg

[kfrank1]

I just got a saxrax which takes a tenor/alto peg and a double peg kit for flute and clarinet. Then I have a hamilton 5 peg stand that can take the remainng pegs, alto flute, piccolo and soprano sax.

The good thing about this setup is that I can use any combination of pegs between the two stands. Any beechler, hamilton or blayman peg will work.

I use K&M stands for bari sax and bass clarinet.

[bari_sax_diva]

For some reason, I don't usually get calls for shows until spring, and the next one I play will be a reduction of "Music Man" (clarinet, bass clar). Last thing I played was the reed III book of "Nine," so that setup only required clarinet, flute, picc, and alto sax, though it did involve at least a couple terrifying moments on clarinet.

Can I post my big band setup? Last week it involved bari, bass clar, clarinet, flute, and alto flute, and we were playing Kevin Hiatt's book so I got to use everything. :grin: The bandleader was Bob Florence's copyist, so when we play that book I also get to break out the Eb contra. Fun stuff.

[Gandalfe]

Can I post my big band setup? Last week it involved bari, bass clar, clarinet, flute, and alto flute, and we were playing Kevin Hiatt's book so I got to use everything. :grin: The bandleader was Bob Florence's copyist, so when we play that book I also get to break out the Eb contra. Fun stuff.What, no pics or linkee's to the band site? Geesh... :grin:

[hakukani]

This is from Secret Garden. I've posted it before, and it's just the rehearsal setup...but it's an impressive number of horns.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/2407865503_87741568e1_o.jpg

Hi, I'm Dicken!!

[bari_sax_diva]

What, no pics or linkee's to the band site? Geesh... :grin:

Well, here's a pic from last night...

http://leannepowers.com/forumcrap/tues-night-setup.jpg

This is a union rehearsal band that never gigs (so I can't post a website), but plays interesting music and there's a bunch of good players in there who keep me on my toes. The leader is a copyist, and one ostensible reason for our existence is to test-drive things he's working on so he knows nothing is missing and everything makes sense.

If you look really closely at the floor behind the chair, that's Larry's book... or rather, that's book #25B--it's about two inches thick. Right now, he's building book #34. He pulls out a different one each night and we read it down. Could be anything from Holman, to Fedchock, to whomever in that stack. Fun stuff. 8-)

[Merlin]

Chicago, the Musical - Thunder Bay ON, Mar.09

I played Reed 1 - alto/soprano/clarinet/picc

The Reed 2 players horns are visible just behind mine. I used a SaxRax stand, with a custom picc peg by Peter Voisey.

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2620/19/12/534676893/n534676893_2249644_6379824.jpg

[Merlin]

Here's the West Side Story setup from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production. Selmer NY bass (Buescher stencil), picc and flute, bass clarinet. My clarinet and soprano are barely visible at my left.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2488/4095700083_7145c073ab_o.jpg

[Gandalfe]

These pics are from back in the day when Suzy and I were part of the Second Story Rep's presentation of 'Anything Goes'. Weird divisions of the books and with some deletions meant I played bari, tenor, and sop while Suzy played alto and clarinet. The sop solo was my favorite part.

The pit was very small and we accessed it by climbing up submarine-type stairs with our instruments in tow. Once we were in our seats, you had to be careful when changing instruments to not hit anyone. I had two soprano saxes damaged during this gig, once my fault and once while I was not there.

[Merlin]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4540037537_717bfc6278_o.jpg

Setup for Kiss Me Kate at Stratford, 2010 season.

[Carl H.]

Merlin, that almost looks spacious!

What's in the cup left of the water bottle?

[Gandalfe]

Light duty for this gig? Luv these kind of pics. 8-)

[Merlin]

Merlin, that almost looks spacious!

What's in the cup left of the water bottle?

It is reasonably spacious this year, as we only have 3 woodwind players instead of the 5 we had last year.

That's coffee in the cup.

[Merlin]

Light duty for this gig? Luv these kind of pics. 8-)

It's still a two tripper when you tear down, so not light AFAIC.

I usually leave the bass clarinet and bari on stands; the bassoon lives there when I'm not testing new reeds.

[WoodwindDoubler]

Looks good Merlin :)

[SOTSDO]

You leave your horns in a theater (or, for the more hoity-toity amongst you, theatre)? Wow, unless there is a locker with my own lock and a key on it, I don't do that...no way, no how. And, even then, I'd limit the contents to the baritone (nothing special or sentimental about that monster) plus my stands and such.

Of course, I have had things stolen in the past, when working the American Theater and the Loretto-Hilton Theater (home of the Saint Louis Rep back in the day). In one case it was one of my custom horn stands (!!!), while in the other it was a cheap (Bundy, God help me) Eb clarinet that I was borrowing for a production of Company, this for no more than sixty notes in one number. I bought the school a new Noblet horn to replace it, so embarrassed was I.

There are too many ways to have a musical tragedy in the theater pit...

[pete]

I always have taken my horns with me, even if I'm playing in the same place the next day and they do have locks. Even when I was in high school, you'd see me trudging home with a massive bari sax case.

Of course, the two horns that I've had stolen were loaned to someone for her gig ....

[WoodwindDoubler]

I always have taken my horns with me, even if I'm playing in the same place the next day and they do have locks.

Me too. I'm too paranoid not too. I borrowed my Prof's bass clarinet for Beauty and he said he was cool with leaving it set up in the pit if it was locked or in a locker and I just couldn't do it.


You leave your horns in a theater (or, for the more hoity-toity amongst you, theatre)?

Theatre isn't "hoity-toity" at all. There are some Canadians up here ;-) ... "theater" has a pretty red squiggly line under it. :twisted:

Totally agree though ... If I did leave stuff behind in a locker it would have to be stuff I could live with loosing if something happened. :o)

[hakukani]

I always have taken my horns with me, even if I'm playing in the same place the next day and they do have locks. Even when I was in high school, you'd see me trudging home with a massive bari sax case.

Of course, the two horns that I've had stolen were loaned to someone for her gig ....

At Music Theatre of Wichita, the 1st violinist regularly left her fiddle in its case in the pit. That is, until someone broke in and took her instrument and all of the drummer's cymbals.

The perp tried to sell the violin at a guitar shop for $150, and the owner knew it had to be stolen--so it was recovered.

Another time, I was climbing out of the pit after a dress rehearsal day (taking down mikes). It had been a 16 hour day for me, and I didn't have the strength to climb out of the pit for the 21st time that day. I fell back into the pit. Luckily I missed the harp--but I took out the harp stool!

[Merlin]

We actually perform in a loft above the stage. It's locked, and most of the other personnel in the theatre have never been in it, let alone know how to get in.

It's not a perfect scenario, any more than a locker is.

FWIW, if you really wanted to steal something valuable in the loft, you'd be far smarter to swipe the twenty or so Neumann mics that are left in position 24/7. Better return, harder to trace, and much easier to sneak out.

[WoodwindDoubler]

We actually perform in a loft above the stage. It's locked, and most of the other personnel in the theatre have never been in it, let alone know how to get in.


It's like the secret musical tree house. Way cool up there. :o)

[SOTSDO]

Thieves often bypass more valuable things while they are taking something bright and shiny. Unfortunately, that doesn't help if you are the one who owns the bright and shiny object...

[hakukani]

We actually perform in a loft above the stage. It's locked, and most of the other personnel in the theatre have never been in it, let alone know how to get in.

It's not a perfect scenario, any more than a locker is.

FWIW, if you really wanted to steal something valuable in the loft, you'd be far smarter to swipe the twenty or so Neumann mics that are left in position 24/7. Better return, harder to trace, and much easier to sneak out.

Oh, I'm so sorry you're not a part of the production. Locked in a room above the stage...

Yeah, you KNOW I'd go for the mikes...:)

[tenorsaxman90]

Here is my setup from THE PRODUCERS, which just closed this weekend. My book was Reed 3: Flute, Eb and Bb clarinets, and tenor saxophone. I also covered some of the baritone saxophone stuff out of Reed 5, and the Eb clarinet part on flute and piccolo.

[Gandalfe]

Padded chair, nice. 2 point deduction for not having the drink holder on the music stand. :rolleyes:

Luv the wood pegs too, so old school.

[tenorsaxman90]

I don't usually use the wooden stand(unless my gigs call for oboe), but didn't want my clarinet or flute to hit the side of the music stand. I did cave and get one of those little shelves that clip onto the music stand, and used it for my piccolo, tuner, and to set mouthpiece caps on. THEN I was able to get the wooden stand out, and then use the stand my picc was originally on (Hercules flute/picc/clar stand) for clarinet/flute =]

As far as a cup holder goes, I never even ended up using that water bottle when in the pit lol.

I think PRODUCERS was probably the best show I have done so far, but HAIR is definitely a close second!

[Gandalfe]

When I play with practice over an hour I lose a *lot* of water with my deep diaphram breathing, so I drink water even though I don't feel thirsty. Keeps my legs from cramping too when I sleep at night.

[clarnibass]

Next up is my setup from A Chorus Line.
That opening is so difficult... :)

[Jim]

Mmm... Secret Garden horns... I got the call to do the show once. I called back the next day to say yes, but turns out they had had two contractors calling players, and the second contractor had already given the gig to one of his callees before I called back.