A group of student musicians, collectively known as the pit orchestra, showed off their musical talents last weekend by playing songs for Glenbard West Theatre’s The Addams Family.
Each year, the participating pit orchestra members are hand selected from the top band and orchestra classes and brought in to play what is essentially a live soundtrack for the musical.
“It’s one of those side gigs that kind of go along with being an instrumentalist here at West,” explains pit orchestra conductor and Fine Arts department chair Mr. Walsh.
Practices typically ran three to four times a week until about halfway through October when the rehearsal schedule ramped up to six hours some nights to prepare for the rapidly approaching performance dates. For The Addams Family, those dates were October 31st, November 1st, and November 2nd.
“Rehearsals were always fun and everyone is in the same boat—very confused by the music at first—so it’s something everyone can laugh about,” shares senior pit orchestra trombone player Stella Garland.
The students’ confusion was quite understandable, as the music they were required to play is actually the very same used in the original Broadway production of The Addams Family.
“Seeing that learning curve and more often than not the students really rise up to that experience, that’s what makes it special,” says Mr. Walsh.
Even just the simple mixing of the theatre and music departments within the fall musical provided an incredibly unique experience for students.
“It just makes it that much more of a combined fine arts event, where we have another element of the fine arts and performing arts here at West participating,” notes Addams Family director and theatre teacher Mr. Fox.
Those involved in the pit orchestra itself had similar things to say.
“From the very first run through, to the sitzprobe, to the very first on stage rehearsal, to tech week, and all the way to closing night. It’s so cool to see how much work goes into making a musical happen, and I love that I get to be a part of it,” shares senior pianist Emma Eltzroth.
“I also think that it’s fun to see the behind the scenes of plays since I’m not familiar with the theatre world,” adds senior trumpet player Leah Chapski. “I learned a lot of basic things like the choreography process, theatre warm ups, and even how makeup needs to be more intense on stage.”
In addition to that connection between music and theatre that participation in the pit orchestra brings, the experience also seemed to deliver a high emotional reward for many of its members.
When asked about her favorite moment in The Addams Family, Emma Eltzroth answered with “the bows music”—a choice that may surprise many.
“In the bows music, the pit plays short snippets of many of the major Addams Family songs, such as ‘Live Before We Die,’ ‘The Moon and Me,’ and more,” explains Emma.
“My favorite part is getting to hear each snippet match up perfectly with the actors coming out on stage to bow. I get chills every single time when Lucas and Wednesday run out on stage just as we start playing ‘Crazier Than You,’ and just hearing the audience going crazy at the same time is such an amazing feeling.”
Years ago, during Mr. Walsh’s first time conducting the pit orchestra here at Glenbard West, he remembers having an experience with the musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, similar to the one Emma describes.
“I’ll never forget releasing that last note of that song, ‘Brotherhood of Man,’ and the eruption of sound behind me…and looking at the pit’s faces as their eyes went the widest I’ve ever seen kids in their life,” recalls Mr. Walsh. “And it was like, that is why we do that, for that impact on an audience, as all art should.”
