| B15M -
Sorry if we strayed from the original question.
The short answer is that one knows when there's an opening until they get the call. There are no auditions.
Longer story: There is a great brass player in town who is lobbying hard to have the union set up broadway auditions. (This player can play anything, but is not well-liked by some.)
I think that what this person doesn't realize is that there is more to doing a show that playing the instrument. You are basically living with these folks 8 shows a week, sometimes for years. Contractors understand that hiring a great player is a given (there are hundreds), but they also know that these people must get along with each other. Setting up auditions may get you the best players, but not always the best personalities. My example would be the major symphony orchestra. I would bet that every one has tenured players who are constantly complaining about this or that. Don't get me wrong ... broadway has that too. But , I think the idea is to keep that to a minimum.
Sorry for the rant.
Tony |