tomba51

I was fortunate enough to see "Gypsy" today (Saturday matinee, March 22,2008). Tony was the lead trumpet and he sounded great! The band is on the stage for this production. It's a large orchestra (by Broadway standards) - 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1 bass, 5 woodwinds, 3 trumpets (Tony, Kamau Adilifu, James Delagarza), 3 trombones, 1 French Horn, harp, keyboards, drums and percussion. The orchestra is featured in the overture, and, right off the bat, Tony stands up and plays a high note solo. I guess that there's no coming to the theatre late and warming up at the last minute for this one - you have to be ready to go right from the downbeat LOL. There was some real nice playing throughout the show. But then, in the climatic song, "Rose's Turn", there was some very high playing right at the end. Maybe Tony will chime in and let us know exactly how high that number goes. And then, during the exit music (after the show is over, everyone has taken their bows, and the audience is leaving the theatre), Tony gets to play that high note solo again that he played in the overture. It reminds me of what Jimmy Maxwell used to say about playing shows - "There are long stretches of utter boredom, interrupted by moments of sheer terror!"

Tony, if you remember, please tell Kamau Adilifu that Tom Barreca says hello. I studied improv with him back in 1980, when he was still called Charles Sullivan. I don't know if he'll remember me, I only studied with him for about 6 months, and then he got so busy that he didn't have time to teach anymore.

Tom