Finding My Way Down To 'Hadestown'
Doubt Comes In: The Challenge of Sight-Reading An Entire Show
A few weeks ago, one of my colleagues recommended me for a musical being produced and revived this summer. He introduced me to the contractor and music director of the show, and I had a few meetings with them to discuss the show's details. A few days after one of the meetings, David, the contractor, surprised me with an unexpected request. He asked me to play the drums for the national tour of "Hadestown" that was stopping in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Unfortunately, the tour was facing a difficult situation since their drummer had to withdraw due to bad tendonitis and possibly carpel tunnel syndrome, leaving the remaining seven Greensboro shows without a drummer. The situation was so dire that during their opening show last Tuesday, the drummer could only play the first act with one arm, and they had to improvise and play the show drummer-less for the entirety of Act II.
David attempted to contact several people in New York City who may have played the show already, but apparently, none of them were available to fly out. After that, David proposed sending the music to me for review, wondered if I could learn the show, and asked if I could catch a flight to play the Wednesday night show.
I accepted the challenge.
I remember when the Broadway musical "Hadestown" was nominated alongside my previous show, "Ain't Too Proud - The Life And Times Of The Temptations," for the Best Musical award in 2019. Although I knew of the musical, I had not seen the show or listened to its music, except for a bit of the title track. However, what I heard was impressive. "Hadestown" has a New Orleans vibe with great grooves and lots of improvisation. Though I am not a jazz drummer, I don't mind mixing it up and can certainly handle creating music on the fly. It was right up my alley. But the thought of sight-reading an entire show? That was a different challenge altogether.
I arrived in Greensboro early on Wednesday morning but didn't have the luxury of time to prepare. I listened to the cast recording and the audio of the drummer playing the show and watched as much of the conductor cam on my flight as I could. Soon after my arrival at the theater at around 2 PM, I was thrown into rehearsal. By 5 PM, the reality of the situation hit me hard. We managed to rehearse Act I and a few songs in Act II. A few hours later, 3,000 excited audience members eagerly waited for a musical performance I was mostly unfamiliar with.
Eric Brown, who appeared on the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast as a guest, once described subbing on shows as an experience that felt like a "two-hour heart attack." For me, it was a milder version of a cardiac arrest, but it still involved a mix of stress, excitement, and fear. However, after the show ended, a sense of relief washed over me as I was able to make it through and perform well.
I received a lot of constructive criticism during my first show from music director Eric Kang and associate music director Dionne Hendricks. They gave me detailed notes, which spanned about five pages, that were a testament to their attention to detail and the whirlwind of the evening. While this show allows a lot of room for improvisation, it also requires attention to the details that coordinate with the movement on stage to move the story along. The notes they gave me were incredibly helpful in refining my performances for the following shows.
As a drummer who dreams of playing in musicals on Broadway, tours, or regional theater, it's important to understand that any feedback you receive from the conductor is intended to help you improve. These notes aren't meant to hurt your self-esteem or damage your ego. Even if your shows have gone well, you should strive for improvement with every performance. Remember to consider their advice as you work towards that perfect show.
On Sunday night, after completing seven shows in Greensboro, I went to the hotel bar to relax with a glass of wine. This week, the show is in Toledo, Ohio, and I'm part of the touring crew until the original drummer returns from a layoff. I've been playing Hadestown for a week since last Tuesday, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm becoming more familiar with the show's plot and can understand why I'm playing the notes I'm supposed to play.
This show has an engaging story, and from what I've seen of it through the conductor cam, it looks incredible. It's no surprise that it won Best Musical, although comparing great musicals can be an exercise in futility. The other Best Musical nominees in 2019 were Beetlejuice, Tootsie, The Prom, Ain't Too Proud, and Hadestown. They are all exceptional in their own right.
In the Broadway cast recording, Ben Perwoski's performance is absolutely amazing, and he created a sensational drum book. Eladio Rojas, the drummer on tour, is also an incredibly talented musician. Watching him play the show from the conductor split cam video makes me feel like I need to either practice more or give up altogether, as his skills are on an entirely different level than mine. Seeing young talent like this often motivates me to work harder to improve my own abilities.
Performing in theater as a sub or chair-holder always reminds me of why I enjoy it so much, but unexpected surprises can be challenging. Last week, I was out to dinner with my girlfriend one night, and two days later, I was playing a show I had never heard or seen before. I had to sight-read most of it, which was thrilling, but I think I've had enough surprises for a while.
When I return to New York next week, I need to get a ticket to see Hadestown from the audience. I don't know what took me so long to see it..
Did you get a chance to see Hadestown yet? If so, what do you think? Have you had any crazy sight-reading experiences?
Let me know in the comments below.
Well-played, and well-written, brother!🔥