Why You're Not Getting Sub Gigs (And How to Fix It Now)

The top reasons subs lose gigs—and how to avoid them for good

Why You Can’t Afford to Fail on Your First Broadway Sub Gig

Subbing your first Broadway show isn’t just about proving yourself—it’s about not screwing up when millions of dollars are on the line. Broadway and even off-Broadway productions operate on tight margins, with entire teams working behind the scenes to ensure every show runs like clockwork. Big mistakes cannot happen.

When you sit in that drum chair, a lot is riding on you. The entire cast, crew, and orchestra depend on you to keep the show moving. The music director is trusting you to execute flawlessly. The actors rely on your cues to stay locked in. The stage managers, sound team, and everyone backstage need you to nail the show because one bad performance can throw the whole production off course.

I’ve seen plenty of drummers crash and burn on their first sub gig—not because they weren’t great players, but because they didn’t understand the job. Some didn’t prepare enough. Others walked in overconfident, assuming their skills alone would carry them through. And some made the mistake of thinking they could add their own spin to a show that had already been meticulously crafted.

Thankfully, I never had that problem. I always over-prepared to make sure that when I walked into a sub gig, the show ran as smoothly as if the regular drummer had been there. That’s the only way to get called back.

But I’ve seen what happens when people don’t. And unfortunately, I’ve had to learn some lessons the hard way—not as a sub, but as the person hiring them.

The First Time I Hired a Sub—And It Went Wrong

My first drum chair in New York was tick, tick… Boom!—and I had no clue what to look for in a sub. I just pulled from my network and chose drummers I liked, even if they had zero musical theater experience.

One of my first choices was a fantastic player, but I made a mistake: I didn’t prepare them well enough, and they didn’t put in the work either. They showed up under-rehearsed, missed key transitions, and struggled to lock in with the conductor. They subbed once, bombed, and never got called back.

I learned a lot from that experience, but unfortunately, my next attempt at hiring a sub wasn’t much better.

My second experience wasn't much better. During Altar Boyz, I hired a sub who was cocky as hell. Every time I asked if they were ready, they reassured me—but I had a gut feeling they weren't. I took the night off, played a club date, and at 9:30 p.m., my phone rang. The music director was calling me mid-gig—never a good sign.

That sub? They weren't just unprepared; they went rogue. They reprogrammed the drum pad sounds on the Roland V-Drums to something they liked better. That's like an actor rewriting their lines during a live show. You don't do that. I had to spend hours restoring all the original settings, and they were permanently blocked.

Then, during my first actual Broadway show, I had a sub play while I watched from the audience. I was standing next to the choreographer, and halfway through intermission, I got called backstage. The sub was being fired on the spot.

Did I think they played that badly? Not really. But if the choreographer, music director, or anyone else with authority doesn't like what they hear, that's all it takes. And this is a lesson every sub needs to understand:

Why Didn't You Get the Sub Gig?

Most people aren't called back for one (or more) of these reasons: