Musical Director

Job Duties

A musical director oversees all musical aspects of a musical theatre or opera production. Working closely with the other members of the creative team, the musical director will help to guide the overall creative vision of the production.

This includes:

• Casting the show
• Hiring musicians for the orchestra or band
• Rehearsing the vocalists and musicians
• Accompanying on piano during rehearsals
• Conducting the orchestra during the performance

A musical director must have a thorough understanding of how music affects the trajectory of a show. The story, setting, drama, and emotional journey of characters are all wrapped up in music and the musical director must understand how each song moves the plot. An excellent musical director uses the music to help elevate the dramatic and emotional elements of the show.

For a musical director who is working for a community theatre production, they are involved with the production at the start of casting. They help the rest of the creative team decide which actors will be suitable to sing various parts in the show. The musical director will often accompany the actors during their audition. Once the show is cast, the musical director will rehearse with the actors and help to coach them through their songs. Some actors may not be as well versed in music, so it is the job of the musical director to help every actor feel confident in their music and give advice on how to execute the music during the show. The musical director will also run rehearsals with the band separately from the actors. Closer to the performances, the musical director will merge band and actor rehearsals as they direct wandelprobes (a music rehearsal with some blocking) and sitzprobes (a music rehearsal with no blocking). In these rehearsals, actors and musicians play together for the first time while the musical director, along with the rest of the creative team, work out any kinks. During the run of the show, it is the music directors job to conduct the musicians in the pit. Sometimes the musical director will also play piano as they conduct.

For a musical director in regional or Broadway theatre productions, there are a few more duties to be considered. For a musical director who is helping to originate a show, they can be in charge of orchestrating and rearranging the score. If a scene transition needs more time, the musical director may come up with music on the fly to help the transition become seamless. They will give suggestions to actors for vocal riffs and embellishments and work closely with the actors to help find their character’s voice through the music. The musical director assists in creating the final product of the show. They help refine the music to create the finished product that the audience comes to love. In regional theatre or touring productions of Broadway shows, it is up to the musical director to make sure the vocal quality is up to the same standards as the Broadway show. There may be signature riffs or iconic chord progressions (think Wicked or Phantom of the Opera that a musical director must be sure to highlight in the show.

A typical pre-show routine for a musical director would look like this:

• Arrive at the theatre 45 minutes before the show
• Check in with the band and performers
• In some productions, the musical director will run a vocal warm up with the cast
• Change into performance black clothing and head to the pit
• 5 minutes before the show, the musical director will warm up
• Right before the show starts, the musical director will tune the orchestra
• Once the musical director receives the call from the stage manager, the show begins
• At the end of the show, the musical director will give notes to the musicians and pack up

Musical directors are responsible for delivering pre and post show notes to actors and musicians during the rehearsal process to make sure each show will run smoothly.