Ragtime
Alright, this seems as appropriate a place to start looking as I have available, and I figure I should probably start early to avoid stress all around.
So here’s the deal: I’m playing cello in the pit orchestra of Ragtime: The Musical, which is playing at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. However, I won’t be able to play on Sunday the 21st of May, and probably not on Saturday the 20th, either (I’ll likely be able to play on Friday the 19th, but I suppose there’s a possibility I wouldn’t be able to play then, either). To keep an already long story from getting too much longer, I need a sub for some still-unclear portion of that weekend. I know that there aren’t any cellists who read my journal (at least, I don’t think there are any), but I’ve been out of the quasi-professional cellist circle for a long time, and the number of contacts I have has gotten very small (think two). So if any of you know any cellists, let them know about this opportunity to make some cold hard cash (well, checks, but I’m sure with enough time in the freezer, you can achieve cold-hard status).
Like I said, I’ll probably be able to do Friday, but in case I can’t, that show starts at 8, the Saturday shows are at 2 and 8, and the Sunday show starts at 2; there’s no set time you have to be there, but I usually aim for at least a half-hour before the shows start. It’s a bit of a long musical (the first act is about 90 minutes, and the second about 65, with a 15-minute intermission in between), with a lot of music crammed into it. Most of it is pretty easy, though; it gets up to about a high C or so a couple of times, but most of it is on the ground, and 16th notes are pretty rare. There’s a little bit of syncopation, but for the most part, you’ve got the quarter-note bass line. There’s also one spot with artificial harmonics, but it’s only 4 notes, and it’s doubled by one of the woodwinds, so I’ve been able to get away with faking it before. The main tough part about the musical is the keys; 5 sharps or flats is pretty common, and our good friend The Key of C# (or his cousin a# minor) makes an appearance or two. The other tricky part is that there are a lot of alternate versions of songs that are in the book, and they can throw you off. The dress code is all black; pretty simple stuff.
Perks include free coffee and half off anything at the concession stand. I’ll be able to get you two tickets; one for you to get a general feel of the music and the musical, and then the other to get a good feel for what you’d be getting into. I’ll be able to get you the music up to a week in advance, and I’ll try to mark everything clearly with post-its. I would also be eternally grateful to you, and maybe write an ode in your honor. Or a sonnet. Or maybe a limerick.
Or a haiku.
EDIT: Right, should probably leave my e-mail address: wjmclain@gmail.com.