By ADRIANA GUTH – BOROWSKI – The IHS drama department is putting on their version of The Addams Family. However, there is one part of the show many people often overlook – the pit.
The pit is made up of 23 talented student musicians, who are capable of playing high-level music.
To execute the work properly, the pit practices for two hours nearly every day after school under the conducting of Mr. Olear.
Sophomore percussionist Maggie Conjelko expressed, “I enjoy rehearsal, even though it is a big commitment after school. The rehearsals seem to go by really fast once we get into them. It gives me a chance to get better, and I enjoy seeing the actors perform. It has been really cool to see everything come together.”
Sections in the pit include strings, rhythm, brass, and woodwinds. These sections work in collaborations for 24 songs.
During the musical, the pit plays alongside the talented actors in the show. Unlike ordinary concert band, there are many changes to the music based on the singer’s interpretation of a piece.
Putting the show together requires meshing the voices with instruments. In the beginning stages of the musical, the cast practiced with a recording. Transferring over from singing with a professional tape to a live pit is difficult and requires a cohesion between the cast and the pit.
Students involved in the musical had to take part in a sitzprobe, which is a seated rehearsal to try and merge the singers with the pit.
Sophomore trumpet player Paige Mitsko stated, “It was fun to hear the show come together with the cast, but it was also a little stressful. At the end of the sitzprobe, it was rewarding to see the progress we had made.”
Putting on a musical takes countless hours and dedication from passionate students. The pit, cast, and crew encourage everyone to come out and support the musical performances on March 15 and 16 at 7:30 and on March 17 at 1:30 and 7:30.
Mr. Olear expressed, “We are doing wonderfully considering the level of playing required to perform the show. The pit only has a couple of adults, which is especially rare in a high school pit. I am looking forward to seeing the performance. There is something for everything. It has a great message, story, and catchy tunes. It also has a great cast, crew, and pit.”
[Photo by: Adriana Guth-Borowski]
Photo Caption: “The Addams Family musical pit is hard at work putting the show together.”
