The Theatre Question Amnesty Thread

The note is always pre-recorded on regular perfomances at the theatre, in all productions (West End, Broadway, the different tours etc). (The entire title song is pre-recorded in all productions, the E6 is the last note of the title song- I linked a video of Sierra Bogges and John Owen Jones earlier in the thread, but it's the last note on all recordings you will find of the song)

The entire song is recorded because of the scenery and use of doubles on stage. By the time the actors get to that portion of the song they are alone with no scenery moving, so very early on in the production (as in first previews) that portions (the AHHHs) were live.
The reason they stopped singing it live then (and subsquently in all later productions) is for two reasons
1. (i didn't find the documentry but I did find some comments saying) Sarah Brightman would often lose her voice (this is also the reason Chrisitne only performs 6 shows a week)
2. The blocking for that particular moment has christine shhoting her head back, make it look like "the note escaped her throat/ floated out"- it's already a terribly hard note to hit, and practicly impossible in that pose.

There actresses though who choose to sing along to the recorded track, to make it more authentic (I doubt they reach for that E6 volunterly every time though)

During West End live type performances- the note is also pre-recorded almost always. (During that clip of Sierra and John though I don't know- because it's not held as long as usual)

Going back to 'click track' how does a click track time itself? What triggers the device to come in for Christines last note? How does it know when to trigger the pyrotechnics in the right place of a show? Does the click track ever get out of synch with whagts happening on stage? What does a click track look like?

Excuse my ignorants?

I'm a 100% on this so might be wrong.
I think it would work the same for most shows as it does Wicked
It would be the show's stage manager, or whoever has booth duty(it might not be the stage manager himself but he oversees the whole thing) to click the clicktrack- for vocals, stage effects, auto scenery. Basically they sit in a booth/station (either above the audience or backstage) that has multiple cameras the stage and they click accordingly to the script in front of them.

I mentioned Wicked because there is a wonderful documentary that follows Broadway's stage managers on youtube.

Yes every Christine (principle/alt/ u.s.) and Phantom (prin./ s.b / u.s) records thair tracks, separately- that way they can mix and match the different actors. But every actor has their own.

I think Phantom is a real rarety- Ive yet to hear of another single note in musical theatre being recorded because they're too hard to hit.

(Also with the E6 recorded, I don't think there is any reason Christine should be doing 6 show a week)

Sorry! And the base of the Tony is plastic.

Here's one of the oldest Phantom fan sites in existence with more info on the click-track:

web.archive.org/web/20100314181839/http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/article/view.article.php/c6/17

Elder Price's "No, no, NOOOO" (right after I Believe) is also pre-recorded, so he doesn't have to do that anguished yell 8x a week.

Is there a technical term for actors being onstage as the audience file into the auditorium, going about their business or walking around prior to the show properly starting? Recent memories include Great Britain, Doctor Faustus, Everyman etc...

As dippy says, you can have a pre-show, but that'd be something more like the recent Barnum UK Tour with circus acts in the audience before the show, pre-show is where there are actual 'performances' that happen before the show, I *think* the term might also be pre-set, where an actor is set before the show, if it's on stage then that's where they are pre-set. Can also apply to props, sets, costumes etc. May be wrong - will wrack my brain!

 
I wish he'd do more. I'm not sure how much of Seth Rudetsky I could tolerate in lengthy portions, but the videos are great.

Yeah, I'd say pre-set as well.

Side by Side by Side is absolutely hilarious, the Jonathan Groff episode is my favourite

Can somebody quickly explain the difference between a standby and understudy? I know what swings are but why can't Wicked just have an Elphaba understudy in the ensemble rather than have somebody sit backstage for 2hr 30 mins every day?

What does the alternate Christine do for the rest of the week when they aren't on? Are they in the ensemble?