When I heard that Mr. Bolden was not directing the pit orchestra for the fall and spring musicals, I was disappointed. Mr. Bolden was the pit director for the past few musicals and I was looking forward to having him as the conductor again this year.
When Mr. Briggs left his position as pit director, the transition from Mr. Briggs to Mr. Bolden was smooth. Mr. Brigg’s last JC musical was Beauty and the Beast, the fall musical of my sophomore year. Mr. Bolden took over for the following spring musical, Seussical, and continued to direct the musicals for the previous year, Peter Pan and How to Succeed.
All of the pit members knew Mr. Bolden and felt comfortable about having him as the new pit director. He continued to use the same schedule that Mr. Briggs used for practices, which was convenient for a majority of the members. Mr. Bolden kept a relaxed environment during the practices, but was intense when the pit really had to focus.
Having a new director will be a change for the pit members. No one will be familiar with the new director. The new director will have to make changes to his or her schedule to fit in all of the pit practices and musical rehearsals. Preparing for the musical requires one to sacrifice a great amount of time.
The pit meets once a week for three hour long practices. Practices are held every week until the start of tech week which is when everyone involved in the production meets to practice every day. The weekend before opening night is for dress rehearsals which require one to stay about ten hours at school for practice.
In order to make a successful production, the director will have to keep in mind several points. He or she will have to make sure that the music is beneficial to the actors on stage, the practices are productive, and the members are cooperative. Cooperation is extremely important to make a successful musical. I hope that the new pit director will collaborate well with the pit members and lead the pit to make great music for the musicals.
The pit members will also have to be aware of a few things. All members must work well with the new director, participate in the practices, and have responsibility for their parts. Everyone in pit counts on each other and the rest of the members of the production count on the pit for their cues. Without a well-oiled system of responsibility and trust, the musical will not go well.
Although Bolden will no longer be the pit director, I believe that all members of the pit will continue to be mindful of their roles and will be able to adjust. I am confident and excited that the pit will successfully make the best music for JC’s highly acclaimed productions.
Jenny Yang is a Graphic Designer for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.