Under the HAMILTON Stage with Music Director Alex Lacamoire

[@jordanez6441]

Anyone else love the part during the Reynolds Pamphlet when someone hands a pamphlet down to Alex in the orchestra pit?

[@anishvedantham1827]

Yep lol,

[@RLucasReviews]

Have you read this?😆

[@pamelamays4186]

It's like Daveed is saying, "You're part of this too!"

[@anishvedantham1827]

@@pamelamays4186 hahahah

[@kimsechrist4139]

He's so good at theater. All his facial expressions, and every time he breaks the wall is completely appropriate. Then again, I feel like this play was designed for the cast to be original and have fun. It takes a true actor to play those parts that way, though.

[@ashley-mm1zx]

that was the most confusing camera work i have ever seen

[@rublie1426]

This was fucking annoying to watch because of it

[@lekoman]

It’s too close. You need a wide shot now and again to be able to see how things relate to each other space. Also, you gotta point the camera at what they’re talking about, not just their faces. Super frustrating.

[@whitleygail25]

Thank you! If I wasn't so obsessed with every single aspect of this show I would have clicked off after minute 1 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@the_real_littlepinkhousefly]

Gave me motion sickness.

[@Humanwall123]

@@the_real_littlepinkhousefly Same here.

[@vinnyrocks5886]

It’s so crazy that at every show there’s an entire orchestra underneath the stage!

[@maxmikkelsen166]

Vinny Rocks or above!

[@derkpoortenga]

That's usually how most musicals work. It's an amazing experience to play in one.

[@LostOlympusStudios]

Chicago now tends to have them on stage

[@wdrh03]

Depends on the show. Some shows like Spring Awakening, American Idiot and Next to Normal had band on-stage. The genre of the shows sometimes will affect the staging as well. Some rock musicals prefer to have band on-stage to emphasise on the rock band vibe

[@Shalalacls]

You know, because I live in Italy, where most theatres are built for the opera, and the pit is completely exposed to the audience, I kinda assumed they performed the show on mp3 files...

[@LPChipi]

Dude's like "Yeah, I just play live while conducting in a restricted space, twice a day, reading the parts of every instrument at once while handling 26 different pedals for a bunch of songs across a number of genres. Why u ask?"

[@danayy2066]

Alex. Is extreme multitasking that hard???

[@beccaantoine2116]

I was so claustrophobic watching this video

[@fresiatunang]

Me too! But yea after watched this video😅

[@LunaHime313]

I hear ya! Backstage is claustrophobic!

[@SA-gf1wy]

Seriouslyyy

[@emensahh]

Being claustrophobic IRL, I felt that!!!!!!

[@therealmrfishpaste]

Keyboardist: "And it's really great that there's no guitar amp down here, everything is digital" Guitarist: "Unfortunately there's no guitar amp down here, so everything has to be digital"

[@Jamie_kemp]

So true 😂

[@ayannarandall7955]

@@Jamie_kemp I know! lol, sometimes without an amp you can't hear yourself play so you're just kind of playing blindly!

[@Jamie_kemp]

@@ayannarandall7955 The number of times I must have played the wrong chord but still don't know whether I did or didn't to this day 😂

[@ayannarandall7955]

@@Jamie_kemp Lollll!

[@DaveBanen]

As a pit guitarist I can tell you not having an amp is the best ever. Moving to digital and headphones is a game changer.

[@michaellwalker8748]

The level coordination between everything that is happening on stage, everything that’s happening under the stage, the set movers, the lights: Got damn! How is any of this possible??

[@harrisonnewtonn]

Michael L Walker stage managers :)

[@michaellwalker8748]

Harrison Newton Welp, they’re brilliant people whose names we should know.

[@swordblaster2596]

Practice!

[@thairinkhudr4259]

@@swordblaster2596 iNtErEsTiNg!

[@elmarito007]

They did almost a year of rehearsals before opening night at The Public Theater.

[@fluxmuldar]

It's kinda sad that the spaces they're working in are so small, that they need cameras to see each other.

[@monkeycircus509]

the Richard Rogers was built in 1925, and it's not even the oldest! The Lyceum was built in 1903. It can't be emphasized enough how small Broadway and West End houses are.

[@borodrew]

It’s less about them not being able to see each other and more about being able to maximize their efficiency of space and set up without compromising their ability to use visual communication. I play in a lot of orchestra pits (not in New York, but it’s the same idea) and we don’t have the budget to run monitors like this. The end result is bad set ups where I (percussionist) don’t have enough space for things I need, or have to play them in a bad line of sight with the conductor. The drummer for this and many other shows will have multiple monitors of the conductor around their set up so they can always take cues from them no matter if he needs to play any of his 5 snares way over on his left or play the toms all the way on his right.

[@juliewiebe6686]

Also the camera has a feed backstage so people singing in the wings can follow along

[@neversaygoodluck]

@@juliewiebe6686 Also the conductor is usually on a higher platform so the actors can see them as well. In addition you sometimes have a feed below the balcony for the actors to get a clear view of the conductor from the stage.

[@mr.bojangles1255]

Nah, it’s actually waaayy easier to be closer next to each other and able to play than to see each other at a distance and be able to play.

[@simonvetter2420]

1:15 I wanna know what the PANIC button does.

[@baritone757]

it resets the midi controller if the software freezes or triggers stick.

[@markparris]

Yep. Specifically, it usually broadcasts a "HEY, ALL NOTES OFF" message on every MIDI channel.

[@hmcvm]

They run two simultaneous MainStage rigs for each keyboard, and the panic button switches from one to the other whilst the problematic one is reset

[@bassplayer2011ify]

I'm really happy to see they use a full orchestra for this. When I first saw the show I thought it was all pre recorded.

[@campbellpatterson8036]

It’s not really a full orchestra, they use a rhythm section and a small string ensemble. Still amazing though.

[@manningbartlett522]

No Broadway show uses pre-recorded music or singing. It would cause a riot if any show producer even hinted at the idea because the notion is absolute taboo on Broadway. That does not mean there are zero shenanigans on Broadway - "pit singing" and "wing singing" (where a backup singer covers a part for an onstage performer) has occurred far more often than anyone will admit, although usually for a valid reason like illness or voice exhaustion. Songs that have intense dancing numbers will often also have chorus members doubling offstage to ensure the chorus parts still sound good (Cats and Wicked both do this). But regardless, the music and singing is still always live.

[@bassplayer2011ify]

@@manningbartlett522 What about instances where the music has to be timed exactly with and event on stage? The Phantom overture for example.

[@flowerpower3082]

The rewind sequence for Satisfied is the only pre-recorded element of Hamilton.

[@MongerOfStrings8222]

​@@bassplayer2011ify All musicians have a stage cam as well as a Conductor cam, and the Conductor sort of pokes out of an opening in the stage so the actors can follow the cues, most of the time the musicians respond to the actors rather than the other way round

[@InfinityEnterprises]

1:33 Well it's nice to know that if I have synth problems I can call Randy.

[@jeremykeaton274]

Randy went to my high school :O

[@jordanez6441]

Bro I know who I’m prank calling next

[@leav4g]

Wow. I knew there was work behind the scenes but didn't know that extensive. I want to do music but didn't know what aspect. This gives me more ideas.

[@berlinflight_tv]

Alex Lacamoire under the Hamilton stage. In other words: Alex under Hamilton.

[@ryanhenneberger2679]

“ugh modern music is so simple”

[@MrsRocketCat]

It's soooo freaking fascinating to see what's going on behind the scenes 😲 Mannnn...I have even more respect for the music now 😍

[@g_is_supercool]

Things I always wonder : How do they last without having any toilet breaks...except maybe intermission ofc...and someone who is as clausterphobic like me, would not last a second. Its amazing how all the musicians can be cramped below there...WOW.... JUST WOW. and Thank you all so much for the music you all perform every single damn show!!!

[@bassplayer2011ify]

I haven't played in a pit but I have played in orchestras before and most of the time you just get lost in the music and before you know it its intermission/over. That being said I would mind being a pit like this. Yes it's cramped but you're out of sight of the audience so that will take a little bit of pressure off and you can goof off a little as well if you have the chance.

[@mr.bojangles1255]

in orchestra i usually get so absorbed with trying not to have a mental breakdown over the three notes i missed in measure seventeen and trying to make sure my bow is the same as the person in front of me i end up kinda loosing sense of what the heckity heck is going on off the stage and how to human

[@chrisseger6292]

I’ve been fortunate to play in a couple different musical pit orchestras that were set up like this - totally enclosed under the stage. I’m a trombone player so we used mics but it’s awesome to wear whatever clothes you want and only be heard, not seen. Once you do a show several times you learn every scene and musical cue so you know exactly when there are a couple minutes to sneak away to the bathroom during the show if needed. Of course if you’re the orchestra director that’s probably not an option.

[@g_is_supercool]

@@bassplayer2011ify Orchestras!!! That's even more hard to sneak off for toiletbreaks!!! So yeah I guess being under the stage/away from the audience view definitely puts the pressure off

[@g_is_supercool]

@@chrisseger6292 Thanks so much for sharing your experience!! I guess it is easier for the musicians to sneak away too.. Especially if you're away from the Audience's view as noone would notice.. plus like you said you can wear whatever you want - hence being in more comfortable attire. And you get so absored playing music that you hardly notice just how "cramped" the space is👍👍

[@CreachterZ]

I’m really curious about this. If everything is remote, why not have the orchestra on another floor with all the space and light they could imagine?

[@hoehoebah]

Creatchture - probably because the theatres already built that way. I doubt that there is another such space.

[@killimon1635]

Some places do but remember this would make more sense way back when

[@gpaderx6105]

@@hoehoebah true. It's not a traditional theater if orchestra is in another room. and it's also true they don't have another room for that cause it's small at the backstage

[@gpaderx6105]

-If it is something go wrong at the stage, at least the orchestra could easily adjust as the heard what's the actors saying/singing just above them, something like that. -Even we are now using more digital, remote control, etc., We still can't trust those, It always leads to technical difficulties. Example if they are in the other room then then they didn't know that the live camera of Alex was late, so the orchestra will be late too, until it is a big trouble. Let's compare it to the electric drums nowadays, most of them are still lagging and late, that's why bands STILL prefer drums. They prefer the most non-problematic and traditional ones. -The thing is, even there are speakers on the theater, it was just right if we here the live instruments playing at the point where exactly the stage. It would be strange if they are only at this one side like in the left side of the theater, the people sitting at the front would be confused where the live instruments came from and distract them. -It is also fancy if you're at the VIP hearing the live instruments playing instead from the speakers, that would be really great.

[@mr.bojangles1255]

So as an orchestra player, we really love our acoustics. Pits are designed with excellent acoustics to travel throughout the auditorium. If we were to be above and on another floor, the music will not sound exactly the same. Besides that, in cramped places the players can hear each other way better. If the basses can’t hear the violins the basses can accidentally end up behind tempo. The cellos and violas near the basses begin to falter a bit and the violins falter as well. In orchestra, we listen to each other to base off of our tuning and our timing. While we have to maintain a steady rhythm ourselves, we sometimes lose track especially during long breaks of rest. So it’s for the audience and the orchestra itself.

[@TaylorStrutton]

this camera-man is terrible...

[@theelephant2887]

I think they just attached a Gopro to a dog`s head and let him walk around.

[@Happy2BUp]

absolutely fascinating. Genius' at work.

[@velky_reeds]

"Ok here we got the equipment down here" cameraman: *Points the camera at the people* This is the shittiest camera work ever, I want to be immersed with what they're working with but I can't even see what they're talking about

[@joshribena6804]

What’s your name man?! ALEXANDER LACAMOIRE!

[@JanDaughter86]

OMG why have I never thought of this?!? Good call.

[@remsmodious]

What is a term for some who loves staying in small claustrophobic spaces because I would feel so nice to be enclosed for at least 2 hrs

[@Xloi63]

claustrophilia/claustrophile/claustrophilic

[@LisaMichele]

Its so cozy, I would love it, too!

[@sylviarivera5578]

Nice to know that I'm not the only one who wonders about the greatness of this music and sound.

[@fitzmorrissey]

“Were gonna cut this up.” Me: ..........

[@homiefromfl]

damn, dude. im so ignorant about live theatre shows that I thought this one at least was all pre-recorded music that the ensemble just sang/rapped over.

[@clappytriofan2098]

The amount of stuff the percussionist has to do is insane.

[@heathwitch]

02:00 I need a copy of that full score. Just because.

[@redfiretf2]

sadly i dont think we will ever get the full score and if the full score did release i would imagine it to be incredibly expensive

[@LichenAndMoss]

"We're going to chop this up later." This is the most un-chopped 13:12 ever.

[@ryanburke4633]

yes i love this Orchestra pit so much

[@Sweendogization]

I was in the pit where it happened

[@midapiano]

Multimillion Dollar sound system...

[@jeremyburd20021]

MiDa I mean Meyer sound isn’t cheap. 15 thousand for a 15 inch 500 watt speaker

[@ashareeoo]

Hello claustrophobia, LOL!

[@gabbyklo3873]

okay so. when we watched the show, we could see the tips of Alex's curls on the screen, and we literally just called him "Fluffy Curls."😂

[@CreachterZ]

I’m really curious about this. If everything is remote, why not have the orchestra on another floor with all the space and light they could imagine?

[@kali.9255]

i think they want that connection to the audience and the actors on the stage. that’s one of the reasons why the conductor has an opening to the stage, to be really connected to the performance as a whole

[@jordanez6441]

kali. Right. One of my favorite parts of Hamilton is during the Reynolds Pamphlet when someone gives Lacamoire a pamphlet through his opening 😂

[@ridesharebiz5317]

Great presentation, a musician's dream to know how a pit orchestra function with computer technology. I hope there's good ventilation in the pit.

[@asherujudo7383]

Someone needs to build a new big deal Broadway theater. With Cinema on its way out, theater can start to give people a reason to leave the house.

[@chrispan3033]

You think cinema is on it's way out? Cinemas have had their scares before and have bounced back.

[@maureen4743]

I kept anticipating someone screaming “fire!” and seeing how fast they’d escape that place

[@campbellfulton5602]

Player could be in a musical orchestra for years but never seen what’s on stage

[@andrewedgar3935]

The amount of work that goes into it and the complexity makes my head spin when I think about how they do this on tour!

[@ngflycloud]

I thought they just play recorded tracks ...

[@williamgardiner2010]

I think there would be a strike by the musicians union if that were so. Each theatre if holding a musical has a minimum number of players attached to it. For example Broadway, Minskoff, St. James, New Amsterdam, Hilton, and Marquis theatres must have a minimum of 19 musicians. If the band only requires 12 musicians, 19 pay checks must still be issued. The weekly pay is about $1,700 a week.

[@SeasonsChange14]

There ought to be a way to design a pit for an orchestra that has light that doesn’t spill out onto the stage

[@ms8367]

Horrible camera work

[@eli6353]

It’s really cool how much muscle memory that he has so basically he can watch the whole show lol

[@Taylor92229]

Me: must not touch buttons

[@jmobass]

Just wonderful!!! Alex Lacamoire - outstanding!!!!

[@ejlarsonstratford]

THANK YOU for the shot of the bass gear

[@ccubsfan94]

I'm curious how my Reynolds Pamphlets he has.

[@DrummerBoyNZMC]

Jesus Christ zoom out 🙄

[@hollyc6025]

This is crazy, so impressive!! I would be so stressed that something would go wrong, it seems so extensive and that pit so so god damn small wow

[@claire3852]

you’re loved!

[@WilliamAhlert]

I don't know who are the biggest gods underneath the stage. Is it the MD, the Drummer or the percussionist?? Everyone has so many things to keep track of simultaneously, its amazing

[@usedtomakemesmile]

Sounds like an awful lot of men in the pit? I love love love Hamilton, but it'd be great to include some more women in the sequel!

[@leemeadows5686]

I'm not sure what to make of this comment, but it's hilarious.

[@usedtomakemesmile]

@@leemeadows5686 Thank you, I think?

[@fazeenvy4129]

How will there be a sequel?

[@fazeenvy4129]

@Mackenzie OConnor Oh ok tha nk you

[@TrainerMysticNC]

@@leemeadows5686 there are girls in the orchestra as well

[@jamesmarie]

Piano lesson payed off.

[@krisspiteri7531]

What type of camera do you use and how do you avoid visual latency ?

[@AidanMcLeodProductions]

The monitor feeds latency is probably so minimal that it doesn’t matter because it’s closed circuit

[@kevinmccoy781]

One trick to reduce latency in a pit like this is to use a standard definition camera that just outputs composite video and distribute that through the pit. With no digital processing except that of the displays themselves the latency is pretty minimal.

[@stevencgr]

@@kevinmccoy781 it's also why it's b&W.

[@kevinmccoy781]

@@stevencgr The B&W part of it I think is more because the camera is in night-vision mode.

[@AdamBrunetti]

@@stevencgr it's Black and White because it's an IR camera, so that the musicians, actors, and anyone else that gets the feed can see the MD during a blackout.

[@tedbabbitt7108]

What type of piano does the main conductor play?

[@OwensDrumming]

It looks like a Yamaha S90XS to me!

[@tylernichols9650]

As a musical theatre conductor and music director, this is fascinating!

[@elijahcarnes8503]

I don’t think Randy likes being on camera

[@rowansmith422]

i wonder what the panic button on the keyboard does

[@duncanstan3419]

So wait.... no strings?

[@jacobelmahir7608]

There was more room near where the guitar was so I'm guessing strings are there

[@bobbyweil9012]

there are the two percussion areas (as shown), plus two keyboards, an electric guitar, a bass guitar, two violins, a viola, and a cello

[@josephf2960]

the viola player also switches between viola and violin.

[@TrainerMysticNC]

@@bobbyweil9012 and the banjo as well

[@bernettamorton3626]

So incredible and exciting!

[@budsnotduds6118]

Can anyone tell me what the effects board at point 10:36 is

[@danayy2066]

When I saw the film of this show and listened to the soundtrack, I pictured like a 60 pc orchestra in a dining hall sized room under the stage with a conductor that doesn’t have to do 7 things at once, standing above you as bright as day! Turns out, that pit is like a winding cave and the fact that you guys (just 10 of you playing several different parts and don’t get me started on Alex playing while conducting, while reading everyone’s music while constantly switching sounds) are rocking out hard down there, in the dark, barely able to move around and barely able to see each other is simply incredible! Everything about Hamilton just blows my mind!!!!

[@thatsalittlebassist]

I knew WLWDWTYS was in D major! I thought my relative pitch was playing jokes.

[@okonh0wp]

you're not touring the winds?

[@baileymclean972]

Orrin Konheim there are no winds in the show

[@davinodaninja7498]

Why am I just seeing this?

[@DarkAudit]

I get having to account for the difference in sound between laptop/headphones and the house system, but what about the difference between an empty auditorium and a full house?

[@김범준-w1o]

미쳤다.... ㄹㅇ 능력자들이다 악보 두께보소ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ할 엄두도 안나는....

[@leosmithonbass]

all bass players (me, really), pausing at about 3 min in to see the pedal setup and check out the keybass rig! noice video!

[@rachaelb.471]

That drummer’s space though! And did Alex say steel drum? As in Steelpan? 🇹🇹

[@jonothandoeser]

Its a KeyboardMagazine interview, but they didn't say what keyboard he was using!

[@arock]

Doesn't matter, it's just a MIDI controller. All the sounds are coming from the computer.

[@PanzerFalcon2232]

Idkw, but the keyboard bit at the end of the schuyler sisters is my favourite part of the song

[@scalzmoney]

Guessing Randy changed his number after this.

[@ninarafaelasotoyaponteres1606]

What's the name of the black thing with tape on it and circles?

[@minnesotajack1]

That sucks that they’re all hidden. Best at their craft and no one sees them

[@JeffIrok]

Yamaha S90XS FTW!

[@karend169]

Is anybody claustrophic, in the band?

[@rovolution8248]

at 1:20 there is just a button that says "PANIC" 🤣🤣

[@benjaminnebenjamin6033]

ive only discovered Broadway within less than a month and ive known (not in person) 3 talented broadway Alexes already. an actor, a theatre director, and now a music director.

[@ashleykim115]

he came to my school

[@harrymoulson2729]

Anyone know what piano he uses?

[@derpboi3155]

He got to be in the room where it happens

[@TheodoroDML]

amazing video, ty ty

[@saindhaveesh]

This is the room where it happens 👀

[@ahuddleofpenguins4842]

Synth Problem?

[@jacoblando5083]

What keyboard is that?

[@chrohm]

yall play in to tracks too?

[@SzTz100]

Incredible

[@partheniafayne9426]

❤❤❤❤

[@TrainerMysticNC]

the camera angle is so. bad

[@Marreroortiz]

Very tiny space!!! This is boring.....

[@hanaeve__]

They work with what they have and they do it amazingly.

[@VOTEBLUEFORYOU2024]

LOTS OF BRAIN...LESS OF MUSICIANS.