[Cricket81]

Hi, this is my first year directing a musical in my district's high school. I have done several plays, but have some actors with amazing voices and really think they should do a musical.
I was in OUAM in high school and LOVE the show!
While I have amazing vocalists, my school is sadly lacking in the orchestra department. How do people solve this problem? Is it possible to do it with a pit without a strings section? Is there a CD that just has the background music so the kids can sing with it? Any suggestions are welcome!

[Luc]

You could always easily do it with a piano.

[Pannic]

My school just has people from the orchestra play in the pit. The band director selects them and gives them the music. They practice and attend rehearsals, and they make up the pit orchestra.

[Set_Buildin_Dad]

You can rent backing music tracks. Our Jr. High did this and it worked out fine.

[PappyCat]

We have a tiny tiny theatre where there is NO pit and we always make due with just a piano. It actually sounds quite lovely.

[Gazelle]

Well if you don't mind doing a shortened version of the show, MTI provides scripts and intrumental vocal guide that you use in the show in place of live music. The only thing is this cuts out Normandy, Very Soft Shoes, and some other fun scenes. Although it's still a great show even conduced, and when I did it we added alot of lines and scenes from the full show to make ours longer.