replacement pianist

After all season singing our Gay Mens Chorus Los Angeles rehearsals with an excellent pianist named James Lent, we were scheduled to do the performances this last weekend with a different pianist. Apparently it has something to do with union rules and overtime. In any case another pianist was hired and his name was put in the program. James did the dress rehearsal with us on Thursday and then we said goodbye and expected the new guy for the shows starting the next evening.

But during our warm-up for the show on Friday we were told that the pianist they had contracted for the shows, after taking a look at the music, had told us the music was too difficult and that we needed to find someone else. We went back to James of course, but of course James had made other plans, including a recital early that evening at a hall about 20 miles away. One of our arrangers came in and helped us warm up and run through a few of the opening numbers, with the plan that he would start the show if necessary while we waited for James to finish his recital and make it to the theater.

We did start the show about 20 minutes late, but James played every number, and the remaining three shows of the weekend also.