Creatives Commentary: Musical Supervisor Stephen Brooker on White Christmas

Musical Supervisor, Stephen Brooker, remembers the excitement of the sitzprobe for the Made at Curve production of White Christmas.

The sitzprobe on any musical production is one of the most exciting days for me as a Musical Supervisor.

It is very hard not to become swept away with the cast’s, rightly so, enthusiasm, but I try to concentrate on the orchestration, its volume, its colour, and I constantly question its supporting role alongside the story telling. Orchestration cannot get in the way of the story and pull focus, unless it is required to. The sitzprobe is the first time the cast and orchestra actually come together in the same room, and the last for the duration of the production. The time is so valuable for musical balance but also the adding of a ‘little more cream’ to the overall production that, hopefully, the audience will enjoy nightly.

This was a wonderful cast, and I constantly remind myself of the abundance of talent, passion and spirit that bought to life Irving Berlin’s music at Curve.

I am incredibly proud to have made my contribution.