Live Music and In-The-Round
We love live music. Truly.
There’s nothing quite like the swell of a live orchestra, the raw energy of musicians in sync with performers, or the emotional punch that only live sound can deliver. So when audience members ask, “Why don’t you have a live orchestra for your musicals?”—we get it. We miss it too. But when it comes to theatre-in-the-round, live music isn't just challenging. In many cases, it’s simply not possible.
Here’s why.
The Challenge: Space, Sightlines, and Sound
Theatre-in-the-round means the audience surrounds the stage on all sides. It’s intimate, immersive, and brings every seat closer to the action. But that intimacy comes at a cost—space.
There’s no pit.
Traditional proscenium theatres have an orchestra pit beneath or in front of the stage. In the round, there’s no such space. Anywhere we place musicians would either block the view for part of the audience or shrink the playing area to the point of compromising performance.There’s no backstage.
Where do you put a conductor, sound equipment, music stands, or even a keyboard when there is no backstage? Our actors enter and exit from all sides. The “wings” are now hallways. Every square foot counts.Live music means live sound mixing—everywhere.
Amplifying live instruments without interfering with the performers’ body mics is a sound engineer’s nightmare in the round. You can’t hide monitors. You can’t isolate instruments. And you can’t risk feedback in a space with 360-degree open air.
We’ve Tried—And It Just Doesn’t Work
Could we cram a small live band into a corner?
We’ve tried. It didn’t work.
The musicians were squeezed into tight spaces, the sound was unbalanced, the conductor could see less than nothing, and the staging suffered. Instruments competed with dialogue. Sightlines were compromised. People’s eardrums were bleeding. Instead of elevating the performance, it distracted from it. So we made a choice: rather than shoehorn in a solution that doesn’t serve the story, we found a better one.
What We Do Instead
We use professional, high-quality recorded tracks, precisely timed and engineered to enhance each scene. This approach allows:
Freedom of movement for our actors
Immersive storytelling for our audiences
Clean, consistent sound for every seat in the house
It’s not a second-best option—it’s a strategic one. And it lets us deliver the kind of intimate, emotionally resonant performances our audiences expect and deserve.
What We Can Offer You
Powerful performances from passionate local talent
Creative staging that brings you closer to the story
Soundscapes and tracks that elevate the production
A front-row experience from every seat
We’re always exploring new ways to innovate. If a viable path opens to integrate live music into theatre-in-the-round without compromising the production, we’ll be the first to explore it. Maybe if/when we renovate—yes, universe, I’m talking to you—we can find a way.
Thank You for Asking
We love when our audience is curious. It shows that you care—not just about the show, but about the process. And that makes you part of the creative journey. So the next time you’re sitting in our theatre, fully surrounded by sound and story, know that everything you see—and hear—is intentionally designed to bring you closer to the magic. We may not have a live orchestra in the corner, but we do have a stage full of heart, talent, and dedication.
Want to support high-quality, innovative theatre in unique spaces? Take this easy 3 step approach!
Buy a ticket.
Make a donation.
Spread the word.
See, it’s easy. Oh, and click here: www.wvcarts.org/donate
Because great theatre doesn’t need curtains or pits—It just needs people who believe in the story.