Casting the Pit

We’ve all heard them, the musicians who sit under the stage and elevate the performances of the folks we do see. Hidden from view, they form a complex ecosystem integral to the production of any musical. These are highly trained professionals who can shift styles seamlessly, switch instruments without breaking stride, and adapt in real time to the subtle stylistic choices of the cast. The best pit musicians are the ones who vanish into the fabric of the performance, which is exactly why leadership in theatre companies often overlooks the inequities that fester in the pit, even now.

Across the United States, significant strides have been made toward equity and transparency onstage and backstage, in casting, leadership, technicians, and design, and the voices of historically marginalized groups are increasingly elevated in the canon. Yet pit orchestras remain stuck behind the curve with women, queer artists, and people of color being regularly shut out of the system, not because they are unqualified, but because they are not part of the inner circle.

The Contractor System

In most unionized theatres, pit musician hiring is entirely delegated to contractors, who hold carte blanche authority to select players. These individuals often rely exclusively on word-of-mouth referrals from close colleagues or on long-standing collaborators they’ve worked with for decades. Once a show is booked, contractors simply run down their personal list until someone says yes. In some cases, the “top-call” players themselves are asked who they’d like in the section.

Little attention is paid to a musician’s stylistic fluency or lived experience, qualities that are often essential to delivering a score with integrity. To complicate matters, contractors frequently hire themselves into the pit, creating a built-in conflict of interest that limits opportunities for others and entrenches a narrow circle of hires. The result is a stagnant, insular hiring pool where union orchestras are populated by the same musicians decade after decade, regardless of whether they remain the best artistic fit.

While this system certainly includes some brilliant players, it also protects many who coast on familiarity and reputation rather than adaptability or artistry. If pit musicians were treated as cast members, both in equitable hiring and artistic integration, the overall level of artistry would rise dramatically, while also aligning with more ethical practice. Having navigated this system both as a player and, more recently, as someone stepping into contractor roles, I’ve seen how conflicts of interest reinforce a closed circle.

For those already on the list, the door stays open; for those outside of it, no amount of training or artistry creates a pathway in.

One contractor put it bluntly in a recent Facebook exchange: “All of my hires are based on word-of-mouth recommendations. Your audition is the last gig you played with me or someone else or for someone who felt confident recommending you.”

This admission reveals that access to pit work isn’t governed by skill evaluations or open processes but by proximity to the inner circle. For those already on the list, the door stays open; for those outside of it, no amount of training or artistry creates a pathway in unless you rub elbows with the right people.

These observations are based on experience in the United States, but the same dynamics resonate internationally. Readers abroad are encouraged to reflect on their own systems; parallels are likely.

What’s at Stake

Artistic integrity. The pit is part of the storytelling, and each musician is a performer whose unique voice shapes the show.

Audience experience. Improper hires weaken the emotional impact. Just as one would not cast a contralto pop singer to perform Cunegonde in Candide, it makes little sense to hire a classical oboist to play a saxophone-heavy jazz part.

Equity and access. Expanding the circle of hires naturally increases diversity in the pit, creating transparency and opening doors to historically underrepresented artists. This benefits audiences, strengthens grant applications to organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) or MacArthur Foundation, and aligns with the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Efficiency. Well-matched players reduce rehearsal time. When each musician is perfectly suited to their part, it helps to conserve resources and minimize stress.

A pipeline of talent is wasted as theatres forfeit the vitality of new artistry and contemporary perspective.

Identifying the Gap

So, what is it that makes a pit musician, as opposed to a symphony or big band musician, so special? Effective pit musicians require conservatory-level training, fluency across genres, mastery of multiple instruments, elite sight-reading skills, and advanced ear training. Union pit musician jobs are also the highest paying performance work in most major metropolitan areas alongside symphony orchestras. Given the extraordinary skill set demanded and the high pay scale, one might assume the hiring process is rigorous. In fact, it is the opposite. Hiring is still largely based on the preferences of veteran players (overwhelmingly white, cisgender men), and there is virtually no transparency in how contractors are contacted or how they assess candidates.

This “first-call system” privileges veteran musicians for every show, regardless of fit, simply because of their relationship with the contractor, who, not coincidentally, may also be performing in the same pit. It also leans on the preference of top call players to fill sections and hire substitutes.

This hurts productions in two ways: It fosters homogeneity through unconscious bias, and it blocks opportunities for greater artistry. Casting professionals agonize over finding the right actor for each role; such care is rarely applied to the pit. Musicians remain an afterthought, often literally buried under the stage, even though their work is central to the theatrical experience.

The system also blocks generational turnover; younger, stylistically fluent players are rarely given a first chance, while entrenched veterans remain in rotation for decades. A pipeline of talent is wasted as theatres forfeit the vitality of new artistry and contemporary perspective.

Real-World Evidence

If this were only a case of artistic anemia and unconscious bias, then it wouldn’t be as much of an issue. The sad truth is that the flaws of this system extend into outright discrimination and unethical hiring. As a pit musician with extensive experience on Equity stages, I have witnessed it firsthand: casual sexist or racist remarks from “first-call” players, artistic mismatches that waste precious rehearsal hours, contractors giving themselves work while blacklisting musicians who slightly inconvenience them, and colleagues silenced by the fear of losing future work. Countless musicians across the country have witnessed the same patterns.

In an email to me, French horn player and educator Dr. Angela DiBartolomeo recalled:

Pit orchestras, with their long runs, tight quarters, and informal atmosphere, can be breeding grounds for exclusion and, at times, overt sexism. For example, during a professional show last year, I listened as a well-known, senior trumpet player openly criticized another local pit orchestra for hiring a young woman trumpet player for a long run. He dismissed their decision as being “woke,” clearly disregarding her merit. Ironically, she is a close friend of mine.

Although I had never met this man, his reputation preceded him, so I chose not to confront him. His comments made the entire pit uncomfortable, but as a member of the tight-knit “old guard,” no one spoke up. The contractor, absent during the incident, later apologized for his behavior, a gesture I appreciated, though I knew not to expect an apology from the trumpet player himself.

That a “first-call” musician can perpetuate this rhetoric unchecked reveals the climate across the country.

Cellist Christine Mello describes an even more egregious case, in which a manager and music director conspired to have her fired on opening night so that the hiring manager, a cello hobbyist, could have her job and pay. “It was so embarrassing and heartbreaking,” she wrote, “but I’m here a year later to say: ‘You didn’t get away with your scheme to lie about my abilities in order to put mediocrity together in one pit.’”

These are not isolated grievances. They are symptoms of systemic failure.

There are no open calls, no rosters, no clarity about how decisions are made. Access depends almost entirely on personal connections.

The Echo Chamber Effect

Despite the central role pit orchestras play, there are no accountability mechanisms for who gets hired. Theatres have begun publishing diversity statistics for actors and staff, but no comparable data exist for musicians. The absence is telling: Without basic reporting, entrenched habits persist unchecked.

Because contractors draw from the same narrow circle, women, musicians of color, and LGBTQ+ artists often have no entry point. There are no open calls, no rosters, no clarity about how decisions are made. Access depends almost entirely on personal connections, allowing homogeneity to replicate year after year.

However, these barriers are not an inevitability but a result of deliberate choices. With different choices, theatre companies could build systems that are transparent, fairer, and artistically stronger.

Solutions and Steps Forward

Theatre companies can act now.

• Transparent submission systems. Provide a way for musicians to submit interest directly through theatre websites.
• Clearer selection criteria. Require contractors to publish how they choose musicians.
• Resident artist system. If recurring musicians are prioritized, make that explicit. List them publicly (e.g., “resident percussionist”) so others understand the framework.
• Casting model. Treat pit hiring like casting actors: Post opportunities openly, outline required skills, and evaluate submissions carefully.

Beyond hiring, theatres can integrate musicians into the artistic process:

• Involve musicians in early rehearsals as collaborators, not just service providers.
• Consider the orchestra part of the dramaturgy, shaping the show’s storytelling.
• Create pathways for hybrid artist-musicians who can perform onstage.

These efforts are investments in the vitality of the production: Better musicianship leads to better performances, stronger audience experiences, and higher retention and revenue. In the end, audiences really like seeing musicians on stage.

A Call to Action

I urge directors, producers, writers, and artistic leaders to treat musicians with the same equity and imagination afforded to actors and designers. Inviting them fully into the artistic process will not only strengthen companies but elevate the art itself. Addressing this blind spot is transformative for the future of theatre, and it is both affordable and immediately actionable.

Finally, I urge musicians themselves to speak out. Silence only preserves the system we all know is broken. Oboist Katherine Needleman puts it plainly:

Do you ever play gigs that look like this? If so, and you just cash your check, please think again for next time. Think if there is a way you can say something, and think about what it means if everyone then hates you or doesn’t hire you because you did something besides completely shutting up.