Instruments in monitors
I’ve been music directing for theatre for 20+ years. It feels like in the last decade, aside from a movement to absolutely no vocals in actors’ monitors, there’s also been a shift to only one or two instruments in the actors’ monitors. I find I often get asked by the sound designer which singular instrument the actors need to hear. Usually the default is to put the rhythm section in the monitors. But hearing the rhythm section often isn’t enough to keep track of the key. And it’s not like a music theatre band/orchestra is a solo instrument with backup sort of situation; the instrument(s) that grounds the actors is in key and groove are constantly changing. And the actors have spent a month listening to a piano reduction where they’re hearing almost everything. And a sitzprobe where they’re being told this or that instrument is now playing what you’re used to hearing on piano, so listen for that now.
I guess I’m wondering when this shift happened (or maybe it was always the case?), and what best practice is (from both a music director and sound designer’s standpoint) to make sure that the actors can hear everything that they need to to do their jobs properly.