Anger as Cork Opera House axes panto’s live music

Oh no they haven’t — oh yes they have! Cork Opera House has axed live music from its Christmas panto in favour of pre-recorded backing tracks.

Professional theatre musicians condemned the move ahead of Beauty and the Beast opening last night and called for a reversal of the decision.

“We condemn this shortsighted cut. Highly trained, experienced, instrumental performers now find themselves unemployed at what is usually their busiest time. Over 100 young trainee musicians, on dedicated degree courses in Cork, now have to look further afield for recognition and the opportunity for employment in their chosen profession,” the Cork Professional Theatre Musicians group said.

John O’Connor, head of wind, percussion, voice, and drama studies at CIT Cork School of Music (CSM); and CSM percussion lecturer and sub-principal percussionist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Stephen Kelly, led the criticism.

Mr O’Connor said the live music element of the Opera House panto, the theatre’s biggest money-spinner, has been eroded in recent years — with just three live musicians involved last year.

Will #Cork Opera House's decision to axe the live orchestra from this year's panto affect your decision to attend?

— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) December 10, 2015

In a statement, the group said actors in this year’s panto would be performing to ‘karaoke backing tracks’ with none of the “razzamatazz of a sizzling brass section or the thrill as a master drummer catches every comic pratfall and punchline with lightning fast reflexes”.

“As musicians, many of us were first entranced by the unique magic created by real instruments in theatrical space — recorded music, no matter how sophisticated, cannot replicate it,” they said. And they applauded Everyman Palace Theatre which will have a live band in their panto, Aladdin.

But Opera House board chairman, Damian Wallace, said the decision was right for the theatre in terms of financial and show requirements: “As a board, we are faced with making decisions based on harsh economic realities. That’s what’s demanded of us, and we’ve never shied away from that.”

He said audience reaction to previews has been fantastic and has offered to meet the musicians’ group again in January for further talks.

• Beauty and the Beast runs until January 17. Aladdin runs to January 10.