When Musicians Leave the Pit for the Stage

November 1, 2025

Heather Boehm  -  Theatre Musicians Association President and Member of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL)

by Heather Boehm, Theatre Musicians Association President and Member of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL)

It’s increasingly common for musicals to feature musicians onstage—payment precedents vary widely due to factors ranging from where the theater is located, where the show workshopped, the AFM local negotiating the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), venue capacity, and commercial versus nonprofit, among others. Many AFM theater contracts contain small weekly payments or no additional payment premiums for performing onstage in “standard attire” (e.g., all black or tuxedo/equivalent formal attire).

Once a design team commits to an onstage band, asking musicians to memorize music or perform choreography is a common next step to further integrate AFM members into the onstage action. Musicians onstage are prevalent in touring and regional theater productions—adding style, dimension, and realism to shows. We help give audiences a sense of a crowd onstage—especially if cast members or ensemble tracks were trimmed due to budgetary concerns.

Some AFM theater contracts are based on terms used by traveling big bands in the 1950s. Many people believe that musicians onstage is a win for all: an opportunity to increase awareness of the AFM’s workforce—increasingly invisible to the ticket-buying public—at the employer’s expense. Sound designers are keen to incorporate live onstage elements into their design concepts as music styles evolve.

Below are ways to approach defining and negotiating onstage show work when the scope is changing, along with points to keep in mind when playing and subbing on these shows.

• Achieve a Percentage for This Additional Work: Using percentage-based amounts is better than fixed dollar amounts (e.g., 10% of gross wages versus a flat fee of $10 per week), because the check amount increases as wages go up. With the rising cost of living, fixed dollar amounts often lose value for workers by the end of the term.
• Heads Up! Don’t underestimate the amount of scrutiny the musicians will face—particularly if the committee or local has a symphonic background, where performing onstage is expected. Evaluating and scrutinizing all elements of the show is what the design team is paid to do. “People hear with their eyes” may elicit eye rolls amongst musicians. Still, when AFM members perform as chairholders or substitutes, it’s best to expect that conclusions will be drawn on both their musical performance and execution of the onstage component.
• Costumes and Fittings: Clearly, costumes should be at the employer’s expense, with additional consideration for makeup, wig/hair, and body paint. It’s important to ensure musicians are compensated for attending these fittings and that fittings are scheduled on a day the musicians are already called to the theater. Count on two fittings per person. Don’t forget to contemplate how fittings will be handled for substitute/alternate musicians who join the process later. Also, if musicians must meet with dressers prior to the show or during intermission, the extra time this requires should be properly compensated.
• Changing Areas: There are many reasons why any musician would benefit from having a private dressing room to change into a costume, beyond the shared “locker room” that some CBAs require.
• Consider All Elements: How much performance involves directed movement or choreography? How many lines are there? How much material needs to be memorized? Are there safety concerns? Will musicians perform at a great height or interact with moving elements of the set? Will musicians be called for staging rehearsals? Are they playing all of their show book doubles or performing on keyboards/EMDs? How will substitute musicians be integrated into the production? Will they receive a brush-up, a continuity call, or a put-in rehearsal? Will b-roll or electronic media be captured to promote the show in commercials, online, or lobby videos?

While it’s an exciting way to further integrate musicians into onstage action, featuring musicians in view of the audience, often in costume, begs consideration and discussion of how this extra work can be compensated appropriately for all musicians.

Theatre Musicians Association is here to support you! You may contact the TMA executive board at any point during your negotiation to get the latest contract language from chapters across the AFM with theaters similar to the employer you’re negotiating with.

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