Is all the BETM music played live?

[burtond]

I appreciate that the Dream Ballet sequence uses pre-recorded music from the Ballet, Swan Lake (great and very moving part of the show) but are there any other bits in the show that aren't quite live?
I think there is at least one - but there may be others too.
My one is at the very opening of the 'Born to Boogie' number - solo Piano performs a sequence that is fast and very boogie in style and (from my own point of view) quite complex to perform accurately time and time again. I think I have caught the MD (the one conducting at the front) pressing a button to start a musical audio sound bite for this number which doesn't last long but which brings the band in during the second line. I have certainly never seen anyone play this bit live and each time I go, it sounds exactly the same - same tempo etc.
Views on any other bits appreciated.
This is NOT a negative comment by the way - just a point of interest. I personally think the band are great!

[burtond]

Yep, I know there is the second piano in the pit and I have sat in the A row seats as well but I still have not seen either the MD or the second piano play this intro to 'born to boogie'. Have you actually seen the player play it?
Why would the MD press the button at this point on his little beige box???

[Billy Whiz]

I personally think the band are great!

[Muppet]

I think there are parts where the cast are singing along to backing track vocals too. I think this may be the case certainly in chunks of 'Electricity'. Also I suspect probably in 'Shine' and 'Solidarity' plus the ballet girls 'Michael Heseltine' section in 'Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher.

[ERinVA]

In NY, backing track vocals are not allowed under Equity rules, so there is a sound booth where the backup singers perform when needed. There was a segment of "Working Class Hero," Greg's video blog, that showed the women doing the backup singing in their little room under the stage. The only thing that is recorded in the Broadway show is the Swan Lake music.

[Chris]

Some of the finale (and Australia, too) is a click track. There's an article about it on the internet somewhere. I suspect that the use of backing click tracks is kept to a minimum, as when they do use a click track Equity rules mean that the voices have to be those of the actors appearing in the production. Given the various permutations of Billies, Michaels, Ballet Girls, plus the fact that both of the adult leads are regularly performed by two different actors, and the fact that the Billies often sing in different keys as they near the end of their time with the show, the complexities of using the correct click track must be immense.

[Cindy]

What about the audition panel questions before "Electricity?" I've seen the show ten times and the voices, and the inflections in the voices, are always 100% the same. I was under the impressions that these are pre-recorded.

[ERinVA]

I don't think they are in the Broadway show. I wondered about the London one for quite some time, but then came to the conclusion that they are live there as well.
But I do believe that part of the "Electricity" music in London is indeed a click track. I have actually heard a key change in the middle of it when Billy dances. They play the part he sings, and then it goes into a click track for the dance, so when a Billy's singing key has been lowered, the dance part does not always follow suit. When I have observed this, the key doesn't change back at the end, and Billy just toughs it out for that little bit. I don't think I have imagined this...

[burtond]

Hmmph! some great posts here with interesting comments.
I will take these away and listen intensely when I am next at the show. I like to know how they put the music in the show together so I will be watching.
My view on whether they should be used or not - well, I am totally in favour of them, providing they represent only small elements of the whole reqirement - why, because they can provide a bit of perfection when perfection, stability or tempo is needed and also they must ENHANCE what is going on rather than distract.
Fabulous show, great music too. Well done to the band totally appreciate what you do.

[Finale]

Going back to the argument of whether or not the voices are live at the beginning of Electricity, I was under the impression that they are pre-recorded in the UK. The main lady who says "Just one more thing, good luck with the strike Mr Elliot" among other phrases always consistently sounds identical to the voice heard on the OCR "Can I just ask you Billy, what does it feel like when you're dancing?"

The "Can I just ask you Billy, what does it feel like when you're dancing?" voice heard on the live shows is different to the one heard on the OCR, though she is pre-recorded as well.