South high theater’s production of Sweet Charity, a musical centering around a young woman’s adventures as she tries to turn her life around, has been playing for the past week. It not only features by multiple sung performances from actors, but a full scale pit orchestra as well.

The twenty or so student musicians sitting to the right of the stage, blocked from view by a few mats, are members of the regular orchestra who after auditioning began learning and practicing the songs for Sweet Charity.

            “It was really fun to be apart of the production process,” said South sophomore and bassoonist Helen Walz. “I mean it’s a lot of work and can be challenging but it’s also really fun.” Pit Orchestra members must go to additional practice and try out for the role but members may also be picked by the pit orchestra.

    Walz said she played on pit orchestra, “because they needed my instrument for the play, they basically picked the top musicians in orchestra for pit.”

The conductor, Scott Carter who also directs the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and two Jazz Ensembles at South,says the members are selected by talent. “Each of the music groups is divided  up by ability level, I just went to the top level and asked students who play whatever instrument we need if they want to join.”

    While it might seem the pit orchestra doesn’t get enough of the spotlight from their walled, off stage platform Carter explained, “(the pit orchestra) is more of a behind the scenes group, just like the tech groups, except they are in the scene, they don’t need as much attention.”