The Prom

I was contracted to do this show at Village Theatre in the summer of 2023. I knew of this show, as many people did, through the Netflix adaptation starring Meryl Streep and James Corden (spoiler: the musical is better). It’s a fun show, lots of pop/dance stuff with some of the more complex baselines I’ve had to play in recent memory.

One thing I’ve found with bass books is that the effects used are often implied and nothing else. The guitar book for another show I played specified not only which effects to use, but which brand & model of effect the original player used, and even the exact settings used. The bass book for this show, and most others I have done, indicates effects by notes from the original player transcribed by orchestrators (i.e., “SansAmp off.” Well, I guess I need a SansAmp on the board, then.)

So after compiling all of the random notes in the book, the final setup I settled on was:

INSTRUMENTS:

• Sadowsky MetroLine Vintage PJ 5 string

• Shen plywood upright (not the best for bowing, but with the cramped quarters of the pit, I trusted using this more than my 1890s Tyrolean. I have since acquired a Shen SB150 5/8 hybrid bass for situations like these).

PEDALBOARD

• Tuner > MXR Dyna Comp Bass > DigiTech Bass Whammy > MXR Bass Octave Mini > SansAmp Bass Driver > Radial Bassbone V2 > DI to house