So I just finished West Side Story for my High School. Yes, we played the real stuff, and yes it was hard! Anyway I found the bassoon part to be especially challenging, but incredibly fun to play. It had a great if not insane range, and some dominant parts. I was wondering if anyone else has played this part, as well as what you thought about it.

Great show & music. Never been able to play in it - I was asked once but couldn't do the whole week. A friend jumped at it & even if it did mean a 120 mile round trip 7 days running after the day job for her. Quite a commitment - 2 rehearsals & 7 performances in 7 days. An added bonus of that part is that you only have 1 instrument while all the other reeds need 3 or 4.

Actually, being a highschool band, we had multiple people on the same parts. We had a few people cover two versions of there instrument (for example alto and soprano sax), but many people did not have parts all the time. The saxes did not even play the second act. I was one of a few people who had to play in nearly every song, not to complain, I enjoyed it.

Did you manage the full line-up including bass sax?

No, we only had one violin, so we had a euphonium on cello, a bass guitar and tuba on bass, and out of tune flutes covering the rest of the violin parts, and a harp on guitar.

Overall
5 flutes/pic, 1 violin/flute
4 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 1 Eb/Bb/bass clarinet
1 soprano/alto, 1 tenor/bari
1 oboe
4 trumpets
2 horns
2 trombones
2 pianos
1 tuba, 1 electric bass guitar
1 harp
4 percussion
35 Total, needless to say it was STUFFED!