When The Lion King debuted in Australia in 2003, the orchestra pit housed 17 musicians. Today, only 11 remain. Worldwide, musical theatre productions are cutting musicians to reduce costs, aided by sophisticated software like KeyComp.
KeyComp: A threat to live music
Developed by former Apple engineer Christoph Buskies, KeyComp allows a single keyboardist to play alongside prerecorded orchestral parts that respond dynamically to touch and tempo. Unlike older systems, it uses custom-recorded samples rather than off-the-shelf ones. While banned in New York, Washington DC, and Hamburg due to union campaigns, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) is calling for similar restrictions in Australia.
"Our fear is that musicians are in danger of disappearing from live theatre events altogether," says James Steendam, federal president of the MEAA musicians section and a veteran pit violinist who has performed in over a thousand Hamilton shows.
Shrinking orchestras and increasing demands
Brisbane-based musician Diana Tolmie, who has played woodwind for 30 years in over 100 productions, notes that orchestras shrink through smaller orchestrations and KeyComp. "Where there were once six violinists, there are now one or two, boosted by KeyComp parts," she says. Instruments like the oboe, bassoon, and upright bass have disappeared from some pits.
Tolmie, a senior lecturer at Queensland Conservatorium, adds that musicians who do get gigs face harder work. "I hit the peak last year with seven instruments to play in a show – piccolo, flute, clarinet, soprano/alto/tenor and baritone saxophone. It was hectic and rarely gave me any time to rest." She worries about the future generation: "As someone who teaches the future generation of professional musicians, I really worry about this."
Economic pressures and cultural value
Producers argue that KeyComp is necessary due to rising costs and audience price sensitivity. However, Steendam counters that musicians are not the cause of budget blowouts. "Musicians are being paid around 20–25% less now than they were in 2003 if we adjust for inflation," he says. "By cutting six musicians a big show might save around $9,500 a week – not significant when The Lion King is the highest-grossing musical of all time."
Rod Davies, an academic from Monash University, sees the issue as cultural: "Fundamentally, it’s a cultural-philosophical issue: do we actually value our musicians? And how are we going to support our musicians in their professional capacity if they are being completely undercut by technology?"
Broader implications for musicians
The threat extends beyond theatre. Lachlan Bramble, violinist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and national president of the Symphony Orchestra Musicians’ Association, says generative AI is already affecting gaming, film, TV, and advertising sessions. "Those recording sessions and composing gigs are already starting to dry up," he notes.
Bramble emphasizes that replacing live musicians shortchanges audiences: "You can’t replace the feeling of what happens in the moment when you have human beings playing real instruments. AI and programs like KeyComp can only mimic it."
Tolmie echoes this concern: "I worry if we embrace KeyComp the audience will no longer understand what ‘live music’ is, will not be discerning, and then that will extend to other areas of the music industry." She concludes, "For pit orchestras, we are out of sight – therefore the most vulnerable."
