Key facts
- Musicians involved in a Sydney performance of La La Land in Concert have disputed the 'feelgood' narrative surrounding an audience member playing piano.
- They allege tensions between conductor Justin Hurwitz and the orchestra, including critical remarks and poor communication, led to the situation.
- The musicians claim the keyboardist did not simply fall ill but left due to backstage issues.
- The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is investigating workplace standards related to the performance.
- Musicians expressed frustration that the incident was turned into a global marketing event.
What was initially reported as a heartwarming story of an audience member stepping in to play piano at a Sydney performance of La La Land in Concert has been challenged by musicians involved in the show. The widely circulated narrative, which saw conductor Justin Hurwitz appeal to the 2,000-strong crowd for a replacement keyboardist due to illness, is now being questioned.
Two musicians who were part of the orchestra have come forward to The Guardian, suggesting the situation was more complex. They claim the keyboardist left the performance not solely due to illness, but following tensions with Hurwitz during rehearsals on the day of the concert. One musician described the audience member's participation as a "nice sort of feelgood kind of moment" that did not reflect the "mood behind the scenes."
According to the musicians, the percussion and keyboard sections felt singled out for "unreasonable treatment" by Hurwitz, who allegedly commented that Australia must use different musical notation. Another musician felt Hurwitz had "poor communication" and expected perfection during rehearsals, which they stated is unrealistic. The contractor for the orchestra, George Ellis, also allegedly criticized the keyboardists, telling them to play a section "without the wrong notes" less than an hour before the show.
The musicians also stated that during the extended intermission, there was a scramble to find a replacement keyboardist via mobile phones, but no one within the orchestra volunteered. It was then that 21-year-old university student Sterling Nasa stepped forward from the audience. The musicians expressed anger that the incident was globalized into a positive marketing event, feeling it misrepresented the backstage atmosphere and their solidarity with the keyboardist who did not perform after the interval.
In a prior interview, Hurwitz explained his decision to ask the audience by stating that friends of the keyboardist were too far away and that he wanted to avoid a 20-minute delay. He believed someone in the audience would be a great sight-reader. DRW Entertainment, the tour promoter, acknowledged "controlled chaos" due to a "key member of the team" being unable to perform, but did not address the claim that the pianist walked out, citing respect for privacy. The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance confirmed they are supporting members involved in a workplace inquiry regarding the events.