History Main / ActorMusoShow

This can be an artistic choice. A director can deploy SignificantDoubleCasting and RuleOfSymbolism by having a particular character play a certain instrument. It can also be a case of economising on the number of people needed to mount a particular production.

!!Examples

* ''Theatre/Cabaret'': Possible the first example of this, the 1966 original had a mini band onstage that did play, but to be fair, the 1998 Broadway Revival is a better example.

* ''Literature/BrokebackMountain'': {{Downplayed|trope}} in the 2023 "play with music" theatrical adaptation. The Balladeer who sings lead on the songs also plays Jack's mother appears in one scene towards the end of the play. Similarly, one of the backup singers plays Lureen when she appears onstage in one scene during a phone call.

* ''Theatre/CompanySondheim'': The 2006 John Doyle Broadway production had all the characters except Bobby playing instruments as a metaphor for his perpetually single state.

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians like Brad the pianist or various band kids (though they're never given any characterization; they're just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids play instruments based on their actors' real-life talents--Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.--and these often [[TheCastShowoff factored into their performances]].

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians like Brad the pianist or various band kids (though they're never given any characterization; they're just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents--Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.--and these were often [[TheCastShowoff factored into performances]].

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians like Brad the pianist or various band kids (though they're given any characterization; they're just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents--Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.--and these were often [[TheCastShowoff factored into performances]].

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians like Brad the pianist or various band kids (though they're given any characterization; they're just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents--Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.--and these were often [[CastShowOff factored into performances]].

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are actually being sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians like Brad the pianist and various band kids (though they weren't given any characterization; they were just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents: Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are actually being sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians like Brad the pianist and various band kids (though they weren't given any characterization; they were just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents: Puck and Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are actually being sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians (though they weren't given any characterization; they were just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents: Puck and Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Since most of the musical performances are actually being sung in-universe, the backing music is usually accounted for, whether it's a boombox or live musicians (though they weren't given any characterization; they were just...there). Also, several of the Glee kids played instruments based on their actors' real-life talents, featured in their own performances or backing up someone else's: Puck and Sam played guitar, Finn played the drums, Blaine played piano, etc.

There are no hard and fast rules on whether or not the instruments are part of the AudioDiegesis. In the same play you could have a character give an InUniverse performance with their instrument and another where that same character delivers some diegetic dialogue while simultaneously playing a non-diegetic underscore to the conversation.

* ''Theatre/ReturnToTheForbiddenPlanet'': Conceived as a RockAndRoll JukeboxMusical, the actors in the cast typically also play all the instruments used in the songs in the style of a rock band (guitar, keyboard, drums etc.).

* ''Theatre/{{Amelie}}'': The 2019 - 2021 production that toured the UK and ran in Newbury and London used this approach. Amélie herself does not play any instruments until fairly late in the action of the story.

* ''Literature/BrokebackMountain'': {{Downplayed|trope}} in the 2023 "play with music" theatrical adaptation. The Balladeer who sings lead on the songs also plays Jack's mother, who appears in one scene towards the end of the play. Similarly, one of the backup singers plays Lureen when she appears onstage in one scene during a phone call.