My personal choice is the broadway orchestra because I feel they play the original written music the best and they sound very close to the OBC, plus there brass section is untouchable by any orchestra and they have a great American sound and there not electronic sounding which i love...my second favorite would be the LA one because there sound is very unique to the others....3rd is London because even though the electric instruments are OVERPOWERING and you lose some of the beautiful orchestrations, but they can rock it out.....Chicago is similar to London with there kick ass electric guitars but there brass section needs alot of work from the audios ive heard.

I voted for London. I have seen the Broadway, LA, and London sit-downs and I think London is by far superior. They just were perfect and the musicians were really nice too!

Chicago.

I really love the electric guitar with the orchestrations. It adds so much more life to the music, in my eyes.

^ ditto. I love how Chicago has a more different sound than any of the other ones that I've seen.

I voted for Chicago because it's the only one that stands out to me.

Honestly, I have yet to hear orchestrations that surpass the ones on Broadway. Chicago and LA, while good in their own right, sound a bit too scaled down. London comes close, but Broadway's still has a richer sound to me (maybe it's just the acoustics of the Gershwin Theatre? I dunno).

ya i feel like the Chicago orchestra is very sparse at parts and sounds like there missing parts in the music, LA has a different sound i cant tell what it is but the mixing is very different,, LONdon is so overpowering with there electrical instruments that you cant hear everything else, the broadway orch sounds like an orchestra not a band ya know

Broadway, since it's the richest sounding with the best mixing. I WOULD have said London cause it has the most unique sound (lots of experimenting with the synthesizer voices, guitar, and percussion) however it is a tad too overbearing for my taste..and has a very rough sound in comparison. A nice 2nd though.

i couldnt decide betweee london and La but i chose LA for two reasons. LA has eden and megan so, yeah, and two, that electric guitar in NGD is seriously sick! however, i do love the london one as well

Just a side note: Has anyone noticed that the guitar riff following "supply" in NGD (In New York, at least) seems to follow the riff of the actress [ad libbed]. When Eden was on B'way, it would follow the note patterns of her several riffs for that word...

I voted for Chicago.

Chicago has Pete the French Horn player, who is pretty much amazing.

And he gave me a feather from an Emerald City costume.

The electric guitar doesn't hurt, either.

I love the LA orchestra..especially in No Good Deed & Wicked Witch of The East.

Seriously? I never noticed that. I'm going to have to go check that now...

I voted London, but after re-thinking it, I have to go with Broadway. They're the most original and the most "in the moment," and as many have said, they have the fullest sound. My favorite thing from them recently is the piano slide during "Defying Gravity" between the "to fly" in "chance to fly."

Yeah, I just listened to Eden on Broadway, and they're are examples for esch riff she does. (She has like 4)



I just heard this too!

I voted for london because the orchestra sounds amazing and they sometimes REALLY get into the show which i love. And i am in love with the really loud elec. guitar slide on " lost your heart?" ( slide) "Well we'll se about that". I really like the DG orchestration in london. It sounds different.

I went for Broadway. Every time I've seen it the music is so amazing and crisp and clear. and it still sends chills down my spine every time. =)

London! - They're like a rock orchestra. haha

London! I love the electric guitars in WWOTE.

London. 'Cause I'm partial to Joel Fram.

Also, when I came to Broadway, I noticed quite a lot of cracking from the orchestra. I'd like to write it off as a one-time thing, but I've seen the show four times over there - from the front row and thus right next to the pit - and there were always some instruments being a bit off, most notably the trumpets, which cracked a lot. Meanwhile, when it comes to London - and, again, I've seen the show from the front row way too many times - I've rarely heard any bloopers from that pit. So, yeah, while this discussion has gone into *orchestrations*, the question does say *orchestras*, and on that bit - while I can't judge the Chicago and LA orchestras since I've never heard them live - I do think London is by far superior to Broadway.

And, again... Joel Fram. *gushes*

Orchestra players only do what they're told - improvising is severely frowned upon.

I will say that I am a big fan of Bill Brohn - and I love what he's done for London. I've only seen the Chicago and heard the Broadway recording (whilst the Broadway was good...it was severely beefed up and compressed for the studio recording)

I voted for London because the new things Bill has put in are marvelous. Electric guitar screams, extensive use of the Brohn Trademark E-Bow, extra timpani rolls and a bigger ending to DG.

However, I'd be interested to hear the LA - as it's the newest show...

Brohn is fantastic!!

I voted Chicago.

However, I do quite like the new piano gliss in Defying Gravity, and also the one in W&I (So I'll stand there...)

Hehe, recently, the oboe soloist in London played a completely wrong note in the solo preceding For Good. ;-)

For me, it seems like the LA orchestra is attempting to be the Broadway and Chicago orchestras @ the same time. Like the broadway orchestra, they dont give the synth section a lot of freedom to riff, however, the synth section is just as loud as in Chicago. So, you loose the beautifully intricate orchestrations of the strings and the brass to an electric blob of a chord.

If they would pick one clear direction and go for it, I'd be happier.

I think I forgot to mention I also love Broadway for the soaring french horns in Defying Gravity...and overall DG sounds a lot more earthy and not synth.

love the french horns

Thus, "rarely" ;-) My fave London blooper thus far was the keyboard player doing a completely wrong chord right before the final kiss in ALAYM on the cast change show. Overly hilarious, especially with a front row full of regulars shooting each other "wtf was THAT?!" looks.

Thing is, though, I've seen both London and Broadway three times in a week, and I think that the London one is, overall, much better (random bloopers though it may have ). The winds, particularly, bothered me on Broadway (happens when you sit in the front row, audience-left ;-)), they seemed to be off on quite a few occasions over the shows I attended...

*goes back to laugh at that ALAYM chord* Total highlight of the show, I tell ya...

The broadway french horns need to become MANDATORY for every production. They add so much power and majesty to the song.

I've only seen Tour and Broadway. But Broadway get's my vote. It's so rich, full and climatic sounding. And the French horns are absolutly stunning during DG. And when did they add the piano roll on "chance to fly"?

Haha!
The winds seemed fine on Broadway, though I can't compare London live...I do think London sounds a lot more electronic, which is my major complaint. Though, the synthesized strings on Broadway irk me a little.

The "Everyone deserves a chance to fly" piano gliss is gone

I thought it was the tour that had the french horns? Maybe not then. But I do love the french horns. I used to think I was the only one that noticed it.