By Patti Roberts

A week before the opening of Broadway at Music Circus’ “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” the orchestra members gather for their first group rehearsal. The musicians have already been practicing their parts alone, but now it’s time to assemble in the orchestra pit and play together.     

As the musicians tune their instruments and flip through their sheet music, conductor Dennis Castellano descends into the pit, lugging a massive folder containing the entire musical score.  

The 13 orchestra members sit in sections of strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion and keyboards, waiting for direction from Castellano. With scores in front of him and a baton in hand, Castellano instructs the orchestra to play slower or faster — “bar 4, mezzo piano … add a crescendo” — as he counts the beat with his baton. 

“A one, and a two, three, four.” 

This is the start of group rehearsals. The musicians have a couple of days to rehearse the score together, and then they rehearse with the cast of actors and dancers. By opening night, the orchestra and cast become a coordinated team that performs eight live performances before enthusiastic audiences.  

“One of my favorite rehearsals is when the cast and musicians combine,” Castellano says. “I like to contribute to the dramatic values of the story through music. You know, we’re not just playing music; we’re also adding drama, tension, happiness and all the emotions to the story of the musical.” 

Orchestras are an integral part of musicals. The musicians are heard but not seen since they play in the orchestra pit to avoid distracting from the performances on stage. They provide musical accompaniment for the actors and dancers, create moods, enhance emotions and add depth to performances with various sound effects. 

Castellano and the musicians, many of whom have been part of the Music Circus orchestra for years, have mutual respect. Castellano and Musical Coordinator Larry Lunetta select the musicians based on their previous work or recommendations from other musicians and conductors. 

“We don’t have auditions — it’s all through reputation or personal contacts,” Castellano says. “And many of them have been with us for years; they are regulars. Most are local — either Sacramento or Bay Area.” 

“Musicians must be able to handle a quick pace,” he says. “Some people just shut down under pressure. Other people do exceptionally well.”  

Castellano has been with the Music Circus since 1981 as a musical guide — helping vocalists find the right notes and tempo — and as the conductor overseeing the orchestra.  

“I was the head of music theater at UC Irvine for almost 30 years,” Castellano says. “It was a perfect fit for my academic career since I could teach during fall and spring, and then I came up here for summer.” 

Even with the Music Circus now year-round, he still travels back and forth from his home in Irvine. 

Music Coordinator Lunetta agrees with the importance of comradery in the orchestra. “When people are comfortable within their group setting, the music goes to a higher level because people are having a good time playing,” he says. “It certainly elevates good music.” 

Lunetta is familiar with coordinating and playing in Music Circus orchestras while carrying on his family legacy. His father, Stanley Lunetta, played drums for the Music Circus for 54 seasons, and Larry started playing trumpet in the Music Circus orchestra in 1976. His son Henry now plays guitar in the same orchestra, making him a third-generation Lunetta presence. 

“My dad was the personnel manager for the Music Circus, played in the orchestra as well, and taught at UC Davis,” Larry Lunetta says. He was surrounded by music at a young age and has toured with a number of notable bands, orchestras and singers, including Paul Anka, James Taylor, James Brown and Barbra Streisand. Each year he circles back to Music Circus to play trumpet and help coordinate the orchestra. 

“When I was young, many acts didn’t want to use Sacramento musicians because they didn’t think they were good,” he says, “and my dad proved them wrong by hiring good musicians.” 

Percussionist Mario Sebastian agrees that the reputation of the Music Circus orchestra has soared over the years. “This is the best of the best gigs, and I’m honored to be part of it,” Sebastian says. “If you have Music Circus on your resume, it shines like platinum. I once dreamed of playing in New York, but with these shows, New York comes to us.” 

Sebastian plays a trove of instruments, including marimbas, vibes, chimes, gongs, tambourines and a MalletKAT control board, many of which provide sound effects. 

He has been the music director at Elk Grove High School for 20 years. Other orchestra members are music instructors at schools and colleges, freelancers at other orchestras and bands, give private music lessons and one has a radio gig — CapRadio musical host Jennifer Reason. 

“We all have a passion,” Sebastian says of his fellow musicians. Keyboardist Reason agrees, saying playing alongside her other bandmates is a thrill. 

The orchestra seemingly never stops working. Once “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” closes its run, orchestra members must begin learning new music upcoming Broadway At Music Circus musicals.

According to Castellano, most of the musicians have been part of the Music Circus orchestra for years. “Because Music Circus has been here for 75 years now, there’s a lot of people that have grown up and worked in it,” he says. “They become very good at it. Mike McMullen has been around for 30 years now, working in the pit, playing flute, clarinet and alto sax. It says a lot about our team to have so many who have been with us for long.” 

This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.