Whatever Happened to the Overture? asks the NY Times of the modern musical. Their “unscientific survey of 30 recent, current or forthcoming Broadway musicals” turns up only seven true overtures. Partially a result of pop music’s hold on Broadway, partially a factor of shorter attention spans and expectations set by MTV for visual accompaniment, the endangered overture may not be missed by the new generation of show-goers. Smaller orchestras are also blamed. Synthesizer replacements can’t produce the same build-up to a climactic show-stopper when unadorned by belting vocals. As a practical matter the overture allows a buffer for tardy arrivals and a transition into the scenes to come. But the article fails to mention the best part of the overture for the musicians: it’s your only chance to be center stage and show off the power of the music itself.