Two musicians who performed in the orchestra at the La La Land in Concert in Sydney have disputed the feelgood narrative that an audience member stepped in for an ill keyboardist, alleging instead that tensions with composer Justin Hurwitz caused the keyboardist to leave.
Alleged Tensions Behind the Scenes
During the concert at Darling Harbour Theatre on 30 May, Hurwitz appealed to the 2,000-strong crowd for an “amazing sight-reader,” saying one of his two keyboardists had fallen ill. A 21-year-old university student, Sterling Nasa, stepped forward and took the stage, creating a global feelgood story.
However, two orchestra members told Guardian Australia that the keyboardist left after tension between Hurwitz and the orchestra during rehearsals that day. One source claimed the percussion and keyboard sections were singled out for what they felt was unreasonable treatment, with Hurwitz allegedly remarking that Australia must have different musical notation than the rest of the world.
The other musician said Hurwitz had poor communication and was “just expecting everything was going to be 100%, which is never the case for a rehearsal.” Both musicians noted that George Ellis, who contracted the musicians, was critical of the keyboardists less than an hour before the concert, allegedly telling them to play a section again “without the wrong notes” and asking, “What are you doing? What are you going to do tonight?”
Backstage Scramble and Aftermath
Both musicians described a backstage scramble during the extended intermission to find a replacement keyboardist, with no one among the orchestra willing or able to volunteer. They stood in solidarity with the keyboardist who did not appear after the interval and were angry that the incident was turned into a positive global news story.
“There’s a bunch of musicians out there who are just so pissed off,” one said. “[It’s been turned] into this massive marketing event that went global, that’s what people are pissed off about.”
Guardian Australia is aware that at least nine musicians from the Sydney concerts are helping the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) with a workplace inquiry. “We are aware of the allegations and are supporting our members throughout the investigation process,” the MEAA said.
Hurwitz’s Account and Promoter’s Response
In an earlier interview with Guardian Australia, Hurwitz did not refer to any issue with the keyboardist allegedly walking out. He explained his decision to appeal to the audience, saying he estimated that calling a friend would take at least 20 minutes, so he thought, “we have 2,500 people here. Somebody has to know.”
The Australian tour promoter, DRW Entertainment, acknowledged “controlled chaos” when “a key member of the team was unable to perform after interval” but did not respond to claims that the pianist walked out. “Out of respect for the artist’s privacy, it wouldn’t have been appropriate to share further details about their wellbeing with the audience on the night, or now,” the statement said.
Guardian Australia contacted Hurwitz’s management and Ellis for comment but received no response.
