Lost a Major Gig

The wedding that I am in this July falls on the date of one of the performances of a musical that I was offered to play in. I played the musical last year (in town too, no extra driving involved!) and loved it. It also pays quite well, $500 for just a few nights.

I just got the e-mail saying that I can NOT get a sub for the one show I can't play, instead I have lost the gig. Which means, no $500 this year, and probably not ever again (since they tend to always call back first the last person who played the gig).

I know that I have to be in the wedding, and I'm happy to be in the wedding. I am however very disappointed that it has to hurt me so much financially to do so. I could lose thousands on this gig if it's gone forever. And there really is nothing else like it (I've been commuting over 100 miles to the other gigs I've been getting lately).

I love playing in musicals because unlike my wedding gigs (which I have to fully organize) I can just show up, play, and get paid. There is virtually NO responsibility involved. Just show up, and play! Also, more people come to see musicals than private weddings. And having my name in the program occasionally leads to more gigs.

I'm really afraid that I'm falling out of the loop in the musical community. Which really wrecks my plans for continuing to play forever.

*sigh*

And truly, I have no options at this point.