Ensemble (musical theatre)

In musical theatre, the ensemble or chorus are the on-stage performers other than the featured players.

Ensemble members typically do not play named characters and have few or no spoken lines or solo parts; rather, they sing and dance in unison.

In the 2018–2019 season, ensemble sizes for Broadway productions ranged from 9 (for Hadestown) to 55 (for The Lion King).

[1] Ensemble sizes on Broadway have generally decreased over time, possibly due to cost-cutting.

In 2018, the Actors' Equity Association, the main union representing theatre performers in the United States, announced a campaign urging the Tony Awards to create two new awards for best ensemble (defined as the entire cast of a production), and best chorus.