Agreement on use of virtual pit band

NEW YORK —  The melody is going on -- virtual and otherwise -- for one off-Broadway musical.

The local musicians’ union agreed not to demonstrate in front of “The Joys of Sex,” a new show using the so-called virtual orchestra, but future productions at its home -- the Variety Arts Theatre -- will need union approval before they can use the system.

The 10-year agreement was the first formal deal reached between the union and an off-Broadway theater regarding the Sinfonia, a computerized system already banned from Broadway houses. The system has stirred opposition among theater musicians who say it is a poor substitute for live playing and threatens jobs.

Although Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians has no formal jurisdiction over off-Broadway shows, it had planned to protest outside “The Joys of Sex” beginning with Tuesday’s first preview performance. The $1-million musical opens May 12.