The group of performers who sing and dance in the big numbers and play many small roles.
In a musical, the ensemble is the company of performers who fill the stage in group numbers, play the townspeople, the partygoers and the passersby, and often change costume a dozen times a night. Ensemble members are skilled singers, dancers and actors in their own right, and many of them also understudy the leads. In a play, "ensemble" can also describe a cast where every role carries similar weight.
Also seen as: the ensemble, ensemble members