shows that should have an alternate lead

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 3:05am

after reading that Chad Kimball thread... i figured i'd start this one.. i don't know if it's been done before.. i'm too lazy to search so we can just start over.. haha

so which shows do you think should have alternates

like people mentioned... I too think Wicked should have alternate Elphabas

Aida should have an alternate Aida

man i'm tired... that's all i could think of right now!

Updated On: 8/1/10 at 03:05 AM

[onedaymore]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 4:03am

I think Diana from N2N should have an alternate. Vocally, it could kill you 8x a week (UNLESS you have the prowess of Ripley and Mazzie )

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 7:32am

I am not qualified to make that determiniation.

(There, I said it.)

[shrekster224]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 9:27am

Elphaba definetly could, but maybe only the same alternation like they have in WSS with the Tonys. The standby would do two shows of the week or something.

Diana could also, as could Huey from Memphis. I think Diana could be on a full alternation, but Huey have an alternate the same way I mentioned before.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 9:57am

ANY role "could" have an alternate.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 11:15am

Aida should have an alternate Aida

The "star" Aidas did. Saycon Sengbloh (and for the last month or so, Ta'Rea Campbell) did the Wednesday and Saturday matinees when Toni Braxton, Michelle T. Williams, and Deborah Cox played Aida.

Heather Headley, Maya Days, and Simone, the non-star Aidas did not have an official alternate, but they were only contracted to perform 7 of the 8 shows every week. Typically, they'd be out on either Sunday or Tuesday, to give themselves two full days to rest.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 12:48pm

I've never understood why more productions didn't have an alternate Elphaba.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 2:23pm

Evita should have an alternate Eva. She goes down to a low E and belts up to a high G. Also, high schools should not do this show unless they have a truly amazing person to play Eva. Productions I've seen either have a girl damaging her voice, or singing half of the score in head voice, which makes it lose power.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/1/10 at 3:15pm

Since the "star" Elphabas tend to be out alot, there should be 2 or 3 "star" Elphabas and they should alternate. It just makes everyone's life easier. On several visits to the WICKED tour, I don't think I've ever seen the lead actress cast as Elphaba, so why just not just switch them up. People (even non-theatre snobs in the midwest) get dismayed when they get the slip of paper that the lead ELphie is out. They somehow feel slighted.

I think once N2N starts casting less well known actresses, they should alternate Dianas.

Oh and any part Karen Olivo or Fantasia are cast in.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 5:07am

Echoing the general consensus...Elphaba. Although...in all my 11 times seeing the show, I have seen ONE Elphaba standby.

Although it's not as insane vocally as some other roles, Belle spends about 2 hours onstage during BATB and I'm sure that's got be to majorly exhausting.

Honestly, SOO many of these problems could be avoided if bway schedules weren't 8 shows a week. The MET, where the singers are all world class and have technique coming out their asses, will only do 5 a week. They appreciate the fact that the voice is a muscle that can't work properly and can easily be injured if not allowed to rest.

Tours are even worse, because they almost never do weekday matinees, so every weekend is back-to-back double shows.

But, of course, then you run into the issue of ticket prices, which is a whole other issue by itself.

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 10:06am

Perhaps Valjean in Les Mis

[winston89]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 12:59pm

AwesomeDanny, There is an alternate Evita. One of the reasons why the revival of the show didn't do so hot in London was that Elena Roger was getting these rave reviews but they didn't get a standby that matched her talent.

I do know that there have been actresses who have played Christine who have said that while they enjoy the fact that they have an alternate they don't need one and could easily do the show 8 times a week without a problem.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 1:40pm

The German productions of Les Miz usually had an alternate Valjean (but they were big on alternates; hell, there was even an alternate Mme. Thenardier), and London has done that a couple times in the past. Broadway (and I assume the tour) had an alternate for Dudu Fisher because he couldn't perform on the Sabbath.

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 2:10pm

I never understood why Christine needs an alternate. I am aware that she spends a lot of time onstage, but aside from the prerecorded notes at the end of the title track, she does not really sing that high in the show.

[Colle]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 2:55pm

Valjean in "Les Miserables" should probably have a regular alternate because it is a demanding role. Although, the actor does get one show off a week, doing only seven shows a week.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 3:04pm

The current production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC should have an alternate Anne. Or even just a totally different Anne. Someone who can play the role as anything other than an ill-mannered little rhymes-with-hunt.

[Bwaybabe5]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 3:35pm

Backwoodsbarbie
Yeah I've never understood the Christine thing either. I did at first, but that was way back when we still hadn't discovered that a good portion of her role is pre recorded, LOL. The title song is what makes that role so demanding and yet the actress doesn't even actually sing it..RUDE! The rest of the music, she could file her nails by. Supposedly anyway.

As to the actual post topic...

Elphaba most def...I still have no clue how any of these gals gets through 8 shows a week! That role basically requires a superhuman or something!

Glinda maybe? I mean she's a pretty big role too...

Yeah it would help if Valjean did too.

I'm also a believer that the Phantom should have one too. Not necessarily for vocal purposes (even though the role is killer but some of his stuff is pre recorded too) but for make up/skin care purposes. Think about it, the man has to come to the theater 2 hours early because it takes two hours to do his make up and it takes half an hour to get it off afterwards. And on those two show days (much like his character lol) LIVES at the theater. He does the matinee but then doesn't get to leave because NOW he has to get into make up for the evening show...GOOOODDD LLOOORRDDY!

Someone here said it. Many of these problems could be fixed by less shows a week. I mean come on 8 is A LOT! Even one less show a week with only one two-show day could be very helpful. Oh well.

Oh and just speculation here, forgive me. We all know that this isn't gonna happen, but if COE were to be brought to Broadway, and they still did the dual role casting thing...DEF alternates are in order. I had the pleasure of the show recently and our Eve was EXHAUSTED by the end of the run and she wasn't even doing Mama Noah cause we didn't dual cast it. Actually I'm pretty sure all the pricipals were DEAD by the end of it, and like I said they weren't even playing both roles in each Act. Intense, this show.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 3:38pm

. Updated On: 8/2/10 at 03:38 PM

[shrekster224]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 6:38pm

I don't think glinda would need one. I think if you are a true soprano, the high notes don't wear you out. Even if you are a belter, Elphaba's part is written for wonder woman. It'll still wear your voice out.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 6:52pm

Am I the only one who thinks that the majority of Elphaba's just use bad technique and that an alternate is really silly?

The only reason Christine has an alternate is because Sarah Brightman wouldn't do all 8 originally. The tradition was made there.

The Phantom doesn't need an alternate for skin conditions. Chances are each one gets two-three free facials and such each week. If Boq in Wicked gets one, the Phantom is bound to.

I can understand ValJean and Evita having alternates. I could see an argument for Fanny Brice having an alternate (She never leaves the stage and sings all night long), but Belle has 5 (I think) songs and 2 reprises. And of those songs, she has two solos, the rest are at least a duet. She may be onstage a lot, but that would be like arguing an actress playing Dorothy in Wizard of Oz needed one (Now, with this new ALW one, who knows.)

The only current role that I can really argue might need one is Diana in N2N.

[philly03]

Posted: 8/2/10 at 6:56pm

On top of the title role(s) having an alternate, the 3rd national tour and a few international productions have had an alternate Lucy (Linda Eder's character) in Jekyll & HYDE. I suppose it depends how many of Lucy's scenes are put into the show, as it varies!

Jane Eyre in Gordon's Jane Eyre seems like it could use an alternate... I remember Marla's vocals had declined a bit towards the end of the run, as well as I think Jane is on stage the entire show, save for a beginning part of a scene she'll show up to, or perhaps the ensemble singing over her while she's wandering. I can't imagine it's that easy to sing either.