Best Understudy Ever?- Page 3

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 1:45pm

RustyJusty830 i so agree on shannon durig. i was really upset when i read carly was gonna be out but shannon was great hope she gets to be full time tracy some day

[CattleCall]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 2:14pm

I have a feeling NativeNewYorker's going to have something to say on this topic...

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 2:38pm

the actress who played Petra in A Little Night Music, I think her name is D. Jamin-Bartlett, was amazing(on the CD), and I think that she was an understudy....I know she replaced the original Petra.

Posted: 2/7/05 at 2:45pm

Are we are talking Understundy? Or are we talking replacement?


I loved the uderstudy that went on when Taylor Dayne was out of AIDA one day. She was excellent.... If I am not mistaken it was Felicia Finely.

[Katecab99]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 7:21pm

i know that shoshana bean was the standby, not the understudy for idina menzel, but she was amazing. in light of the circumstances surrounding idina's final weekend, she really had to step it up, and she was incredible! i can't imagine anyone doing as wonderful of a job under such relentless pressure.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 7:31pm

Katecab99......what circumstances involving Shoshana Bean are you talking about?????????

[eslgr8]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 7:46pm

Lucky for me, almost no one was out when I was in New York last September, but I did see one understudy. Kendra Kassenbaum played Maureen when I saw Rent. She had so much beauty, voice, and charsima that it was hard to believe she was usually just ensemble. When I read that she had been cast as the first touring Galinda, I felt justified in my feeling that she was star material. On another note, since I so often read mean negative comments about Linda Muggleston (whom I've never seen perform) on this site, it made me feel good to see a number of you comment on how good she was at more than one role. I've felt kind of bad for her to have so much negativity cast her way.

[lna]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 8:01pm

Kevin Marcum for Colm Wilkinson as Valjean in Les Miserables. Wilkinson was on vacation when we saw it, and Marcum didn't have any trouble winning over the audience. (People weren't so ready to give standing ovations back then, but he got one.)

He was also supposed to take over for Wilkinson as the first replacement. And he died, apparently of a drug overdose, some time after the announcement was made. That really hurt, even though I didn't know him, because he was that good.

[little_sally]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 8:10pm

I completely agree with you eslgr8 on Kendra. I saw her last January and she completely blew me away. I've been a fan ever since.

[RumTumTugger22]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 8:16pm

Eden

Amazing and incredible

[wendy72]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 9:22pm

Brad Oscar for Nathan in "The Producers". Better voice than Nathan.

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 2/7/05 at 10:14pm

shoshana bean ...wicked
oh man def

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 12:25am

Paul Schafer (Jimmy) in Thoroughly Modern Millie Understudy (has an incredible belting voice and great acting), Katrina Rose Diderkson (Hairspray, Tracy) unbelievable voice and acting talent!!
ric

[pitrepower]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 9:14am

Carol Linnea Johnson as both Tanya and Donna in Mamma Mia. She's going on this weekend as Tanya..go check her out!!

Reyna Von Vett as Tanya in Mamma Mia Vegas..there is a reason she was given the part that very next year!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 11:09am

Shirley MacLaine understudied Carol Haney in The Pajama Game. She was never in Sweet Charity on Broadway. As a matter of fact, other than solo shows, she was only in two Broadway shows - The Pajama Game and Me and Juliet.

Fuschia Walker understudied for Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls for years and I had the pleasure of seeing her performance. I don't see how Jennifer could have been any better. It was one of the best performances I have ever witnessed. Seven ovations alone for And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 1:18pm

I was really upset the first time I saw Wicked becuase Idina wasn't in. I was shocked when I first heard Eden Espinosa's voice. She was truly amazing in the role. I saw Eden on March 21, 2004...the Sunday matinee. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was this the first time Eden went on as Elphaba? Kristin was applauding for her at the end.

I did go back in September to see Idina, who I also loved. JLT was excellent as Glinda. Joey Mac really wasn't that good. I was EXTREMELY disappointed and upset that they had to lower the key for "As Long As You're Mine." I hope they have changed it back now that Joey is gone.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 1:47pm

Jonathan Rayson was excellent when he went on for Seymore in Little Shop. He's now doing it on the National Tour.

[OtherDaryl]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 1:49pm

Before it aborted on Broadway, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice enjoyed an extended run at Steppenwolf in Chicago. During that run, Rondi Reed, who played Mari, the demonic mother, injured her back and was out for many performances. Her understudy, Mary Margaret Barry, took over and gave one of the most stunning performances I've ever seen, helping to keep the show up and running. Both performances were magnificent, and both ladies transferred with the show to New York. For whatever reason, Little Voice, which was astonishing in Chicago didn't last in New York, which is unusual for a Steppenwolf transfer.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 2:25pm

I guess some might consider the best understudy ever Shirley Maclaine in THE PAJAMA GAME. When she got to go on (Carol Haney broke her leg) it happened to be a night that a rep from (I forget the film studio, sorry) was there to see Haney with thoughts of signing her to a contract. Of course, Ms. MacLaine dazzled him and was signed to that contract and became an Oscar winning actress.

A couple of weeks after the original production of 42ND STREET opened at the Winter Garden Theater, Ms. MacLaine was in attendance in the forth row on the aisle. She had been backstage chatting with Jerry Orbach and some others prior to the performance and they worked out a surprise.

During the portion right before LULLABYE OF BROADWAY when Julian Marsh is saying to Peggy Sawyer, trying to convince her she must go on for the injured star: You gotta go on!,,,think of all the scenery never seen! think of all the actors outta work, think of Broadway dammit........etc. etc..."I offer you the chance to star in the biggest Broadway musical in 20 years and you say Allentown?!!-----------------SUDDENLY THERE WAS A CRASH OF CYMBALS AND THE SPOTLIGHT HIT MS. MACLAINE WHO WAS STANDING AT HER SEAT and yelled out "I'll do it! I'll Do It"

The audience cheered and then the show resumed.

Also regarding understudies, I always found it fun that if memory serves me correctly, during the original production of BYE BYE BIRDIE, Gene Rayburn understudied Dick Van Dyke and Charles Nelson Reilly understudied Paul Lynde. Of course years later these two understudies from BIRDIE worked together on the new version of THE MATCHGAME. (MATCHGAME had been on tv in the 1960s with Rayburn as the host--but the game was then played with two teams of 3, each team headed by a celebrity guest.)

Updated On: 2/8/05 at 02:25 PM

[Magicfingers2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:40pm

John Jeffrey Martin was always the perfect ROCKY in "The Rocky Horror Show" the numerous times he went on, his work in the current Broadway show "Good Vibrations" is simply head and shoulders above the rest of the cast, sorry, he just brings that "Martin" energy to everything he performs!

I know I'm a fan, what can I say?!!!!!!!

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 7:00pm

The best understudy ever would have to be Megan Hilty for Jennifer Laura Thompson in "Wicked" she was amazing in her Broadway debut. She hit every note magnificently and was perfect as Glinda. I have to say she was fantastic.