Famous Understudies?
Famous Understudies?
SueleenGay
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/03
#0Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/6/05 at 5:35pmSo many understudies never get their big break. Has anyone here ever been an understudy? What are you doing now? Are you still in "The Biz"? Or perhaps you have moved on to another area of entertainment. Ushering? Promotional? Or perhaps Journalism?
PEACE.
etoile
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/03
#1re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 12:47am
Do you want the truth or do you want to hear from the posers?
Rest in peace, Iflitifloat.
DAME
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/15/04
#2re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 12:49am
HUSSY POWER!
------ HUSSY POWER!
Updated On: 12/7/05 at 12:49 AM
#3re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 1:05amI don't quite get the correlation between the subject header and the questions...
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#4re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 1:43amLiza Minnelli and Raquel Welch replaced Julie Andrews...but i think that would be a replacement.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
#5re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:25amElaine Stritch was Ethel Merman's understudy in "Call Me Madam" way back when.
Read LETTERS TO A YOUNG ARTIST by Anna Deavere Smith!
#6re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 2:54am
I believe Shirley McLaine has got to be the most famous understudy, she was Carol Haney's understudy in the original production of the Pajama Game.
I believe Sarah Jessica Parker understudied the role of Annie in the original production while playing July, and then she went on to perform the role full-time.
And don't forget Ms.Bernadette Peters understudied the role of Dainty June in the national tour of Gypsy when she was 13 years old. What's funny is that probably none of us know Susie Martin (I think that's the name of the girl Peters understudied) and Bernadette Peters went on to play Mamma Rose on Broadway.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
kooky
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/12/05
#7re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 8:54amLainie Kazan for B.S. in FUNNY GIRL, many moons ago!
#8re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/7/05 at 9:30am
i was an understudy at a LORT theater when i was a college student. it was a regular assignment for acting majors to understudy roles on the stage of the regional rep connected with my school. we had rehearsals and understudy performances and i had to go on several times in various capacities. since then, when i have worked in teh theater i have stood by for the starring role when i have had a supporting role in a show. it is part of the contract and you are paid extra for it. i had to go on in Les Liaisons Dangereuses for madame merteuil when i was 24 and much too young when the leading lady came down with a virus. as far as understudying stars, i have a number of friends who regularly stand by for the same people over and over. one guy was regularly roger rees' go to guy and one of my teachers went on for amanda plummer any number of times in different productions. mostly they say it's a good gig, but can be confining over time. having to go onstage with scant preparation is like being shot out of a cannon and everyone should have to do it at least once.
Mind is Mantra.
Updated On: 12/7/05 at 09:30 AM
BroadwayThoughts
Chorus Member Joined: 5/27/05
#9re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/8/05 at 8:20amHairspray's understudies seem to make it big. The current leads on both Broadway (Shannon Durig) and the National Tour (Keala Settle) were understudies before they were leads. Other Hairspray understudies have gone on to bigger and better things as well.
Chorus Member Joined: 12/31/69
#10re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/8/05 at 11:45pmi think Kelli O'hara was an understudy once...
#11re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/8/05 at 11:51pmIn a conversation once with Lloyd Richards he mentioned that he had been an understudy at one time for James Earl Jones.
"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"
#12re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 4:03amI second the story about MacLaine being CH's understudy and - what luck, Hitchcock was in the house that night and loved her, even though she wasn't a blonde and dropped the hat in "steam heat", LOL!
"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance." -
Elizabeth Taylor
sweeneyfan
Stand-by Joined: 11/29/05
#13re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 7:55am
This kinda goes with the HAIRSPRAY understudy comment...
He's not famous yet, but the HAIRSPRAY tour Link, Aaron Tveit (who is currently being gushed over in another thread) was the understudy for Roger and Mark in the last tour of RENT.
I ronically enough, RENT played here in Baltimore the week of Christmas, and HAIRSPRAY will be playing here the week of Christmas this year. I wonder how he feels about being here 2 years in a row? Hmmmm... sorry for that unnecessary wandering thought...
"Cor! me bones is weary!" -Mrs. Lovett
Behind_the_Spotlight
Stand-by Joined: 7/3/05
#14re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 8:01amNorbert Leo Butz understudied Mark and Roger in Rent. :) And now look at him! ::much Norbert love::
#15re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 9:37amshe's not THAT famous, but Lisa Brescia is currently an understudy for Marian in The Woman in White..
#16re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 10:02amdebbie allen was the understudy in RAISIN and then went on to become a star. (apparently the leading lady was somewhat difficult so they let her walk because they knew they had something special in reserve.) nell carter was the understudy for yvonne elliman in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.
Mind is Mantra.
Oscar Jaffee
Stand-by Joined: 5/15/03
#17re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 11:03amLet's not forget Judy Kaye, who got her big break as an understudy for Madeline Kahn in "On the Twentieth Century."
#18re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 11:13am
Phylicia Rashad was the original understudy for Glinda in "The Wiz" and Deena Jones in "Dreamgirls." (Back when she was billed as Ayers-Allen.)
I wonder whatever happened to her?
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 12/9/05 at 11:13 AM
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#19re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 11:15amCatherine Zeta-Jones was the Peggy Sawyer understudy for the West End production of "42nd Street." She went on one night and the rest, as they say, is history.
StandingO
Understudy Joined: 8/30/05
#20re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 12:36pmJo Anne Worley was Carol Channing's understudy in Hello, Dolly!
#21re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 12:44pm
John Cullum was an understudy for Arthur and Mordred in the original production of Camelot. He also played the role of Sir Dinadan. It was his Broadway debut.
A famous set of understudies was from the Off-Broadway show Ruthless! from 1992-1993. Luara Bell Bundy had both Britney Spears and Natalie Portman as her understudies for the role of Tina Denmark.
"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man
#22re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 2:52pmmary testa understudied liza in THE RINK
Mind is Mantra.
#23re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 4:25pm
Samuel E. Wright......was Ben Vereen's understudy in Pippin and Jesus Christ Superstar.
He went on to become Mufasa in the OBC of "The Lion King" and is the voices of:
Sebastion in "The Little Mermaid"....I hope he gets to reprise the role on Broadway.
Kron in "Dinosaurs"
Law and Order
The Cosby Show
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popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#24re: Famous Understudies?
Posted: 12/9/05 at 4:31pm
All these posts before anyone mentions that Matthew Morrison was only promoted to the full time role of Link after James Carpinello left the production during rehearsals for the try out. I'm shocked.
More shocking is nobody mentioning Sutton Foster and Millie.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
