1 Elphaba understudy and not 2?

[RW3]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 7:47pm

This isn't a casting question, but does anyone know why there is 1 Elphaba understudy and 2 Glinda understudies? Personally, I would think Elphaba would have 2 understudies just because it is a harder role to sing. Post your thoughts below.

[hanschens]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 7:53pm

I'd assume that Elphaba has an understudy as well as the stand-by. That's how it works on the West End, at least.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 7:53pm

Budget cuts. Thanks, Obama.

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 7:54pm

Well Elphaba has a standby and an understudy. I guess it's just how the track system works. It's more likely that they'll need an emergency Glinda cover. Doesn't the Glinda standby also standby for Nessarose in some productions?


Updated On: 8/14/13 at 07:54 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 7:58pm

You can only understudy Nessarose if your legs get caught in the trapdoor.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:45pm

^^^^
True

[Starship]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 10:01pm

"Well Elphaba has a standby and an understudy. I guess it's just how the track system works. It's more likely that they'll need an emergency Glinda cover. Doesn't the Glinda standby also standby for Nessarose in some productions?"

I've always wondered this: how come it's more common that an emergency Glinda cover will be needed? It seems that there's usually an average of 3 understudies (including a Standby) for Glinda in most productions. On the West End there's an equal amount for Elphaba, but aside from that, usually there's more understudies for Glinda.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 10:18pm

It just depends on the company.

The Broadway company has two Glinda understudies and a Glinda standby. The only other American company to have a Glinda standby was the LA sit down (and maybe SF I can't remember).

The Chicago company had two Elphaba understudies and an Elphaba standby for quite a while, but when Jennifer Dinoia was promoted to standby they didn't hire another Elphaba understudy, they just had one understudy like the other companies.

Originally the 1st national tour didn't have any standbys. The Glinda covers were in the ensemble, and so was one Elphaba understudy, the other being Jenna Leigh Green who was the principle Nessarose. They hired an Elphaba standby as the ran progressed because they saw the need for one.

@Younger Brother I believe that Stacie Morgan Lewis and Natalie Daradich are the only Glinda standbys to cover Nessarose also. The Broadway production started this trend when they hired Saycon Sengbloh as the Elphaba standby. Before Saycon, all the Elphaba standbys covered Nessarose, when they hired Saycon they gave the Nessa cover to the Glinda standby, Stacie Morgan Lewis. I'm guessing that they didn't feel that an African-American Nessa would work, or maybe they just didn't think Saycon was right for Nessa.

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 10:55pm

All the companies of Wicked have a standby and an understudy for Elphaba. The touring companies do not have standbys for Glinda, but two girls in the ensemble who cover the role. Back in 2004, Melissa Bell Chait had a stroke and was replaced by Stacie Morgain Lewis and then Melissa Fahn was made a Glinda cover. I think everyone who succeeded those two tracks was a Glinda understudy, so that's why Glinda has two understudies on Broadway.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 10:58pm

I'm guessing that they didn't feel that an African-American Nessa would work, or maybe they just didn't think Saycon was right for Nessa.

When Saycon was brought on the Wizard was Ben Vereen and they probably thought it would generate too much confusion. "Is she his daughter too?" And then they just never bothered changing it back. Even if audiences didn't think about that then it makes confusion with both of her parents being white and she's black.

[PTOPhan]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 9:53pm

I've never understood the differences among an understudy, a stand-by, and a cover. Would someone explain it?

[darreyl102]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:05pm

Wait, I thought Elphaba was green?

[RW3]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:14pm

Hope this helps.
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=842526

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:18pm

"I've never understood the differences among an understudy, a stand-by, and a cover. Would someone explain it?"

Cover, though often used synonymously with both understudy and stand-by, is really more of a job description of what understudies and stand-bys do.

An understudy will have another duty in the show, either as a smaller principal role or in the chorus.

A stand-by's only job is to cover the role that they are the stand-by for. They do not have another job in the show.

A swing (bonus term, though you didn't ask for it) is somebody who is trained to cover ensemble tracks. They usually have to know every track in the show, so if an ensemble member is out, either because of illness/injury, vacation/personal day, or if they are going on for a principal role that they are understudying the swing will fill that gap in the ensemble.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:30pm

The stand-bys are on call until intermission, then they leave. If they need them afterwards, the stage manager asks the actress to go on for the second act (depending on how far away they are from the theater). If they are too far away, they put on the understudy instead.

[Starship]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:42pm

This is a minor question but how come Standbys aren't considered first covers? In most Wicked productions, there's a standby for Elphaba and they consider the first cover for Elphaba in the ensemble to be the "first cover." How come this is so? Also, is there any reason why there hasn't been an Ensemble, u/s Glinda & Elphaba yet?

Lastly, is it true that in Wicked, there's swings for both dancers, singers, and dancers/singers? Do Swings in Wicked work that way? Also, know each cover all 9 ensemble tracks, but is their a process/certain order for which Swing goes on when an Ensemble member goes out?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:50pm

Wait, I thought Elphaba was green?

But in the event Saycon went on as Nessarose like the standbys did originally you'd have a Wizard who was black & a Nessarose who was black.

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:52pm

Saycon never covered Nessa. The only Broadway Elphaba standbys that covered Nessa were Eden Espinosa and Shoshana Bean.


"Lastly, is it true that in Wicked, there's swings for both dancers, singers, and dancers/singers? Do Swings in Wicked work that way? Also, know each cover all 9 ensemble tracks, but is their a process/certain order for which Swing goes on when an Ensemble member goes out?"

Yes, Wicked has swings that cover the singers/dancers and then crossover swings who cover all the tracks.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 10:57pm

Saycon never covered Nessa. The only Broadway Elphaba standbys that covered Nessa were Eden Espinosa and Shoshana Bean.

Exactly, because they changed it. Which is exactly what I'm talking about.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 12:03pm

LOL, You are right, for some reason I thought you were talking about Elphaba LOL

[sassylash3s]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 12:05pm

I seem to remember reading in a thread here once that there was an Elphaba standby who preferred not to be listed in the playbill. If she were to go on, her understudy slip would include her playbill bio as well. Anyone know anything about this? Or did I just make that up?

[RW3]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 12:14pm

^You're not crazy. The Elphaba you are thinking about is Donna Vivino. I would assume that she would get a slip in the playbill. I think the only time she wouldn't get slip is if the notice of her going on is late, then they would do a voiceover citing Donna Vivino as the Elphaba for the performance.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 12:44pm

Lisa Brescia was the first person to actually do this as an Elphaba standby. She wan't in the playbill, but when she went on, there was a slip.

Laura Bell Bundy wasn't in the playbill either when she was the Glinda standby. She opted for the insert.