Being an Understudy

[Myron]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:21am

What must it be like being an understudy? Witnessing quite a few perform at the Bryant Park Concerts, I can say that they are sometimes better than the original. The understudy for Christina Applegate, performing as Charity for example, was great. The problem is that I forgot her name. What does it do for their egos when they see customers asking for a refund when they learn that they, not the real "star" will perform? It must be devastating. They work so hard after all. All they need is that break. These concerts give the public a chance to see what the understudies can do and I am, for the most part, not disappointed.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:27am

It all depends on who you are understudying. Obviously, the people who go see Wicked don't care whether they see Shoshana Bean or her standby. They are going because they want to see the show. However, if you were going to see Sweet Charity and Christina Applegate is out, 99.9% of the audience will be dissapointed and will probably go for a refund or exchange. (BTW, her standby is Charlotte d'Amboise; her understudy is Dylis Croman).

I have friends who have understudied on Broadway (one is currently on the boards, but has never gone on), and they say that it varies from show to show.

[wildcat]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:40am

It also varies from performer to performer. The gifted ones can make the role their own and use the experience as a stepping stone to greater things. And some understudies just keep the curtain up and never learn from the opportunity they've been given. And some people can be reliable performers but not have star quality.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:43am

The worst thing an understudy can do is make their performance a carbon copy of the performer that they are covering (see Laura Bell Bundy as Glinda).

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:45am

As far as carbon copies go, that is often times what they are asked to do by the production team. Which is understandable to a certain degree.

[Orsomething]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:50am

yeah most of the time they are asked to do it like the original people playing the roles....

i think it would be hard being an understudy...because if you're a really good understudy... directors might just see you as a really good understudy... ya know??

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:52am

From my experiences, understudies are amazing. Every understudy I've seen, I have loved so much. I saw the standby for Rose in Gypsy, and she was brilliant. I saw the standby for Tracy Turnblad, Shannon Durig, now the lead, and she was great. I saw the understudy for the Phantom in the Phantom of the Opera, John Cudia, who is a long time Rauol. Also, Lee Morgan was great as Taylor/ City Weed in Brooklyn. And of course, Megan Hilty as Glinda.

[wildcat]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:58am

Orsomething, you're absolutely right. Many a career has been sidelined when a performer became "too valuable" as an understudy and got stuck in that rut for years on end.

And yes, the production team always asks an understudy to stay as close as possible to the performance of the actor they're replacing , for the sake of the pace of the show and the other actors they have to work with, but within that framework an enterprising performer can make an enormous impact.

[QueenS]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 12:17pm

Jana Robbins (who understudied Tyne in the 80's revival of Gypsy) said that it was hard when they would make the announcement that Tyne wasn't on because she was in the back of the house ready to come up the aisle and could hear the groans. She said she just used that feeling to power her performance.