Best Understudies

[macbeth]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 7:25am

Who have been people lucky enough to see as understudies that went on to be stars? Or that were just great performances? 

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 8:35am

From recent memory:

Kerstin Anderson: Eliza Doolittle in the LCT revival of My Fair Lady

Sharon C Brown: Caroline Thibodeaux in Caroline or Change 

Updated On: 3/21/25 at 08:35 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 8:56am

I had no interest in seeing Josh in Sweeney Todd, so saw it after they both left, and got ( sadly don’t know names ) the two brilliant understudies. Both spectacular. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 9:01am

rosscoe(au) said: "I had no interest in seeing Josh in Sweeney Todd, so saw it after they both left, and got ( sadly don’t know names ) the two brilliant understudies. Both spectacular."

Agreed. Nicholas Christopher Jeanna de Waal were the best pairing in the most recent revival. Leagues better than Groban/Ashford and Tveit/Foster.

[The Other One]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 9:02am

Phylicia Ayers Allen (Rashad) on for Sheryl Lee Ralph in Dreamgirls.  She was terrific!

Ditto an actor named Eric Bryant, who went on for Adam Driver as Louis in Signature's revival of Angels In America Part Two: Perestroika.  Driver was excellent in Part One, but honestly Bryant was even better.  Louis is arguably the most challenging role in the plays and Bryant is my favorite of all of those I've seen. 

Updated On: 3/21/25 at 09:02 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 9:15am

Jeremy Jordan as Drew in ROCK OF AGES (2009). When I talked to Constantine Maroulis years later, he told me that “it was only one of, like, four performances [Jeremy] went on and one of those night was how he got cast for the Dolly Parton movie [Joyful Noise]”

Kyle Ramar Freeman in A STRANGE LOOP for sure. He helped hold the show together for a good chunk of the run and I was elated to see him when he took it to London and was able to craft the role more in his image. I particularly recall one matinee where E. Bates had a medical emergency mid-show during “Didn’t Want Nothin’” and Kyle swung on within 5 minutes.

Jennifer Simard on for Joanne in COMPANY. I think because she was an unlisted “shadow” standby, her going on for the week Patti had COVID was suddenly a very hot event and I know a bunch of my friends and I clamored to get there.

Autumn Hurlbert as Tammy Faye. The show was absolutely messy, but she NAILED the role in a far more believable way than Katie Brayben did, and she only ended up going on 4 times (I was at her “opening”)

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 9:17am

bwayphreak234 said: "rosscoe(au) said: "I had no interest in seeing Josh in Sweeney Todd, so saw it after they both left, and got ( sadly don’t know names ) the two brilliant understudies. Both spectacular."

Agreed. Nicholas Christopher Jeanna de Waal werethe best pairing in the most recent revival. Leagues better than Groban/Ashford and Tveit/Foster."

Echoing the love for Nicholas Christopher and Jeanna de Waal. They were immaculate in the roles. Paul-Jordan Jansen as Sweeney too! Both of them legitimately terrified me. Groban did pretty well, but Tveit was an absolute mistake - he couldn’t scare the flies off a pile of horse doo-doo

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 9:30am

Diego Rodriguez in Sunset (for Joe) felt like witnessing a star being born.

Greg Jackson in Gentlemen's Guide: he stepped in for Jefferson Mays and playing nine different characters with all those quick changes seemed like a very tall order but he made it seemed easy; he only missed that fey quality that Mays has. 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 12:00pm

While she wasn’t an understudy I saw Casey Al-Shaqsy as standby Elphaba in the most recent UK tour and I was blown away by her interpretation. I’m not sure if it was a combination of her acting and her being so new to the role, instead of the recycled Elphabas we always seem to get, but it felt like I was watching the show for the first time with her. 
 

Her acting choices were unique, her voice was in incredible shape, and, most importantly to me, the difference between Act 1 Elphaba and Act 2 Elphaba felt like two different people! She was more hardened and angry in the second half and I truly believed this woman was living on the edge of sanity. 
 

She’s someone whose career I’d happily follow after that performance. 

[rannells_renthead.11]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 12:57pm

I had the opportunity to see Alex Prakken as Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby and I was blown away. His voice and stage presence are incredible and I hope someday he becomes more recognized. And also though I haven't seen this in person, Dariana Mullen is SPECTACULAR as Jordan Baker. Don't get me wrong, Sam Pauly is literally my idol and I love her but Dariana is so amazingly talented and one of the kindest people on Broadway. She deserves so much more praise than she receives!

[kdogg36]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 5:26pm

Andrew Call was my favorite St. Jimmy from the Broadway production of American Idiot (I also saw Tony Vincent, Melissa Etheridge, and Billy Joe Armstrong). I wrote about it on my friend's blog a few years ago.

[binau]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 5:36pm

If it counts, I saw Jeremy Jordan as Tony in West End Story in the Arthur Laurents revival. He did the Sunday matinees. But Karen Erivo Olivo didn't! If only, I would have had the perfect West Side Story. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 5:38pm

Bwaygurl2 said: "Diego Rodriguez in Sunset (for Joe) felt like witnessing a star being born.
"

100% agree with this. I have seen the show more times than I care to mention but I have never been disappointed seeing Diego Rodriguez in the role.

[Sytwix]

Posted: 3/21/25 at 5:42pm

Stephanie Torns in Waitress. I’ve seen several Jennas and hers was one of my favorite performances.