Best Understudy Ever? — Page 3

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

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!!
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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.

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

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.)

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

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.

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