"What? There's no logististical reason not to include them. You can argue an artistic reason, but the entire company is already going to be in the theater, so the "fewer people" argument doesn't hold."
Well, sure, there are logistical reasons not to include standby actors on stage. Backstage, the wings, the green room, dressing rooms, all very small and tight. Even though I imagine everyone has been in a bubble, they will still be masking and distancing offstage. There is no reason to have more people than usual onstage, where risk of transmission is greater as they sing full out. What would be the point?
Just to give standbys/understudies stage time? That just seems very unlikely to me.
Also, since you mention it, artistically it is an issue as well, While there is little dancing in the show, the chair choreography is complicated and quite integral to the show. They've had a fairly short rehearsal period to relearn this. If someone screws up, it throws everything off. Why risk it, especially for a product filmed for posterity.
We can agree to disagree. We will know in a few weeks.
Updated On: 4/19/21 at 08:42 PM