Posted: 3/20/16 at 12:30am
So yet again Christine is back in wicked tonight which is awesome!! I'm just wondering if anyone knows if this is a one day thing or if she temporarily back to fill for someone. I know Alyssa is sick so it might be because of that but it's weird that they'd bring her back for one day.
Posted: 3/20/16 at 12:35am
Sure hope Rachel is back soon because I have tickets to the Wednesday matinee...
Posted: 3/20/16 at 12:37am
Christine is such an amazing and professional actress, but why couldn't they have put the understudy on? Isn't that the job of the understudy? If both the standby and lead are out? Also is Christine like the emergency cover? Does she get paid to do this?
Updated On: 3/20/16 at 12:37 AM
Posted: 3/20/16 at 7:59am
She certainly gets paid. She's a professional actress and union member who is doing a job.
I saw this on her Instagram last night and was surprised but, as usual, so impressed. She's a fantastic Elphaba and the fact that she can jump back in is amazing. I haven't been following Wicked but I poked around and it looks like standby Alyssa Fox is sick so there's that. Hannah Shankman is the understudy and went on for the matinee. Perhaps there are lots of people off or sick and they had a perfect storm and Shankman had to play her ensemble track. According to the website she is also the Nessarose U/S too.
I hope Christine soon finds herself unavailable to step in at the last minute bc she's booked another show! She's a real talent.
Updated On: 3/20/16 at 07:59 AM
Posted: 3/20/16 at 11:37am
It would probably be best to cast someone in the ensemble as a 2nd understudy just incase something like this happened again.
Posted: 3/20/16 at 1:41pm
Christine is on again today
Posted: 3/20/16 at 10:42pm
I would think that so too but the previous times she has come back the understudy went on and then Christine would join. Thas what's confusing. I guess we will see what happens. Does anyone know if Rachel is sick too?
Posted: 3/20/16 at 11:03pm
I guess they don't have a second understudy because it's rare to have all 3 people unable to perform. The previous times Christine has come back involved her replacement Caroline Bowman being out for an extended time and then a timing issue when a new standby wasn't ready yet. I'm assuming here we have the lead on a scheduled vacation and the standby is sick, leaving only the understudy.
I read elsewhere that Hannah Shankman was in the ensemble today and Christine has said she'll be around all week in some capacity. As I said before there could be an issue with Hannah needing to go on for her ensemble track or maybe she's just not that experienced at playing Elphaba and can't do it daily.
Posted: 3/20/16 at 11:06pm
Christine is a killer Elphaba. Just in case anybody's reading this thread who might have tickets to an upcoming performance that Christine goes on for—do NOT fret. She is the tops.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 12:46am
That's too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing Rachel. I have seen Christine a few times before on tour.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 12:05pm
Posted: 3/21/16 at 12:30pm
NJ_BroadwayGirl said: "I guess they don't have a second understudy because it's rare to have all 3 people unable to perform. The previous times Christine has come back involved her replacement Caroline Bowman being out for an extended time and then a timing issue when a new standby wasn't ready yet. I'm assuming here we have the lead on a scheduled vacation and the standby is sick, leaving only the understudy. "
Rachel is not on a scheduled vacation. She and Alyssa are both sick. Hannah Shankman is the second understudy.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 12:38pm
It's very strange that they're not using this Hannah Shankman in the role more often. There are surely swings available to cover that track.
Updated On: 3/21/16 at 12:38 PM
Posted: 3/21/16 at 12:53pm
I'm also curious why Hannah isn't covering Elphaba until Alyssa or Rachel comes back. Why did they need to bring back Christine if Hannah is there?
Posted: 3/21/16 at 1:04pm
Shankman is second understudy? Under who? It was my understanding that in the currently contracted cast, they currently have a principal (Tucker), a standby (Fox), and an understudy (Shankman). Even though there are usually two Elphaba understudies, it was my understanding that Shankman is the only one currently with the cast. With all three of those ladies out for some shows, I guess Dwyer was the emergency Elphaba they called in.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 1:23pm
2nd understudy under Alyssa. My post was pretty clear.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 1:41pm
neonlightsxo said: "Rachel is not on a scheduled vacation. She and Alyssa are both sick. Hannah Shankman is the second understudy."
I misspoke when I said "second understudy" I meant a fourth person in line behind Shankman. I was referring Fox to as the standby and not counting her as an understudy.
Thanks for clearing up that Tucker is sick. Hope all are feeling better soon. There's obviously some reason Shankman isn't going on and I wouldnt speculate but they are fortunate to have Dwyer available. She's not only a very experienced Elphaba, she's also an excellent one.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 1:47pm
Second understudy would mean that the performer is beneath a first understudy, which is an incorrect way of saying standby.
Posted: 3/21/16 at 1:48pm
Wouldn't it actually refer to two understudies who are not standbys, but they're ranked in order of who would go on first? (And is more of a UK thing.)
Posted: 3/21/16 at 2:01pm
LizzieCurry said: "Wouldn't it actually refer to two understudies who are not standbys, but they're ranked in order of who would go on first? (And is more of a UK thing.)"
That's what I meant this whole time. Two understudies under the standby. And I may have been wrong in meaning it but it's what I was trying to convey :)
Posted: 3/21/16 at 8:32pm
When someone doesn't go one more than 5 times the cover starts getting 1/8th of their salary for each performance. Does it matter if the one cover has to go on five times or just if the person is out five times? I could see a reason why they don't want to put Hannah is because they don't want to give her the 1/8th extra. Just an assumption? Also is it one 1/8th extra of their own salary or of the main persons salary? So if it's the latter when Hannah goes on who does she get the salary from? Alyssa or Rachel? So many confusing things here.
