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Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

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#1

Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/15/08 at 10:58am

Okay, so it turns out that future multi-award winning Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in the original Broadway production of SOUTH PACIFIC. What other future stars were understudies/standbys to leads in other Broadway shows?

Jo Anne Worley -- Carol Channing's standby in HELLO, DOLLY!

Lainie Kazan -- Barbra Streisand's standby in FUNNY GIRL

Jamie Donnelly (1978 GREASE film-version Jan) -- Liza Minnelli's understudy in FLORA, THE RED MENACE

Louise Lasser (of TV's MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN) -- Barbra Streisand's standby in I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE

Mary Louise Wilson -- Angela Lansbury's standby in the 1974 Broadway Revival of GYPSY (she played Tessie Tura in the revival)

Judy Kaye -- Madeline Kahn's understudy in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Christine Ebersole -- Judy Kaye's understudy in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Shirley MacLaine -- Carol Haney's understudy in THE PAJAMA GAME


... can't wait to read others. Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

#11

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/15/08 at 6:05pm

Ethel Merman: Elaine (Stritch) just go to New Haven and sing the *&%$ song.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#12

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/15/08 at 6:13pm

Mary Testa for Stockard Channing in "The Rink". Can't remember, but did Stockard at some point understudy Liza? I know it was originally Lenora Nemetz, but I thought I once heard something funny about Stockard wishing Liza would get sick.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#16

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/15/08 at 11:30pm

shesamarshmallow - read IBDB properly. The dates it gives are the dates for the PRODUCTION of ACL not how long Karen Ziemba was in the show, otherwise that would indicate she was in the show for 15 years. Also beside the roles she played it clearly states 'replacement' supporting what Brody has said.
Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me....any way the wind blows
#17

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/15/08 at 11:47pm

A Chorus Line [Original, Musical, Drama]
Performer: Karen Ziemba [Bebe] - Replacement;
Performer: Karen Ziemba [Hilary] - Replacement;
Understudy: Karen Ziemba [Bebe] - Replacement;
Understudy: Karen Ziemba [Cassie] - Replacement;
Understudy: Karen Ziemba [Diana] - Replacement;
Understudy: Karen Ziemba [Maggie] - Replacement
broadwayunderstudies.com - most underrated performers on broadway
#18

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/16/08 at 12:28am

Donna Murphy was Betty Buckley's understudy in THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, and eventually replaced her at Rupert Holmes' request (When Buckley decided to leave the show of course).
Elaine Stritch understudying Merman also came to mind.
Megan Mullally understudied Rosie O'Donnell in the GREASE revival.
Victoria Clark understudied Faith Prince in GUYS & DOLLS.
And of course who could forget about Natalie Portman and Britney Spears understudying Laura Bell Bundy in RUTHLESS?
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#20

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/16/08 at 10:39am

I love the fact that Gene Kelly was replaced in the tour of "Pal Joey" by a guy named Georgie TAPS.

And Fred Astaire was replaced by someone on the last few dates of "Gay Divorce" when he was filming "Dancing Lady."
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622 http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699
#22

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:00am

Stockard Channing was not Liza's understudy, she was her replacement. However she started 2 days earlier than expected because Liza called out sick so instead of Liza ending her run on a Saturday night. She left on Thursday and Stockard started on Friday instead of that Monday. Cloris Leachman I dont believe was Martin's understudy, I believe she was the last replacement in the original run.
#23

re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:48am

shesamarshmallow -- I stand corrected. I overlooked the 'understudy' listing. re: Cloris Leachman was Mary Martin's understudy in SOUTH PACIFIC...

BUT, my original post is asking about future stars understudying/standbying well-known (if not famous) performers.

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