Does the box office know about understudy appearances

I don't think the box office is linked with the part of production that knows when understudies are scheduled/when an understudy will appear. As previous posters have said, they would know about planned absences, but relying on them to find out when leads are out is not something that should become a common practice. This is more company management/stage management related. I remember when I went to see Shuffle Along, they asked me if I knew Audra was out, and I said yes. So they definitely know the planned absences, but even if they DID know,I don't think they could tell you.
Quick Q: Why do people feel the need to know about an understudy beforehand? We as ticket buyers are not entitled to that, unless an announcement is made before, along the lines of My Fair Lady, that a performer will be out on certain days because it was already decided when they took on the role. You're entitled to a performance, not knowing every single detail of a shows inner workings. Enjoy the privilege of seeing a show! :)

At a lot of theaters there is a Cast/At this performance board in the box office lobby letting patrons know if there are any understudies on. However, that board usually isn't updated until a short while before the performance.

If a patron wants to see a particular performer, there is nothing wrong with them wanting to know ahead of time. On Bway, they are required to tell you in at least 2 ways (an announcement, an understudy slip and/or the notice board in the lobby.) If they KNOW, the box office is happy to tell you in advance, but they are not obligated to do so.

Of course, the only time one is entitled to a refund/exchange is if the actor is above the title, but some productions will allow it for other reasons.

And....it's a PRIVILEGE? I don't think paying 150 bucks or more is a PRIVILEGE. I wasn't given an honor or win a prize -- I'm PAYING for the right to sit in the seat.

Personally, while I'm sure there's been times I've been disappointed to miss a specific performance, I don't really care, and have never even contemplated looking for an exchange/refund.

You're entitled to a performance, not knowing every single detail of a shows inner workings. Enjoy the privilege of seeing a show! :)

Are you still trying to tell people how to feel or what to do around here? Aw. The reason I see shows 90% of the time are FOR the specific actors. Do you think I wanted to see Patina Miller's understudy in Pippin? Nope. Ben Platt's? Nah. Cynthia Erivo's? Laura Benanti's? Kelli O'Hara's? Steven Pasquale's? Joshua Henry's? No, no, no, no and.......................no. Think whatever but stop telling people what they think they are entitled to know. Thanks!

Pose2 said: "You're entitled to a performance, not knowing every single detail of a shows inner workings. Enjoy the privilege of seeing a show! :)

Are you still trying to tell people how to feel or what to do around here? Aw. The reason I see shows 90% of the time are FOR the specific actors. Do you think I wanted to see Patina Miller's understudy in Pippin? Nope. Ben Platt's? Nah. Cynthia Erivo's? Laura Benanti's? Kelli O'Hara's? Steven Pasquale's? Joshua Henry's? No, no, no, no and.......................no. Think whatever but stop telling people what they think they are entitled to know. Thanks!"

If someone is going to see a show specifically for a performer, its smart to take into account that their human and could possibly miss that performance. Its just my rule of thumb and not yours nor am I telling you how to live your life. However, these people are human beings, they get sick. They had emergencies, they have illnesses, they have a million reasons why they need to miss work like the rest of us. I suggest just not seeing a show for 1 person specifically since they can very well be absent that performance for whatever reason. Also, have a little respect for understudies. Feel free to be disappointed to not see the person you want but you easily write them off as if they're nothing.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who, every so often, actively tries to see a particular understudy or standby. This was the case for me with American Idiot, where I succeeded in seeing Van Hughes play each of the three guys. Currently, I'd love to see what Timothy Hughes does with the part of Hades.

Pose2 said: "The reason I see shows 90% of the time are FOR the specific actors. Do you think I wanted to see Patina Miller's understudy in Pippin? Nope. Ben Platt's? Nah. Cynthia Erivo's? Laura Benanti's? Kelli O'Hara's? Steven Pasquale's? Joshua Henry's? No, no, no, no and.......................no. Think whatever but stop telling people what they think they are entitled to know. Thanks!"

This. I've been extremely lucky, in that there's been maybe three times in my life when a principal actor has called out*. And don't get me wrong, the understudies were all great and super talented. But I go to a show to see the actors that worked in the rehearsal studio, for weeks, with the director and the creatives, to develop that particular performance.


*and because I've said this, SJB will surely be out next Saturday night

Updated On: 6/24/19 at 02:42 PM

magictodo123 said: "I don't think the box office is linked with the part of production that knows when understudies are scheduled/when an understudy will appear. As previous posters have said, they would know about planned absences, but relying on them to find out when leads are out is not something that should become a common practice. This is more company management/stage management related. I remember when I went to see Shuffle Along, they asked me if I knew Audra was out, and I said yes. So they definitely know the planned absences, but even if they DID know,I don't think they could tell you.
Quick Q: Why do people feel the need to know about an understudy beforehand? We as ticket buyers are not entitled to that, unless an announcement is made before, along the lines of My Fair Lady, that a performer will be out on certain days because it was already decided when they took on the role. You're entitled to a performance, not knowing every single detail of a shows inner workings. Enjoy the privilege of seeing a show! :)"

Then these shows should not advertise who is actually in them. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You are exactly the kind of audience members producers in the scam theatre capital of the world aka the West End would love to have. Go and pay hundreds of dollars to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD and not blink and eyelid when her understudy is on hehe.

magictodo123 said: "Quick Q: Why do people feel the need to know about an understudy beforehand? We as ticket buyers are not entitled to that, unless an announcement is made before, along the lines of My Fair Lady, that a performer will be out on certain days because it was already decided when they took on the role. You're entitled to a performance, not knowing every single detail of a shows inner workings. Enjoy the privilege of seeing a show! :)"

Some of us would like to go back to see a show a 3rd or 4th time, but only when a specific actor is on because seeing their understudy changed the whole dynamic. (Ex: On a show that need not be named, I saw the understudy on my 3rd visit and the jokes just didn't land the same way). So, yeah, in an "ideal" world, before I spend $150 on a ticket, it would be great to know if someone planned to be out that day/week. TKTS tix is another story...

"This. I've been extremely lucky, in that there's been maybe three times in my life when a principal actor has called out*. And don't get me wrong, the understudies were all great and super talented. But I go to a show to see the actors that worked in the rehearsal studio, for weeks, with the director and the creatives, to develop that particular performance."

Me too! I pay to see the person I want to see, so one time an actress was out on a Thursday evening, and I just asked for a ticket for the following day. Other than that, I have seen everyone I wanted to see, it's such a genuine thrill to share the same space with such genius.

So aren’t you doing the exact same thing as those going to see shows based on who typically plays the role? In both cases, the reason you’re attending the show is to see a particular performer in the role. So, in fact, you did care about (at least some of) the “details of a show’s inner workings.”

That is to say, people go to see shows for a myriad of reasons and they are all legitimate and it’s okay not to adopt a “you get what you get!” attitude about it.

LOVE THIS! And yes, they are doing the exact same thing!