Elphaba's role

This is something I do not understand. Elphaba is in 50% of the songs in the show, Why doesn't she have an alternate, It is a bear of a role.Angela Lansbury had an alternate in Sweeney Todd she was in 32% of the songs. Patti LuPone had an alternate in Evita and she had an alternate and she was in 57% of the songs. Why doesn't Elphaba have an alternate?

Are those percentages scientific?

Aren't Sweeney Todd and Evita completely sung through?

Though Elphaba is a major role, I don't think it is one that requires an alternate. There are many major roles on Broadway that don't employ an alternate.

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Updated On: 8/21/09 at 01:45 PM

I'm sure "wonderful" was counted as well, since she has all of 2-3 lines to sing.

The role of Elphaba does not warrant an alternate.

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Updated On: 8/21/09 at 01:47 PM

Did Lansbury really have an alternate?

Consider the age of the roles as well... Isn't Elphaba often played by performers about 15-30 years younger than those who play the others?

They can handle it.

Updated On: 8/21/09 at 01:51 PM

I remember reading on the board she had an alternate. Hmm misinformation

Idina Menzel went 5 consecutive months without missing a performance as Elphaba.

There's no need for one, if you can get actresses that can handle it.

On his XM program the other day, Seth Rudetsky said that the alternate for Evita was done by the producers over LuPone's objections. In fact, she did cabaret/night club shows from time to time during her run, sometimes right after performing in Evita.

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Angela Lansbury did, in fact, have an alternate in Sweeney Todd. I saw the original production in September 1979 and in the lobby of the then-named Uris Theater was a poster with a picture of alternate Marge Redmond (she played one of the nuns in the old Flying Nun series) with a reprint of a rave review of her performance. It was also noted in the lobby and at the boxoffice window that Redmond played all Wednesday and Saturday matinee performances and to purchase tickets with that understanding. This was not unprecedented. In 1963, Elaine Stritch understudied Uta Hagen in Virginia Woolf and played all the matinees. As Stritch once said, "In dramatic acting you can't do Virginia Woolf every night rippin' and roarin' so why should it be any different in musical theater?"

Sweeney Todd is almost completely sung through and often operatic in range (i.e., chest voice, mid-range, head voice and back again in one song) and Lansbury spent the evening running all over the stage. I also recall it was noted in a Lansbury biography that her "Sweeney" costars lost their voices on BW and the national tour while she never did. Evita is also a sung-through musical, though more in the Wicked vein than Sweeney. "Wicked" is not quite as taxing a musical for a trained singer and BW singers are much more heavily miked now than they ever were then (BELIEVE ME). I'm not criticising anyone who plays Elphaba or who likes Wicked. I'm just saying...

Updated On: 8/21/09 at 02:31 PM

Judging from the number of actresses who have suffered vocal problems in this role, I'd think an alternate would be a good thing. There's no way to tell beforehand how whether anyone will be troubled by vocal difficulty, but a large number of them have had trouble after assuming the role.

And I don't think it depends on the number or percentage of songs. It's just that several of them are difficult on the voice apparently.

I think an alternate is a good idea. Or, they could let the standby go on a couple of times a week on a regular basis maybe for the matinees, thus having the principal do only six and never having to do double show days.

On his XM program the other day, Seth Rudetsky said that the alternate for Evita was done by the producers over LuPone's objections. In fact, she did cabaret/night club shows from time to time during her run, sometimes right after performing in Evita.

but from what I've read, she sure needed that alternate during out-of-town tryouts. I also read some not nice things about the company tearing down LuPone's reviews backstage and replacing them with reviews of Klausner's performance.


there was an alternate for Kim in Miss Saigon, too. is this done in all major productions of Miss Saigon?

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Updated On: 8/21/09 at 03:35 PM

"there was an alternate for Kim in Miss Saigon, too. is this done in all major productions?"

Well, Les Mis, one of the most frickin' huge musicals of all time, doesn't have any alternates.

It just depends on how strenuous the role is.

I think there should have been an Elle alternate in Legally Blonde, for instance. LBB's voice was mangled when she left. That's a really difficult role to do 8 times a week.