Elphaba's role — Page 2

To Phyllis Rogers Stone:

If you enter Marge Redmond at ibdb, it lists her credit as Replacement for Sweeney Todd. When you go to the opening night cast list, she's identified as a Standby. When you go to the list of replacements, Dorothy Louden is correctly identified as the only replacement as she did the last four months on BW. There's no category for alternate as usually that is not officially designated, therefore the inconsistency in Redmond's role.

I'm not looking for controversy, but I was there and I saw Sweeney 3 times during its original run, twice with Lansbury. It's not a swipe at Lansbury because, as far as I know, she never missed a scheduled performance of Sweeney during her 13 months with the show and she was superb in both performances I saw. But she had an alternate and it was Marge Redmond. It's still the truth.

Anytime, love.

"I am pretty sure that standby for elphaba gets to go on a fair amount"

When Nicole was there Julie Reiber went on once and Jen DiNoia went on 5 times(I believe) in the full 6 months that Nicole was there. It was a different story with Kerry Ellis as she was pretty sick and so is Dee right now.

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Wicked only has 19 songs. 18 not counting reprises

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I think Wicked should have an alternate. Like having The Baker's Wife on Wednesday and Saturday matinees, and then people could decide if the alternate is better.

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"Idina proved herself that she was more than capable of doing the show 8 times a week.

If they hired a alternate it would cost them more money and it isint nessecary because it has been proven that with the right training and vocal abbilities the show can be done 8 times a week, As seen with Idina.

The role isint really impossible to do and why hire a alternate and pay for two actresses when one can be more than capable of handeling the role.. "
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They could replace the standby with an alternate and it wouldn't cost any more. Right now they're paying someone a full salary often to do nothing.

While it's wonderful that some actresses, like Idina, have lungs of steel, many other actresses have suffered serious vocal distress. Teale Wicks in the current San Francisco company was out for 6 weeks, then had to work her way back into the part slowly. Sne is still not doing the full 8 per week.

And she's not alone. There are quite a few in that group that never had trouble before Wicked, so there was no way of knowing beforehand who can handle it and who can't. I'd also imagine that most, if not all, have had good training somewhere along the line.

I've also heard that a number of them spend much of their offstage hours in vocal related things...resting, steaming, going on vocal rest when offstage as much as possible and doing a lot of vocal exercising.

It's not so much a matter of the number of songs, but there are 3 belty numbers which can take a toll on even the best trained and most careful voices. Some actresses are just very lucky, but others have been hurt by the demands of 8 shows per week.

I think an alternate is a good idea.

Snow Skittle I do completly understand with the score taking a toll on some actress's who take over the part but it is possible is what I am saying.

And I think if a swing took over as a alternate they would still have to hire another actress in the rare event that something happens to a alternate, they would need another swing.

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"And I think if a swing took over as a alternate they would still have to hire another actress in the rare event that something happens to a alternate, they would need another swing."
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Not the swing, the standby. They're two different things. Swings mostly cover the emsemble roles when needed, but not usually principal roles.

A standby's only job is to cover a single principal. They're not in the emsemble and they don't cover anyone else.

WIcked already has an Elphabah standby in every show. By shifting them to alternate instead, they would be giving them a regular chance to perform and also relieving the principal of doing all the shows. It would really just be a shift in title, almost, but not an increase in the number of actors. And if the standby is also out sick, they have an understudy, who is usually in the emsemble, but trained to cover a principal role if needed. If the understudy has to do the principal role they're trained for, the swing comes in to take over their emsemble role for that performance.

Using an alternate for 2 performances, while keeping them "on standby" for the other shows, wouldn't involve any increase in personnel or costs.

Saveusmike, there are three possible actresses who can play the role of Elphaba in any given company of the show. The lead, the standby and the understudy. If for example, the lead is out sick and they put the standby on for one performance, then they are down to two possible actresses in the theatre who can play the role. If they have the standby become the alternate then there is no difference between that and having the lead being out sick and having the alternate go on for one performance. If there is a problem with the alternate on the day that they are supposed to go on then there is the understudy who can do it.

I also disagree with you that the role of Christine is one that warrants an understudy. There is one very high note that she has to sing which if it were done live 8 times a week could be a problem. But, that is in the title song and we all know that that song is pre recorded. There have been a few actresses who have played the role who have said that they feel that they could have done the show 8 times a week with out the alternate. The role, although operatically sung, is not that hard to sing. Keep in mind that there are a vast majority of actresses who have played the role of Christine who have had a fair amount of training in opera.

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I have also been very curious as to if a Performer and their understudy were out?

Would the show be cancelled??

Also has there ever been a scenario when a performer didnt have a understudy and they were out??

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"BW singers are much more heavily miked now than they ever were then (BELIEVE ME)."
Agreed, it bugs me how many people are ignorant to this and seem to think they're belting loud enough to sing over an orchestra and fill a theater. The reason so-and-so sounds better live than on youtube is because when your voice is processed through an extensive sound system with layers of reverb it does tend to sound more impressive than it would played back through earplugs.

Anyway the reason so many of them blow their voices is because they aren't well trained.