Elphaba's role- Page 3
Elphaba's role
fgreene1938
Leading Actor Joined: 10/25/06
#50re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/21/09 at 10:52pm^^^ Agreed. I saw Wicked in the summer of 2004 and after the Act I closer (Defying Gravity, an admitted Idina Menzel showstopper and staged to perfection) the woman in front of me turned and said to her companion "too loud", which it was and it took away from the performance. The entire show sounded so processed it was like being at an overly amped rock concert.
#51re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/21/09 at 11:52pm
"I think there have only been 12 or 13 Phantoms in over 20 years of Phantom on Broadway. 10 Elphabas is a little surprising to me."
That is mostly due to the fact that Hugh Panero and Howard McGillian kept switching out the part for years.
#52re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 12:02amYeah, Phantoms really like to stick around as long as possible. It helps that the role is ageless. Whereas, with Elphaba, even with the green makeup, the actress has to be semi-believable as a college-age student.
snowskittle
Leading Actor Joined: 1/10/09
#53re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 12:10am
"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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Well in Wicked, they'd have to go through three people for Elphabah or Glinda before they were stuck. For Elphabah, the principal, standby and understudy would all have to be out, or for Glinda, some productions don't have a standby but they've got two understudies. Most of the other parts also have two understudies and all the understudies are in the emsemble most of the time. The standby and swings are backstage waiting just in case.
If they had enough advanced notice, they'd bring someone in from another company temporarily if they were down to just a single person, or bring in someone who had played the role before. Last winter when Teale Wicks was out for a long time, they had a couple of situations where the standby or understudy was out too, but I think it was for something planned, like a scheduled vacation. Once they flew in Dee, who had finished with the Chicago company for a week or so and once they flew in the standby from one of the tours for a few days so as to have at least 2 people on hand at all times.
I don't know what they'd do if all three people were out at the same time without much notice, say if a virus or food poisoning or something came upon the cast suddenly. I suppose they might have to cancel a show, but I'd bet they'd try to make up for it by scheduling another show sometime in the following week. That's just a guess, however.
I'm sure there have been shows with no understudy and that has happened, but I don't think it happens with Equity shows -- more likely community theater or regional companies. I once saw a community theater production of Annie...the last show of their run, and Daddy Warbucks was out. The director came on for him but used a script for the second act. Once in a while, one of the actors would have to tell him to walk off the stage. I guess being a director doesn't mean you know all the lines or blocking. It was kind of funny to watch.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#54re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 12:43amI know that this isn't Wicked but it was a Broadway show. There was a situation during the run of Brooklyn where one of the leads was out and they had to fly in the actress who played the role in the Denver out of town try out. She went on last second but was on book the entire time.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#55re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 1:02am
Well in Wicked, they'd have to go through three people for Elphabah or Glinda before they were stuck.
The Broadway company of Wicked would actually have to go through four Glindas before they're stuck. The regular (Erin Mackey), the standby (Laura Woyasz), and the two understudies (Lindsay K. Northen and Heather Spore).
I have no idea why they have an extra understudy for that role, but they do.
#56re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 3:18am^It started after Kristin had to go on when she was injured because Laura Bell Bundy was off somewhere and Melissa Bell Chait was in the hospital. I guess they kept it that way.
DefyGravity777
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/28/08
#57re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 7:21am
"The Broadway company of Wicked would actually have to go through four Glindas before they're stuck. The regular (Erin Mackey), the standby (Laura Woyasz), and the two understudies (Lindsay K. Northen and Heather Spore)."
Last May when Kendra first came back and got really sick it was Lindsay to go on all 4 shows since Katie Adams(standby) was on vacation and Heather(understudy) was hurt. I was told that they did have another former Glinda in mind if something would have happened to Lindsay(gotten sick or hurt).
Don't believe everything that you hear! Only the peeps involved know the truth!
snowskittle
Leading Actor Joined: 1/10/09
#58re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 8:44am
"The Broadway company of Wicked would actually have to go through four Glindas before they're stuck. The regular (Erin Mackey), the standby (Laura Woyasz), and the two understudies (Lindsay K. Northen and Heather Spore)."
They have four Glindas but only 3 Elphabahs?
snowskittle
Leading Actor Joined: 1/10/09
#60re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 8:48am
They have four Glindas but only 3 Elphabahs?
Yes
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Why?
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#61re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 8:50amsnowskittle, Yes, they do have an extra actress who covers the role of Glinda. This is because when Laura Bell Bundy was the standby she was scheduled to go on for a handful of performances due to the fact that Chenowith injured her neck and had to wear a brace and Melissa Bell Chait was out for a while due to the fact that she unfortunately suffered a stroke. I believe that Bundy up and going without the producers knowing was one of the reasons as to why she got fired. So yes, Snowskittle, they added another actress to cover the role of Glinda during that situation and I guess it just stuck
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
snowskittle
Leading Actor Joined: 1/10/09
#62re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 8:55am
Thanks Winston. Sounds like a good story. But it still seems odd that they have more Glindas than Elphabahs since some of the productions now don't have a Glinda standby at all..just two understudies.
Do you think they will eventually phase out the extra Glinda or increase the Elphabas, or are they just letting it slide?
#63re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 9:08amMy hunch is that when one of the two current understudies departs the production, or gets promoted in another production, they won't replace her. Just a hunch, though.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#64re: Elphaba's role
Posted: 8/22/09 at 10:17amAdamgreer, are you talking about the Elphaba's or Glinda's? Only asking because if I had to take a guess, I would say it would be the Glinda due to the fact that they then would have an even number of actresses playing both the roles of Elphaba and Glinda.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
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