Famous Standbys-Understudies, etc.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:09pm

I love the fact that Vivian(Ethel Mertz)Vance was the standby for Ethel Merman in ANYTHING GOES. Adore the fact that Elaine Stritch stoodby for the much older Ethel Merman in CALL ME MADAM. Love the fact that Gretchen Wyler stoodby for the Broadway Margos in APPLAUSE. Mary(the original matron mama morton in chicago, GYPSY national tour, the original singer of "Who's That Woman", the mirror song in Follies) McCartey stoodby for Patsy Kelly in the IRENE revival.
Love that Gene Rayburn understudied Dick Van Dyke in BYE BYE BIRDIE and Charles Nelson Reilly understudied Paul Lynde at the same time. Of course Reilly and Rayburn later worked together on MATCHGAME.
I guess the most famous understudy is still Shirley MacLaine; becoming a movie star because Carol Haney injured her leg opening night of THE PAJAMA GAME. In the musical APPLAUSE, at one point they sing a lyric referring to the character of an understudy going on stage and "pulled a Shirley Maclaine."
CAN YOU think of any other very interesting understudy/standby folks? Oh yes, of course there was the delightful Bibi Osterwald who stoodby for Broadway's Dollys and Thelma Carpenter who stoodby for Pearl Bailey's Dolly. :)

[wildcat]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:12pm

Bea Arthur for Shirl Conway in PLAIN & FANCY
Harvey Evans for Jim Dale in BARNUM
Chita Rivera for Eartha Kitt in SHINBONE ALLEY
Joanne Worley for Carol Channing in HELLO DOLLY!

[MTRBOI24]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:13pm

Maureen Moore....She stood by Bernadette in a couple things.
Cheyenne Jackson....he stood by for a couple roles before landing his own.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:14pm

Taye Diggs-For Norbert Leo Butz in Wicked

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:16pm

I LOVE IT!!! thank you so much...I had forgotten everyone you folks have mentioned. thanks you so very much,,,please keep em coming. :)))))

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:17pm

Lainie Kazan for Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl
Lillias White for Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls
Phylicia Rashad for Sheryl Lee Ralph in Dreamgirls
Sherie Rene Scott for Idina Menzel in Rent
Eden Espinosa for Idina Menzel in Wicked
Donna Murphy for Debbie Gravitte in They're Playing Our Song


Updated On: 4/17/05 at 12:17 PM

[wildcat]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:18pm

Nancy Andrews for Mildred Natwick & Lillian Roth in 70 GIRLS 70
Tom Poston for Eddie Bracken in SHINBONE ALLEY
Christine Ebersole & Judy Kaye for Madeline Kahn in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:21pm

Myself for Barret Foa for John Tartaglia in AVENUE Q. They never needed me, though. They never even know I existed! I just hid in a closet of a dressing room until I was called to go on - but the call never came. *sigh*

[wildcat]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:26pm

Barry Humphries for Ron Moody in OLIVER!

[me101]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:34pm

Shoshana Bean for Tracy and Velma in Hairspray
Alice Ripley for Mrs. Walker in The Who's Tommy

Updated On: 4/17/05 at 12:34 PM

[dry2olives]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:35pm

Larry Kert for Peter Allen in Legs Diamond (a much better choice for the role IMO)

[Jwei123]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:41pm

SUTTON FOSTER was the u/s for Erin Dilly in La Jolla.

[wildcat]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:42pm

Eileen Rodgers for Ethel Merman in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
Jerry Orbach for John Raitt in CAROUSEL
Phyllis Newman for Judy Holliday and
Hal Linden for Sydney Chaplin in BELLS ARE RINGING
Karen Morrow for Tammy Grimes in UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN

Updated On: 4/17/05 at 12:42 PM

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:42pm

If I'm not mistaken...

Taye Diggs replaced Norbert Leo Butz in Wicked for a month or so, and Sherie Rene Scott was also a replacement for Idina Menzel in Rent. Both of them were never standby's or understudies for those performers...they were brought in to replace them.

[zepka102]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:43pm

capn! i never knew that about you! are you still waiting for Q or have you moved on to another show?!?! if you're ever called on, better let me know

[Jwei123]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:43pm

FOAnatic- that's correct. Taye just came in cuz NLB was having back problems, and sherie replaced idina.

[dry2olives]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:45pm

Several years ago there was an off-Broadway revival of The Cocoanuts. Michael McGrath was playing the role created by Groucho Marx. Since they wanted to re-create the sort of anarchy that went on during Marx Brothers musicals he was given a certain degree of ad-libbing freedom.

McGrath had just finished a gig standing by for Nathan Lane in Forum. The night I saw him in The Cocoanuts, he made his first entance as Groucho, then stopped and looked around the theatre in brief confusion -- then blurted out, "Wait a minute... this isn't the St. James!" Me and one other guy in the back let out a couple of big laughs. The rest of the audience obviously had no idea what he meant. I assume that was the only night that line was used.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 12:54pm

Wow! You guys are really good!!! All I could come up with was Rita Gardner for Barbara Harris in "On A Clear Day" and Mary Louis Wilson for Angela in "Gypsy".

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:02pm

I can't believe this one hasn't come up yet.

Brittney Spears and Natlie Portman for Laura Bell Bundy in RUTHLESS!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:02pm

zepka102, honey, don't take that seriously. It was a joke.

[zepka102]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:05pm

i knew it was

Updated On: 4/17/05 at 01:05 PM

[me101]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:05pm

Emily Skinner for Emma/Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde

[sassypanz]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:18pm

Nancy Dulsault for Bernadette in some junk
Eden Espinosa is gettin more famous
Saycon is probably known across the country for rent and she also did porn modeling (I believe?)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:27pm

Ah, you winked me.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:33pm

anne reinking for roxie in the original chicago(she's not listed as an ensemble member or understudy on ibdb.com but from all the video clips i've seen she was in the ensemble)