Fun Home understudies- Page 4

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 11/1/15 at 10:46am

Call_me_jorge said: "Why was Alessandra Baldacchino replaced so quickly as small Alison/John/Christian understudy?

 

"

She wasn't.  There's two understudies now.

 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 11/1/15 at 11:22am

Stanek's Bruce is much angrier; less in control of his image than Cerveris'. Interesting to see it play differently. The material is practically indestructible. 

[ethan231h]

Posted: 11/1/15 at 12:07pm

I also saw Jim this week, I didn't think he was amazing, but he was very good IMO.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/1/15 at 1:44pm

Jim Stanek was excellent. I went earlier this week just to see him. His voice is lighter than Cerveris' and he entire demeanor is a little cuddly -- maybe deceivingly so. It was a very different take that I really appreciated.  More like a regular guy you'd pass at the grocery store every day, but I still believed he was as troubled as he was. 

Loved Cerveris, but I was glad Stanek was that different, because the inevitable desire to compare them wasn't there.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 11/1/15 at 3:00pm

I'm with Lizzie. I also saw Jim this past week. He was more the regular guy -  like if you didn't see and hear it, you wouldn't know the pain and anger that was brewing behind the mild exterior. It's hard not to compare to Michael - so I try not to. Michael was excellent of course..but Jim brought a different dynamic to the part that I totally appreciated.

I also enjoying seeing him with Gabby...because they both were at one point standbys so I am sure they rehearsed with each other more than they did with the original cast for many months...

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 12/29/15 at 7:54pm

Alessandra Baldacchino makes her debut as Small Alison tonight which is also her debut in the show. :)

[steven22]

Posted: 12/29/15 at 8:02pm

I'm pretty sure Nicole Van Giesen was on as Big Al last night. 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/30/15 at 9:58pm

toofunktastic2 said: "Alessandra Baldacchino makes her debut as Small Alison tonight which is also her debut in the show. :)

 

"

She did both shows today as well...

 

[talinatter]

Posted: 12/30/15 at 10:07pm

is this because ali is the first swing and prez is second choice? i assume this means Presley will only go on if Ali is sick/ two kids are.

Updated On: 12/30/15 at 10:07 PM

[msbungee]

Posted: 12/30/15 at 10:53pm

I've only seen FH with Sydney Lucas but I heard Pizzolo is great too. Can anyone say how the other two understudies are?

[talinatter]

Posted: 12/30/15 at 10:58pm

I have only seen Sydney as well, but I have seen Ali and Presley in concerts. I find Ali's voice to be a lot stronger so I assume her Ring of Keys is amazing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzVHAJunH4Y is Ali 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UtWrN2ciaQ is Prez

[nightnic001]

Posted: 12/30/15 at 11:32pm

I saw Alessandra today at the matinee, she was fantastic. I thought her voice was stronger than Gabby. She reminded me of Sydney.

[broadwaybaby1013]

Posted: 12/31/15 at 12:14am

nightnic001 said: "I saw Alessandra today at the matinee, she was fantastic. I thought her voice was stronger than Gabby. She reminded me of Sydney."

 

I was there too! Definitely hoping I would get to see her some day! She has such a presence and focus, it's phenomenal! Reminds me of a little Sydney. Had the audience in the palm of her hand! Well done and much deserved! 

 

Updated On: 12/31/15 at 12:14 AM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/31/15 at 7:55am

nightnic001 said: "I saw Alessandra today at the matinee, she was fantastic. I thought her voice was stronger than Gabby. She reminded me of Sydney.

I hope to see her as well. I haven't seen Ali here but I have seen her in concert and she does have a very strong voice. I thought she was a little "pitchy" when I saw her but she sang a ridiculously hard song - so with these songs, I can see her doing great.  I don't see it stronger than Gabby's though, having scene Gabby belt out the national anthem at Giant stadium, but they do have different styles.

 

I am glad she had such a successful start, as Gabby did when she took over the first time for Sydney when Sydney became ill 10 minutes before curtain. I guess the casting people at Fun Home know what they are doing. She was hired before Presley so perhaps they are just giving her a few shows to develop her confidence and finesse the role before turning it over to Presley.

 

I am not sure if Gabby is sick or has just been given a few days. I do know that since she started in March  as standby for all three kids, these are the first days she has missed/not been at the theater in 9 months.

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/31/15 at 8:30am

Saw the show Sunday afternoon (12/27) and found it in remarkable shape. Cerveris at the top of his game, and (to me) the under-sung performer in the company, Beth Malone, giving her all, if anything with even more subtlety. New, muted colors in both "Maps" and "Telephone Wire." Everyone is still as fiercely committed.  First time without Lucas, and though I missed her in a couple of moments, the thrice divided role of Allison seems more of a piece with Pizzolo. Not to put too fine a point on physical appearance, but this child version seems likely to grow into Skeggs and  Malone. "Fly Away" was deeply affecting, and it was Pizzolo's finest moment for me.  I don't think we'll ever be able to wrangle "Ring of Keys" from Lucas.  But Pizzolo now seems to be playing it with her own stamp. (In clips, she was using exact phrasing as Lucas.)   If she isn't quite as luminous, she is poignantly younger.  This very small girl doesn't have the delicacy of Lucas's fine-boned face, and when she pushed her hair away, you can almost see the real Alison Bechdel.  I daresay, she seems more like a child who might become this particular woman, and that adds to the overall shape of the story.   

 

Mostly, the show simply continues to pull us in. Gold's work still leaves me awe-struck (look at that NYC sequence when Bruce leaves them alone, the use of the light, the door; masterful).  It still stuns.  And we have Broadway's great, Judy Kuhn, breaking our heart with her moments late in the show.  Unmissable, this beauty.   

Updated On: 12/31/15 at 08:30 AM

[broadwaybaby1013]

Posted: 12/31/15 at 4:29pm

KathyNYC2 said: "nightnic001 said: "I saw Alessandra today at the matinee, she was fantastic. I thought her voice was stronger than Gabby. She reminded me of Sydney.

I hope to see her as well. I haven't seen Ali here but I have seen her in concert and she does have a very strong voice. I thought she was a little "pitchy" when I saw her but she sang a ridiculously hard song - so with these songs, I can see her doing great.  I don't see it stronger than Gabby's though, having scene Gabby belt out the national anthem at Giant stadium, but they do have different styles.

I am glad she had such a successful start, as Gabby did when she took over the first time for Sydney when Sydney became ill 10 minutes before curtain. I guess the casting people at Fun Home know what they are doing. She was hired before Presley so perhaps they are just giving her a few shows to develop her confidence and finesse the role before turning it over to Presley.

I am not sure if Gabby is sick or has just been given a few days. I do know that since she started in March  as standby for all three kids, these are the first days she has missed/not been at the theater in 9 months.

I have a friend who saw Gabby's last show on Monday and said that she sounded quite sick and was coughing on stage a few times. She probably called out sick so she can get back to full health. I don't think Ali performing was a confidence thing. As it is a Broadway show, they need to put out whoever will put on the best performance and will probably not worry about any other factors. I don't foresee them switching the role off between the girls, otherwise I'm sure they would've had Presley on already. It appears as if they brought on a second understudy in the instance that two people would get sick, but that is just my observation. Gabby and Ali have very different voices, Gabby has more of a young, strong sounding belt for 12 and Ali has a sweet, pretty, and controlled mix/head voice for 9. When nightnic001 said "stronger" I assume he meant not louder or powerful, just better in certain aspects which I agree with. They both have their strengths though! After seeing her performance, I doubt they are just going to turn over the role to someone else. 

 

Updated On: 12/31/15 at 04:29 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/31/15 at 5:22pm

It's my feeling that the Fun Home people has an amazing talent pool of young actresses out there...and if they picked these four, I am sure they are all spectacular in their own way when presented with the opportunity. And I am sure Presley will be on stage at some point.

But yes it was unrealistic to have just one girl as an understudy for all the kid roles. I mean if the lead and the understudy got sick at the same time (which is likely given the girls share the dressing room)...they would be up the creek. (Thinking of the time that they had the Matilda plague when 13 people were sick in one show and different Matildas/swings showed up at diff times throughout the show).

You are probably right about why they went with Ali - also she was hired first, that might have been the arrangement up front. Hopefully Gabby will get well soon with Secret Garden coming up as well.

[cglaid]

Posted: 1/3/16 at 1:39pm

Ali will be on again January 17 for the 7 pm show if anyone wants to catch her. 

[nightnic001]

Posted: 1/3/16 at 1:42pm

cglaid said: "Ali will be on again January 17 for the 7 pm show if anyone wants to catch her. "

 

Go if you have a chance. She is fantastic!

 

[RockyRoadPicks]

Posted: 1/3/16 at 2:15pm

How did you know? 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 1/3/16 at 9:05pm

RockyRoadPicks said: "How did you know? 

 

Gabby is doing the Make A Wish sponsored "Secret Garden" that night... I assume Ali would be on if the poster said she would be (as Presley Ryan seems to have a different position there at this time).

 

Updated On: 1/3/16 at 09:05 PM

[steven22]

Posted: 1/3/16 at 9:10pm

I'd really like to see Nicole Van Giesen as Alison...loved Beth Malone but would like to see a different take on the role. Anyone know if she has any planned dates? 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 5:35pm

Presley made her debut this afternoon in the matinee as Christian. Congrats. Oscar was out. Not sure if he will be out this evening again as Ali is already going on for Gabby who is at Secret Garden.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 5:35pm

Sorry. Double post. 

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 05:35 PM

[MattonBroadway17]

Posted: 1/19/16 at 3:13pm

I missed Presley, but I had purchased tickets for the 7:00 pm show! I was really looking forward to seeing Alessandra. I have no words to describe her performance. IMO she has the strongest voice out of the girls. There is an audio that my partner Jason took circling around, but unfortunately no videos that I know of. Her vocal quality and expressions were spot on. She just looked so perfect in the role, but no vids :/ Love how she didn't copy SYdney and really embodied Alison. Job well done kiddo.