HEATHERS and Understudies
HEATHERS and Understudies
HaveAGoodShow
Swing Joined: 5/15/25
#1HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/20/25 at 12:27pm
If understudies.org is to be believed, Off-Broadway’s HEATHERS always has multiple understudies going on. Is the show just that hard to perform? It’s wild how often people seem to be out. What’s going on over there?
#2HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/20/25 at 12:44pm
When I saw the show, the only understudy on was Kiara Michelle Lee for Heather Duke. I believe Olivia Hardy has missed a lot of performances, going back even to early previews.
Lorna Courtney is currently on vacation this week and McKenzie Kurtz is on vocal rest. Casey Likes has missed a few shows for prescheduled absences, and Erin Morton was out for two weeks to work on a different project. And obviously Kerry Butler is on leave for Bat Boy.
The run was originally only slated to run through September 28, so it's possible that some cast members (like Butler) had pre-existing conflicts that are taken into account.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#3HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/20/25 at 12:54pm
Heathers submits their understudies directly to the website so of all shows, theirs is likely the most accurate.
Just like any other show people get sick, injured, outs, take vacations, etc. and the production has to navigate a lot of these situations happening concurrently.
Another issue that I’ve frequently heard about though is the fact that the backstage areas of New World Stages are pretty much at a bare minimum, with cast of larger shows (like HEATHERS or TEETH) being crammed into no more than 2-3 dressing rooms. As contagion works, if one person is sick, and you share a dressing room with 9 people, it’s a recipe for disaster. If you’ve seen Casey’s instagram videos, he appears to share a dressing room with pretty much all the male cast members and swings (which is 8-9 people).
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#4HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/20/25 at 12:57pm
AC126748 said: "When I saw the show, the only understudy on was Kiara Michelle Lee for Heather Duke. I believe Olivia Hardy has missed a lot of performances, going back even to early previews.
Lorna Courtney is currently on vacation this week and McKenzie Kurtz is on vocal rest. Casey Likes has missed a few shows for prescheduled absences, and Erin Morton was out for two weeks to work on a different project. And obviously Kerry Butler is on leave forBat Boy.
The run was originally only slated to run through September 28, so it's possible that some cast members (like Butler) had pre-existing conflicts that are taken into account."
Olivia has missed many shows - I’ve ended up seeing Kiara as Duke 5 of the 7 times I’ve been to the show. Ben Davis was also out for a few one week stints for the JCS Hollywood Bowl concert and also because of vocal issues. The extension was likely already built into their contracts but allows for outs in case of other projects (like Butler for BAT BOY or Casey for his concert work).
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HaveAGoodShow
Swing Joined: 5/15/25
#5HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/20/25 at 1:07pm
You know, I’ve only been reading this board for about a year and posting for even less and honestly, the rudeness that sometimes shows up here can be pretty frustrating.
That said, I just wanted to thank everyone who chimed in on my theater question. I got some really smart, thoughtful and kind responses that reminded me why I stick around.
We could all take a cue from those folks. Seriously, thanks everyone.
#6HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/22/25 at 12:11pm
Just announced:
McKenzie Kurtz and Olivia Hardy are both taking leaves of absence from the production. Jodie Steele (original UK Heather Chandler) will take over for Kurtz beginning Saturday through mid-November. Kiara Lee will play Heather Duke until early December.
Also, Lorna Courtney's final show is December 8. Kuhoo Verma takes over as Veronica beginning December 11.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#7HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:08pm
I saw Kuhoo in FORUM at Signature last year (oddly enough, with Cameron Loyal in the same production). She’s a hoot and I think she will be a great addition to the cast!
Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!!
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#8HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:25pm
I bought a ticket to this, it turned out Kerry is gonna be out. I thought I’d sell it but I might as well just see Lorna before she leaves all the new people in the show and come back when Kerry and Kurtz are back in, and the new Veronica. Are they extending?
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#9HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:50pm
The Bandstand said: "I bought a ticket to this, it turned outKerry is gonna be out. I thought I’d sell it but I might as well just see Lorna before she leaves all the new people in the show and come back when Kerry and Kurtz are back in, and the new Veronica. Are they extending?"
And by "sell it" I assume you mean you'll DM every person on this site who has not blocked you yet and ask if they "wanna buy a ticket"?
witchoftheeast2
Leading Actor Joined: 9/25/24
#10HEATHERS and Understudies
Posted: 10/22/25 at 2:33pm
Close quarters, coming into cold/flu season, scheduled absences, taking personal days, vacations, vocal rest. If you work do you always ask your coworkers why they're out?
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