Hamilton understudies on ALL the time.- Page 2

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 6:14pm

Why is does it have to be either one or the other? Why can't it be both? I think Lin was the star, garnering a lot of free publicity for Hamilton and deservedly being lauded for his accomplishments. But he also wrote a great piece that is capable of selling tickets without him. It's different because they didn't write the show but I think you could say Idina and Kristin were the stars of Wicked... but clearly the show has become the attraction. 

[starcatchers]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 8:48pm

neonlightsxo said: "OK. I didn't say it wasn't.

 

"

I know you didn't, I was just throwing that out there. 

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 9:02pm

HogansHero said: "macnyc said: "I think I wouldn't mind the understudy parade as much if there were at least a permanent Laf/Jeff! The fact that the role has gone unfilled for so long is disturbing to me. And why Equity is allowing it, that's a mystery too. I'm hoping all will be revealed soon."

I'd love to understand why you say all this but it is beyond me. How or why is it "disturbing" to you? Do you even have plans to see it? Why do you care why "Equity is allowing it." Do you even know that there is anything to be "allowed," because I don't. And perhaps if it is, as has been rehearsed here before, it is to and for the benefit and advantage of the Equity members that it is being done. 

 

  I am not a broadway person, just an average Joe/Jane theater go-er. I think it devalues a show not to have a principal cast; to have understudies constantly. I feel this way about the ballet, about the opera, and about theater. I am not talking about having understudies APPEAR because of all the many things that may happen to members of the principal cast on any given performance day....but frankly, just like I get bummed when I see NYCB filling its principal  roster with members of the corps for a show I've looked forward to, I too would get bummed if I saw that with any broadway show including Hamilton.  You may judge that, but it's how I would feel paying the prices that are paid for live performances in NYC....By rotating Jefferson/Lafayette, in my ignorance it makes me think neither is deemed "good enough" or 'star enough'  by the producers  to get the role permanently. To me, that devalues the performers/performance.  I don't understand it, but since you seem to, please enlighten me.

 

"

 

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 9:06pm

PS I am NOT saying that Ham has understudies on 'constantly'. That's what others above are discussing. But it does seem to be agreed that Jeff/Lafayette role remains unfilled, subbed in, alternated, and that's what I am questioning and wondering about, and would like enlightenment on as to why producers would do this.

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 9:21pm

Sometimes understudies are "better" (however you want to quantify that) than the principal, but there's conflict among the creative team; the understudy covers other roles so is more valuable in the ensemble for that reason, etc... And most people, if they were not given a cast list nor enough photos or enough listens to the cast recording to know better, wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

[KayGlass2]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 9:30pm

I had a friend see the show last week.  She had an understudy for Eliza, Laf/Jef, Mulligan/Madison, Peggy/Maria.  That's a pretty high number of understudies in, and half of the ensamble were swings.  She compared it to the regular Playbill, so that's how she knew.

It's curious to me why so many understudies, so often.  Perhaps I just don't know the workings of the business as well as many here might, but I've been going to shows long enough that this doesn't seem normal.  I wondered if they just didn't care since tickets were selling so well, but the absence of a "real" Laf/Jef is just a bit strange.

Oh and FWIW, Equity rules don't care about understudies going on.  They can only go on for so long in a certain role, by that I mean a certain number of days in a row, which is why you'll see someone like Andrew Chappelle only be on as Laf/Jef for a certain number of days before Seth takes over.  

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 9:32pm

LizzieCurry said: "Sometimes understudies are "better" (however you want to quantify that) than the principal, but there's conflict among the creative team; the understudy covers other roles so is more valuable in the ensemble for that reason, etc... And most people, if they were not given a cast list nor enough photos or enough listens to the cast recording to know better, wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

I agree with you, but that is not the point.

"

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 9:34pm

It is the point when I was addressing you saying it feels like there's something "less than" when you have an understudy on.

Now, the % of Hamilton performances with a large number of understudies on lately does seem like an anomaly, but that's not entirely what I was talking about.

[starcatchers]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 10:54pm

It's funny that you used NYCB as an example. I've seen some of my favorite performances there (much like on broadway) done by non-principals being put into leading roles. Once upon a time, I got to see then-soloist Robert Fairchild play Romeo in R&J. It's still one of my favorite performances. 

Similarly, I've seen some of my favorite Broadway performances come from understudies. Recently - Alysha Deslorieux as Eliza. I know this will be unpopular around here, but I thought she was far superior to Philippa Soo. 

 

That being said, I do think the amount of understudies I saw last week was a bit odd. There were understudies for Eliza, Mulligan/Madison, Lafayette/Jefferson (obviously), Phillip Hamilton, James Reynolds/Phillip Schuyler, and obviously all of the respective ensemble tracks. 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 9/20/16 at 11:05pm

Hamilton is one of the shows I get rotated into a lot to work at. There has never been a performance that didn't require us to put inserts in the playbill. Either it's for something as small as a couple of folks in the ensemble being swapped out for someone else for that performance, or yes, the Laf/Jefferson rotation. 

But, awhile back I did discover something interesting about the cast and billing. I was ushering there during Lin's run in the show. There was a performance that Lin was scheduled to do but for some reason or another he called out .They brought out the understudy, and of course, folks were annoyed but no one really threw that big a fit. Couple of days later, I was out having a smoke with the assistant house manager. He told me, right from the get go that no one in the cast has had/ or will have above the title status. This was when the original leads were still there, and it was the same month that Lin was on the cover of Rolling Stone. So, I asked if, regardless that he was on the cover of Rolling Stone and wrote the show, does that mean that even Lin doesn't have above the title status. I was informed that no one has/had/ will have including Lin. 

We spoke and he told me something that makes sense. We both realized that the producers have a mega hit on their hands, and specially since it was not far away from the time the original cast left, the producers thought it wise from a financial standpoint to make the show the star rather than who's in it. Even if it was the creator of the work. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 1:12am

@Mediamaven, obviously there is a reason it is being done as it is, and it is I gather to the satisfaction of the parties involved. What I don't get is why you care. Why you would feel better about the performance you saw based on the actor's contractual status? To me, my satisfaction with a performance depends on the performance, not on a technical detail that strikes me as someone else's issue. 

@Islander,it is well known that Hamilton, like some other shows, uses a full insert at every performance. So even if there are no understudies on, there is a full insert rather than the smaller lap bombs.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 9:08am

starcatchers, I also preferred Alysha as Eliza.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 9:19am

LOL "lap bombs."

I once had a new company member specifically request that there not be a "joining the company" insert for her, she didn't want her name/face trampled on by hundreds on strangers in the street every night for a month. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 9:49am

trpguyy said: "LOL "lap bombs."

I can't take credit for it. It's an old advertising term that is used to refer to the unmissable ads that falls out of magazines. 

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 12:41pm

HogansHero said: "trpguyy said: "LOL "lap bombs."

I can't take credit for it. It's an old advertising term that is used to refer to the unmissable ads that falls out of magazines. 

 

"

It's a great term (for both of these "products" and I'm really glad you revived it here.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 12:43pm

I know three people who've missed seeing the (still new) Lawson Eliza. It is allergy season, who knows? 

Updated On: 9/23/16 at 12:43 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 1:17pm

Do you mean Lexi Lawson? She has missed a lot of shows.

[saxpower]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 1:21pm

Is it possible they have someone in mind for Lafayette/Jefferson who just isn't available yet?  Or maybe the production truly can't decide between the understudies as to who to take over the role and they are happy sharing it?  (though that could be communicated differently in the main part of the Playbill) 

 

I haven't seen Hamilton (actually recently got back to NYC to see a show for first time in more than 10 years- Fun Home was great and I WON'T wait 10 years again) and probably won't for a while (live 2 hours away, can't plan far enough in advance to get tickets, etc) so I can't speak to the effect and quality of understudies.  I usually don't mind if I'm seeing an understudy (if a cast is large enough its likely SOMEONE will be sick/on vacation/whatever).  However, so much of this world is decided by "impressions" and as seen on this board, some do wonder why they are getting a full page of understudies.  Its not whats "right" or "wrong", its how the public see it (and the show has been sold out through May for months, so ticket sales don't mean anything).  I gotta admit- why so MANY understudies?  And wouldn't be a bit more practical (scheduling, figuring out pay [since the understudy gets extra money for performing the understudied role], etc.) to pick a permanent Lafayette/Jefferson?   I'm not necessarily criticizing the delay.. just wondering (as some people here also are) what the reason is.  Yes its the production's decision, but folks on the boards wonder/speculate about who's replacing what star in a show, what theater an new show will go into, how long a show has left, etc).   As theater fans, its just something folks are interested in and are seeing if the people "in the know" on these boards can provide any clues. 

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 1:45pm

I feel like people often misinterpret the actual number of people out of a show based off the understudy board. Case in point, when I saw Edwin Drood, Will Chase and Chita were out. Their understudies played named characters in the ensemble (the whole ensemble had character names), so the board listed 4 changes. A gentleman in charge of one of those bus trips threw a fit like a toddler that "no one told [him] six months ago that 4 of the STARS were going to be out tonight" I believe the Les Mis understudy board used to break down " principal roles" and "ensemble roles" to prevent such freak outs.

Honestly though, if I manage to score tickets to Hamilton, I really don't care who is playing what, those understudies are amazing.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 2:10pm

jonartdesigns, that may be part of it, but often times these days at Hamilton, three to four principal actors are out often. It's not just one or two. That *is* a lot of people that are out.

[A1st]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 3:46pm

saxpower said: "Is it possible they have someone in mind for Lafayette/Jefferson who just isn't available yet?"

Posts like this give me the tiniest sliver of hope that it may be James Monroe Iglehart :) (even though I'm sure it won't be, I just think he would be amazing)

[laugard]

Posted: 9/21/16 at 4:43pm

Wasn't there a poster a while back who wrote about seeing the performance that was filmed, and overhearing someone upset there was an replacement listed for King George - Jonathan Groff!? Now that would have been amusing as far as cast disappointments.

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 12:09pm

In addition to the really fascinating ASL interpretation, this weeks' digital Ham 4 Ham gives a little glimpse of Michael Luwoye's Hamilton and Jevon McFerrin ( i believe?) as Jefferson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI0V3MNAXQU

 (I don't recognize the Washington cover)

[sorano916]

Posted: 9/23/16 at 1:02pm

thirtythirtyninety said: "In addition to the really fascinating ASL interpretation, this weeks' digital Ham 4 Ham gives a little glimpse of Michael Luwoye's Hamilton and Jevon McFerrin ( i believe?) as Jefferson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI0V3MNAXQU

 (I don't recognize the Washington cover)"

 

The actors are listed in the YouTube description:

Washington: Alexandria Wailes | Nik Walker
Jefferson: Jubil Khan | Jevon McFerrin
Hamilton: Shelly Guy | Michael Luwoye 
Madison: Samantha Coleman