Jennifer Barnhart

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/8/04 at 9:51pm

Doesn't Jennifer look like she would be so fun to be around? She always looks so happy!

Has anyone seen her as Kate Monster/Lucy? How was she?

Updated On: 6/8/04 at 09:51 PM

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 6/8/04 at 10:01pm

Jenn's one of AVENUE Q's "secret weapons". She has a knockout voice which you don't hear too much of in the show (She's one of the Bad Idea Bears). I'd LOVE to see her Lucy/Kate. She and understudy Aymee Garcia were revelations in John T.'s Ars Nova show.

Every time I've met her, she's been a doll.

Updated On: 6/8/04 at 10:01 PM

[AvenueQlover]

Posted: 6/8/04 at 10:10pm

She's extremely nice. I had the chance to meet her when I went with a bunch of other Muppet fans in Feburary, and Jen and I were talking about Muppet stuff, including a rare Orson Welles TALK SHOW pilot w/ The Muppets that we had the privlege of seeing before the show

She was the only one in the cast who hadn't seen it..god, I hope she has now!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/8/04 at 10:10pm

I would love to hear her sing! So, her everyday role is just doing different characters that are needed. During it sucks to me, she takes over Rod for the 2nd half of the song.

[SCMmom]

Posted: 6/8/04 at 10:25pm

i actually did get to hear her sing in april on my third visit to Ave Q. stephanie had been having some trouble with breath and the hight notes - like she had a coldthey announced at intermission that stephanie d'abruzzo could not finish the show and that jennifer barnhart would be taking the role of kate monster and lucy the slut. I'm a huge fan of stephanie but jennifer really was amazing as well. I didn't really like garcia who took jennifer's roles but it was so cool to see jennifer in action. i've also met her at the stage door and she really is just as energetic and nice as she seems on stage when you meet her in person!!! Updated On: 6/8/04 at 10:25 PM

[JamieMcG]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 1:03pm

Jen is not only extremely talented, but one of the sweetest people I have EVER met. Her Kate/Lucy is fantastic-I was lucky enought to see her first time on for the role and she was very different from Stephanie- I think both of them are really wonderful in the role and both bring different qualities to it. That's actually a compliment to Director Jason Moore for giving performers the opportunity to actually play the role instead of copying the original. Jen is funny, friendly and has a heart of gold. I am really happy to call her a friend.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 1:43pm

Yes, you should be...

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 2:10pm

Wow, Stephanie must have been really sick. I know it happens, but I've never heard of someone leaving in the middle of the show.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 2:20pm

Happens a lot...that is why they have stand-bys.

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 2:22pm

I hope you mean understudies. Standbys would be in the bar drinking half-way through the show. The understudy would be in the theatre b/c he/she is in the show. Standbys are for scheduled absenses or when there's time to get them into costume. Just like in WICKED when Melissa went on b/c Kristin was ready to go until 20 min before the show.

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 3:37pm

Thats incorrect I believe. I've always understood that Standbys are required to be there the entire show, always ready to go on. The night at Wicked you are referring to was a night on which LBB had a planned absence already, otherwise she would have gone on. It wouldn't make sense for the understudy to be rushed on, because then they'd have to also pull a swing into the understudy's role. Standbys have to be there every night, just like anyone else, as they are the first in line if something happens to the lead.

Or at least, thats how I understand it.
~m~

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 4:15pm

Same here...stand-bys are always ready to go on for a lead role. The understudies are always in the ensemble, so they would have to get out of costume and into the leads costume. Then, a swing would have to come on and take the understudies role.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 4:42pm

side not- i've always wondered, do understudies and standbys get their own versions of the lead costumes or just have to be the same size

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 5:38pm

Depends on the budget of the show. I don't know for sure since I've never seen Eden in person, but it looks like she'd be a lot shorter than Idina. And according to friends of mine in the business the standby only comes into the theatre when they are needed (including one that was a standby in La Boheme). It's rare that someone leaves in the middle of a show, and that would be awful if a standby had to sit in the theatre 8 times a week and do nothing. No one would want to do it.

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 5:45pm

hmmm. interesting, because Eden and Laura are often seen leaving the theater with everyone else after curtain call. maybe i was misinformed? hmmmm

Anyways: costume wise-they have to make certain adjustments, and often pieces are dropped for the standby, as is the case with a couple Glinda costumes for LBB, not sure about Eden, though she would obviously need her own costumes.

~m~

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 6:47pm

Craig just posted a great picture of Jenn looking glam at the AVENUE Q Tony party (in the new photos...towards the bottom)

[Dawg]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 6:50pm

Actually, I believe it's different for each contract-understudies are often playing other roles in the cast, as are swings. I've heard of this differing in some cases. But in the case of standbys, for Laura Bell anyway, she is required to be within a 5-block radius during the show.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 6:52pm

When I was a swing, I had my own costume for each track I covered. I'm glad, too, I wouldn't have wanted to be sweating in someone else's sweaty costume. :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/9/04 at 8:20pm

Jennifer is awesome... really fun, great personality. When I met the cast, she was so personable, and absolutely hysterical. She and J Tags got up and started skipping around out of nowhere.

[Elphie2]

Posted: 6/21/04 at 8:19am

I saw her perform as Kate/Lucy in April. She was fantastic! The two people I went with didn't even know she was an understudy. When I saw the sign saying she would be performing I was slightly upset that we wouldn't be seeing Stephanie, but after seeing Jen perform I was very happy. She's great!

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 6/21/04 at 8:31am

Jenn is performing (with John & Stephanie) TONIGHT at "EMPTY HANDED" at the Lucille Lortel on Christopher street. Tickets are $25.

I saw it last week and had such a great time, I'm going back tonight!

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 6/21/04 at 12:30pm

I read an interview once given by Belle Callaway, who stood-by for Roxie Hart in Chicago a few years ago, and she said that what she had to do was keep a beeper on her at all times and stay in the theatre district during the show so that they could get a hold of her in case they needed her. They go on first, and if they can't be there for some reason, that's when they put on the understudies. So, yes, the stand-by could technically be boozing up during the show, but that'd really suck if her beeper went off, right?