Last-minute replacement!!- Page 2

[jeffmiele]

Posted: 1/14/11 at 9:39pm

@broadwaybaby no it was not in previews.. it was months into the run after Piven left and Butz had about 2 days to learn the part

[Billy Boy]

Posted: 1/15/11 at 11:58am

In the 70s at the Falmouth Playhouse on Cape Cod. Here's an excerpt from my blog:

Later that summer, we did My Fat Friend with John & Patty Duke Astin. Patty got very sick during the show and since there was no understudy, we tracked down Lynn Redgrave (who had done the role on Broadway) to see if she could fill in. She was not available, but she gave us the name of her Broadway understudy who was available, and who we flew in from New York to finish the week, playing opposite John Astin. She arrived around 5PM and went on at 8PM. Everything worked out, except the understudy was the same size as Lynn Redgrave (big girl), while Patty was tiny, so the costumes and the fat suit did not fit. Our apprentices did miracles to create a new wardrobe, and the show went on!