Leads understudying another slightly bigger lead

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:25pm

I was wondering how common this practice really is. I can think of 3 instances off the top of my head;
ava gaudet- maureen in rent u/s mimi
jenna leigh green- nessa in wicked u/s elphaba (tour)
sean mccourt- dr. dillamond u/s the wizard

so are there any others?

[mijofly19]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:27pm

John Cudia, who played Raoul, understudied the Phantom when he was in it. I know there have been other Raoul's who have done it too.

[boxers7]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:35pm

I was just thinking about this. Whoever is playing Franz Liebkin (sp?) in The Producers understudies Max and Roger. I think Carmen understudies Leo as well.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:35pm

Drew Sarich plays Armand in Lestat and is supposedly the u/s for Lestat

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:39pm

"Drew Sarich plays Armand in Lestat and is supposedly the u/s for Lestat"

Whoo-hoo! Hopefully he'll get the opportunity to go on.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:42pm

I'd love to see his take on the character, he has a knockout voice.

We all know you love him, look at that love thread!

[bwaydancr]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:50pm

Yep, Sarich is now back to officially understudying Lestat--the Playbills have been ammended :)

[AlmostFamous]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 6:50pm

Tim Martin Gleason who played Raoul, undderstudied the phantom!


*As did John Cudia as mentioned above

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:12pm

To add to what others have said, most Raouls understudy the Phantom.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:13pm

Rob Bartlett, Brad Garrett understudying Nathan Lane in Odd Couple

[thespian geek]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:17pm

Oh, Drew Sarich.

...I should probably leave this thread now and head back to the OT board.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:25pm

Interesting. They must know the shows in and out.

[Carrie White]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:28pm

Well, supporting characters often understudy leads, are we counting them? or just leads....

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:56pm

as to raouls understudying the phantom, doesn't like everyone and their father cover the phantom? Okay not really that much but i know theres at least 5 covers


another one, i believe when joan jett left rocky horror early her u/s moved up (kristin lee kelly) and also covered janet, also i believe when jason wooten was dropped from riff to eddie he still covered riff

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:58pm

Wasn't Laura Bell Bundy (Amber) Kristin's Wicked understudy?

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 7:59pm

she was but that doesn't really count, she left hairspray and joined wicked

[boxers7]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 8:00pm

She was actually the stand-by and was out of Hairspray by then.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 8:17pm

There aren't usually more than three understudies for the Phantom -- often one is Andre and one is Raoul.

[misto625]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 8:53pm

Jeff Binder and now Tony Freeman play Zazu and understudy Scar in The Lion King.

In Wonderful Town, do the Editors count? Ray Wills was u/s for Chick and the landlord Apopolus and Ken Barnett was u/s for Baker.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 8:53pm

oh, well the playbill my aunt gave me listed 5 hence my confusion

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 8:56pm

interesting side note, i was supposed to understudy Lucy on tour when i played Emma on tour. we were going back and forth during contract negotiations on this. then one night i saw the musical director at JR's in NYC and i went to his table and sat with him and held his hand and i said "I REALLY want to play EMMA but i can NOT sing Lucy too!!!!!" he told me not to worry about anymore and it was never mentioned to me again!
HOWEVER....Shani Nielsen who played Emma on the non eq tour understudied Lucy and played BOTH roles equally well!!
Coleen Sexton also was the swing for the Broadway company AND played Emma and Lucy before she played Lucy fulltime. I heard her Emma was amazing too!!

[misto625]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 9:16pm

Wow if I had to be ready to play two roles like that, I would really freak out. I wish I could remember J&H better, most of the first act is blurry.

I really love this thread topic! Wish I could think of more examples!

In 1989 Sweeney Revival, Bill Nabel played Pirelli and was stand-by for Beadle

Gypsy- Jana Robbins was Mazeppa and stand-by for Rose
Michael McCormick and William Parry had many featured roles and u/s'd Herbie.

In Mamma Mia, some people have been Eddie, u/s Sky.

In previous version of Sweet Charity, didn't Bebe Neuwirth play Nickie and understudy Charity?

In A Chorus Line, Vicki Frederick (among others) was Sheila, u/s Cassie

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 9:18pm

I could definitely see you doing Lucy, but your Emma is Flawless. Coleen has such a powerful voice, I'd love to hear her take on the sweeter voice part to play Emma. Very interesting, nonetheless.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 9:48pm

The one that comes to my mind is Charlotte d'Amboise being the understudy for Christina Applegate while starring in Chicago.

Also, I think one of the women in the Pajama Game is an undertudy for Roxie Hart in Chicago as well.

[Horton]

Posted: 4/25/06 at 10:44pm

I think Carmen understudies Leo as well.

This is not always the case, It has really only ever bneen true when Nathan and Matthew retured, and Roger Bart (the cutest and most talented man alive) understudied and played Carmen