Male roles with alternates

The role of Tony in the last West Side Story revival (2009) also had an alternate, I remember Matthew Singledecker replaced Jeremy Jordan as the alternate Tony.

Rob Evan was also the alternate for the title roles in Jekyll and Hyde.

I think a few Phantom productions have had an alternate Phantom, but that's probably due to prior commitment of the actor (or the fact he probably does not want to do 8 performances a week), because I can't imagine that role being very exhausting.

As others have said, when Alex was on as Dewey Finn they had an alternate for several performances a week as the singing wasn't sustainable. I think (and please correct me if I'm wrong) the alternate started right around when Alex had his vocal injury in School of Rock. It's also why he worked to make sure his current Beetlejuice voice is sustainable for him and his understudies have their own version of the voice that works for them.

helvizz said: "Also, didn't the male protagonist in Band's Visit have an alternate (at least for a few months, circa April 2018 )? I think it was due to prior commitment of Tony Shaloub, but still."

Tony Shalhoub left the show entirely at the end of February that year and Dariush Kashani was the full-time Tewfiq. Tony was brought back in for a handful of performances in May that were all the performances that any remaining Tony voters were invited to, but he was essentially done with the show by then and there was no plan for him to return to the role full time at any point.

Call_me_jorge said: "Surprised this hasn’t been said... Billy Elliot
Also, I believe when Chazz Palminteri joined A Bronx Tale Nick Cordero stayed on as his alternate."

The Billy Elliot boys weren't considered alternates. The role was triple cast -- and all 3 were nominated for (and won) the Tony.

After the first year of its run, I DO! I DO! alternated Carol Lawrence and Gordon MacRae in matinees (for Mary Martin and Robert Preston). The alternates took over the roles full time when the original stars left.

brettarnett said: "The Other One said: "The original production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? had an alternate matinee cast for George (and all other roles). The first Broadway revival of Man of La Mancha had a matinee alternate for Don Quixote.

"

Was there a specific reason why Woolf had an alternative cast?"


The play is three hours long and very emotionally draining on the four actors. However, that is the only time to my knowledge but there have been alternates for a non-musical on Broadway. The subsequent revivals have not done this, and I think the reason for it at the time was the fact that having only four people do this kind of play was a relatively new thing. Now it is more common place. Straight plays used to have larger casts back then in general.

Also, I believe that actor playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera is only contractually obligated to do seven performances a week, and the two understudies are somewhat unofficial alternates. The same with Jean Valjean in the original run of Les Miserables.

Updated On: 11/26/19 at 08:17 AM

I don't know if it's official but most Valjeans in Les Mis have an alternate that does one or two shows a week due to the strain of the role.

The Distinctive Baritone said: "brettarnett said: "The Other One said: "The original production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? had an alternate matinee cast for George (and all other roles). The first Broadway revival of Man of La Mancha had a matinee alternate for Don Quixote.

"

Was there a specific reason why Woolf had an alternative cast?"


The play is three hours long and very emotionally draining on the four actors. However, that is the only time to my knowledge but there have been alternates for a non-musical on Broadway. The subsequent revivals have not done this, and I think the reason for it at the time was the fact that having only four people do this kind of play was a relatively new thing. Now it is more common place. Straight playsused to have larger casts back then in general.

Also, I believe that actor playing the title role in ThePhantom of the Operais only contractually obligated to do seven performances a week,and the two understudies are somewhat unofficial alternates. The same withJean Valjeanin the original run of Les Miserables."



Also, I am not sure if this had anything to do with them having alternates, but no other production of the play has run for a year and a half. It's possible that doing 8 performances a week for that long proved impossible for the cast and the quality of the work suffered. The fine actors who substituted on matinees (Elaine Stritch and Sheppard Strudwick among them) may have guaranteed a better performance.