Mare Winningham out of "North Country"; in praise of Jennifer Blood

I'd heard Winningham missed Friday night and the Saturday matinee but was back Sunday. She was out this afternoon, but her stellar understudy, Jennifer Blood, proved extraordinary. A decade or more younger, she compensated with a quirky take on the character, creating a spindly, raw-boned eccentric whose wrenching loss of mental agency turned her into a wisecracking witness to all around her. And her vocals -- soaring. Her "Like a Rolling Stone" was as heartfelt as Winningham's on the recording (which I'm besotted with). 

May we take a moment to honor and praise all understudies and standbys. Their plight is a challenge, but the rewards -- like the performance Blood delivered this afternoon -- are surely career-defining. Bravo to everyone covering roles in NYC and beyond. And to anyone seeing Ms. Blood, you won't be disappointed. 

Updated On: 12/15/21 at 07:46 PM

How great. Since I saw the show, I had trouble thinking anyone could ever be as good as Mare. She was sensational. Delighted to hear Jennifer Blood gave an "extraordinary" performance. That is one of my favorite characters of recent years on Broadway. 

"North Country" seems to have had a bunch of u/s and swings go on this past few weeks. Hope it's nothing serious.

Auggie27 said: "Concerned about Winningham. She was out through the Sunday matinee. Does anyone know if she returned to the show last night (Tuesday, 12/21)? No evidence anywhere that she had a contractual out, and she seems to have been out since at least Friday, December 10th, possible before."

I was at the show last night and Mare performed. 

Saw Jennifer on Sunday. It was my first time seeing the show so I had no one to compare her to, but I thought she was excellent! I was initially disappointed to be missing Mare, since so many people rave about her in particular, but I thought Jennifer and Austin Scott were both highlights.