OPERATION MINCEMEAT Reviews — Page 13

Julia Knitel posted on Instagram that she's back tonight.

Also, longtime Mormon cast member Nic Rouleau has joined the company as a standby for Charles and Hester.

Edit: missed quizking's message with the page break

Updated On: 9/1/26 at 06:40 PM

am I correct that 3/5 out of the five leads have been out on extended injury leave in the past few months? Surprised theyve only now added one additional cover.

And a shame that the new principal five have not had a chance to really settle into a groove together the way the original cast so fantastically did.

edited to add it looks like Nic went on tonight, good for him for jumping right in.

Updated On: 9/1/26 at 10:44 PM

PipingHotPiccolo said: "am I correct that 3/5 out of the five leads have been out on extended injury leave in the past few months? Surprised theyve only now added one additional cover.

And a shame that the new principal five have not had a chance to really settle into a groove together the way the original cast so fantastically did.

edited to add it looks like Nic went on tonight, good for him for jumping right in."

Not really. Yes Jessie, Amanda, Julia, and Robert have been out between July and August (for Robert now), but it didn't happen all at once nor for a few months. First Jessie was on an extended medical leave; then Julia had a spinal injury, which put her out for about a month; then Amanda had a concussion so she was out for about two weeks out, then Robert fractured his foot so he'd be out at least 6 weeks (and he has to do rehab for how long?).

Since Robert is an understudy, Sam (another u/s) had to cover two roles, which is taxing for sure. And God forbid, if both male actors had to call in sick or something, then they don't have enough u/s to cover; that's why I think Nic got an emergency cover role. All the understudies (except Allison) has two or three roles to cover, so if Lexi who covers for Jean and others cannot make it, then Gerianne can cover that role (and she did). They even brought a tour cast for Jean and others. I think once the tour cast is ready, they can tap into them from the road if absolutely necessary. It's amazing that with such a small company, they haven't had to cancel the show due to a lack of the actors.

lite2shine said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "am I correct that 3/5 out of the five leads have been out on extended injury leave in the past few months? Surprised theyve only now added one additional cover.

And a shame that the new principal five have not had a chance to really settle into a groove together the way the original cast so fantastically did.

edited to add it looks like Nic went on tonight, good for him for jumping right in."

Not really. Yes Jessie, Amanda, Julia, and Robert have been out between July and August (for Robert now), but it didn't happen all at once nor for a few months. First Jessie was on an extended medical leave; then Julia had a spinal injury, which put her out for about a month; then Amanda had a concussion so she was out for about two weeks out, then Robert fractured his foot so he'd be out at least 6 weeks (and he has to do rehab for how long?).

Since Robert is an understudy, Sam (another u/s) had to cover two roles, which is taxing for sure. And God forbid, if both male actors had to call in sick or something, then they don't have enough u/s to cover; that's why I think Nic got an emergency cover role. All the understudies (except Allison) has two or three roles to cover, so if Lexi who covers for Jean and others cannot make it, then Gerianne can cover that role (and she did). They even brought a tour cast for Jean and others.I think once the tour cast is ready, they can tap into them from the road if absolutely necessary. It's amazing that with such a small company, they haven't had to cancel the show due to a lack of the actors."

Sam was always covering both male roles. He just happens to be the primary cover for Hester, but had pivoted to Charles more as both cast members in that role are indisposed

RippedMan said: "I don't really have any interest in this show but the tour is coming to Chicago in a few weeks. Assuming it'll be pretty much the exact replica of the Broadway show?"

There’s nothing about the show that can’t be done in a touring house, so yes.

ACL2006 said: "Extended again through July 4, 2027!!!"

Super happy about this, although I found it a bit sluggish when I decided to drop back in last week for a matinee. The current cast seemed more than a little tired, both physically and vocally, and I know most of them have been through the ringer with one bad injury after another.

I’m wondering when the cast will rotate out. The five original understudies have been there since the beginning, with Sam and Gerianne staying in the understudy tracks (where both have been invaluable). I’m imagining Knitel, Robinson, and Contreras are most likely to depart altogether. For my money, I would predict that Nic Rouleau (who was Charles for six weeks during Contreras’ injury) would take over for that role, and Allison Guinn for Bevan (since it’s the only role she covers and they might want a more versatile understudy. Sidebar: Did Robert Ariza ever return?

Rouleau just announced his departure.

https://www.instagram.com/nicrouleau/p/DffPIgGIISs/