Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night

[Quiche2]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#1

Posted: 11/9/12 at 6:45pm

Has this ever happened? What show/role?

Theatre is my life. No one can take that away from me.

[dramamama611]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#2

Posted: 11/9/12 at 7:12pm

Not often, but it does happen.

Recently, I'm fairly sure that Morgan James didn't go on for Godspell's opening. I think she hurt her foot (broke it maybe?) a few weeks earlier, and management had the understudy that took over during previews go on.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[Quiche2]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#2

Posted: 11/9/12 at 7:16pm

That sucks.

Theatre is my life. No one can take that away from me.

[Emmaloucbway]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#3

Posted: 11/9/12 at 8:07pm

#horrified

[givesmevoice]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#4

Posted: 11/9/12 at 8:24pm

Not exactly a principal role (at least I wouldn't consider it one), but Katie Micha went on as Baby June in LuPone Gypsy when Sami Gayle broke her pelvis (Gayle went on as the Balloon Girl, Micha's role).

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

[Movidude742]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#5

Posted: 11/9/12 at 8:45pm

yeah, an earlier version of the We Beseech Thee choreography had the cast jumping from trampoline to trampoline around the stage. Morgan broke her ankle and was out for a signifigant amount of time. If you look closely, the 2 minute teaser video for the show has Julia Mattison in Morgan's costume instead of her understudy outfit.

[LizzieCurry]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#6

Posted: 11/10/12 at 12:01am

Didn't Elizabeth DeGrazia not perform on opening night of Jane Eyre because she was about to give birth?

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

[wildcat]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#7

Posted: 11/10/12 at 10:48am

Standby Christine Andreas played the opening night of RAGS for star Teresa Stratas.

[AC126748]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#8

Posted: 11/10/12 at 10:57am

Bob Gunton for Christopher Lloyd in HAPPY END, 1975. Lloyd broke his leg during previews and was out for some time, and returned to the role on crutches. I believe he was on crutches for the remainder of the run.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

[Wildcard]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#9

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:16am

When Bring It On premiered in Atlanta, it was the understudy who did the entire run as Campbell as the original lead had broken her foot

[TheGirlUpstairs]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#10

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:24am

Jeremy Kushnier when on as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar when Josh Young was sick for a couple of weeks. He did opening night and all of the critics' performances.

[AC126748]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#11

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:31am

Young did some of the critics performances, which accounts for him being reviewed by certain outlets (including the NY Times).

Did LaChanze miss opening night of THE COLOR PURPLE? I know she missed a few critics previews, which accounted for Kenita Miller being reviewed by some.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

[Mattbrain]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#12

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:31am

Kevin Earley went on for Julian Ovenden during previews and on opening night and later in the run ended up replacing him full-on in Death Takes A Holiday.

Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you. --Cartman: South Park ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."

[LizzieCurry]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#13

Posted: 11/10/12 at 11:31am

Josh Young did opening night and then was out the next night, I'm pretty sure.

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

[winston89]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#14

Posted: 11/10/12 at 12:33pm

I'm pretty sure that Young was up for a Tony for his performance in Superstar. Meaning he was in the show opening night.

"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear" Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll

[Kelly2]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#15

Posted: 11/10/12 at 1:41pm

Wasn't Stephanie J. Block absent for some of the critics performances in The Pirate Queen? I totally may be remembering that wrong.

"Get mad, then get over it." - Colin Powell

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#16

Posted: 11/10/12 at 1:54pm

^Yes. If I'm not mistaken, I think she actually left mid-show during one of them.

Formerly: WishingOnlyWounds2 - Broadway Legend - Joined: 9/25/08

[little_sally]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#17

Posted: 11/10/12 at 2:14pm

Yes, LaChanze was definitely out opening night for The Color Purple.

A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

[bobs3]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#18

Posted: 11/10/12 at 5:36pm

In the 1989 production of The Threepenny Opera (starring Sting), Maureen McGovern (Polly Peachum) came down with the flu and missed all of the critics previews and opening night. Her understudy went on and was reviewed by the papers (not very flatteringly from what I remember).

[FlyingMonkey1223]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#19

Posted: 11/10/12 at 6:07pm

Didn't Sarah Brightman miss opening night of "Phantom of the Opera" due to having the flu and her understudy went on instead?

Updated On: 11/10/12 at 06:07 PM

[musicaltheatreman2]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#20

Posted: 11/10/12 at 8:37pm

how was lachanze nominated for a tony if she missed opening night? thought to be nomicated you have to open the show on opening night?

[TheGirlUpstairs]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#21

Posted: 11/10/12 at 9:37pm

Oops! My bad. I could have sworn he was out for opening, but I guess not.

[mikem]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#22

Posted: 11/11/12 at 10:10pm

I'm pretty sure LaChanze performed on Opening Night for The Color Purple. There are pictures of her at opening night curtain call in the Celie costume.

Not exactly the same thing, but it seems in the past few years there are more examples of cast members missing preview performances than before (or maybe they're just more widely publicized).
A photo of her at curtain call

"What was the name of that cheese that I like?" "you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start" "well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"

[After Eight]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#23

Posted: 11/11/12 at 10:25pm

On the opening night of the 1954 comedy, One Eye Closed, producer Haila Stoddard went on in place of Constance Ford.

[Dollypop]

Principal Understudies going on for Opening Night#24

Posted: 11/11/12 at 10:43pm

In Arthur Miller's THE PRICE, Harold Gary went on for David Burns.

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)