Question about Hairspray today.

At today's matinee performance, Marissa Pery (Tracy) was replaced by her understudy after intermission. I'd never actually seen this happen, and it was a little disconcerting.(Especially since both girls looked quite different.)
Was anyone at the show, and does anyone know what happened?

I can't answer to your specific question, and I've never been at a show at which it has happened, but it is not as rare as you might think.

It's like leaving the office early because you got sick or hurt. That's why understudies have to stay at the theater -- just in case.

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I was at a performance of In The Heights where Seth Stewart left the show towards the end of act one. He wasn't on there doing Graffiti Pete's bit in the club scene nor was he onstage singing his part in Blackout. The understudy went on mid performance. There was an announcement right before act two started that said "the role of Graffiti Pete will be played by (name of understudy who's name currently escapes me)."

This was during the post show collection for BC/EFA so I asked Christopher Jackson what happened and he told me that Stewart pulled a muscle during one of the dance moves and had to leave the show early.

I have been told that it is not an uncommon thing to happen and I buy that. However, I have been going to the theatre for 15 years and that was the first time that I have ever been to a performance where an actor left mid way through the show.

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However, I have been going to the theatre for 15 years

Winston, aren't you 15 years old?

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OK, so he's 17.

There's a two year difference.

How does that make me an as*?

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Well, you obviously don't read the posts of his that I comment on.

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Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. There just seems to be an ongoing feud between you two.

Anyway, when I saw BatB, our Gaston was switched for the second act. I forget the names.

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yankees1253, was that Anne's first time on as Tracy? How is she? Thanks.

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"yankees1253, was that Anne's first time on as Tracy? How is she? Thanks."

No. She went on for the first time a few months ago. Marissa doesn't have the attendance record of her predecessor, Shannon Durig.

fosse76 is right, i think anne has been on as tracy so far about eight times and lori once so far as tracy.
it seems like apa doesnt have chemistry with ether three of them.

yankees1253, so how is Anne?

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Thanks for all the answers! Interesting to hear that it isn't that uncommon.

Dottie- I thought Annie was wonderful! It can't be easy to come in at the middle of a performance, and she did a great job. The whole audience started to mumble when they announced that she would be replacing Marissa, but at the end of her first solo (Good Morning Baltimore reprise), everyone gave her a REALLY big round of applause. She seemed a lot better than Marissa, but I don't want to judge Marissa on this 1/2 of a performance, since she was sick. I'm actually glad to hear that she was sick, and that wasn't her usual self. She just wasn't performing with any energy or excitement- not at all Tracy.