Those "Bummer" Moments When They Announce An Understudy...- Page 2

[othell]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:29pm

Way back when I was in junior high school I was a fan of the MUNSTERS television show, and had a crush on Yvonne DeCarlo. Well, it just so happened that a touring company of HELLO DOLLY! was coming to play in town starring Ms. DeCarlo, and I told my Mom that I had to go, so as a gift I was given a ticket to see the show-- by myself. I was so excited that I planned on trying to meet Ms. Decarlo and give her a hand drawn portrait of her that I had worked on for days. Cut to the night of the show, and I sat down in my balcony seat by myself and just before the lights went down an announcement was made over the loud-speaker that Yvonne DeCarlo had become ill and had to miss this performance, and was being replaced by some unknown understudy I had never heard of. I was bummed out, but once the show started and the magic began, I soon forgot about Yvonne and really enjoyed my first "Broadway" touring show. My only regret afterwards was that I had not asked my Mother to come along with me. Though I have only seen touring shows here in the midwest, I hope that this qualifies as a good example.
Updated On: 5/2/10 at 04:29 PM

[hannah_bway]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:36pm

HAIR: Jay Armstrong Johnson as Claude
(Once again, I was looking forward to Gavin Creel, but when Jay sang, I couldn't tell the difference between them)

Really? I thought they were completely different. Loved both, but couldn't find much similar between the two.

As far as understudies in general, I actually sometimes prefer it because it sometimes makes for a more unique experience...although I did have a strange kind of bummer moment in that when I went to see In the Heights after it first opened, I thought I'd seen Christopher Jackson as Simba in The Lion King (back in the day, I think it was my first Broadway show ever). I had the Lion King Playbill, and he was the Simba, so I thought it was kind of cool. Later I found the understudy slip and realized that I didn't actually see him at all, but the person who I did see was very good, and I wouldn't even have known the difference if I hadn't found the understudy slip haha.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:37pm

How about the bummer moments when you expect an understudy but don't get one? Right after Matt Cavenaugh's wedding there were extra lotto tickets for WSS so I went expecting and hoping him to be out, but nope. What a waste of $27.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:46pm

taylorphenomenon... that would be me every time i see WICKED or RENT on the tours or broadway... they recycle so many people so much that i always want to see an understudy... for some reason i ALWAYS get the regular people on those two shows!!!

i remember when Davis Gaines was going to play the PHantom in LA and i really wanted to see him because i heard so many good things about him... well i drove up, he was out and i got his crappy understudy! oh and I got the alternate Christine which pissed me off because it was some woman who had just returned to the role after taking a break from it for a couple years... i was pissed because i saw her in San Diego and I hated her and it just annoyed me that the one time i see the show after several years of a break she rejoins the cast and I get her again!!! oh i think it was megan star levitt..

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:53pm

One of the best understudies I've ever seen was Saycon Sengbloh in "Wicked". The girl was mind blowing! I've actually been lucky when it come to understudies.

A funny story is the first time I went to NYC, was in July 2007. I went the first week of July, and Independence Day was on a Wednesday. So performances were all over that week. I saw the full cast of "A Chorus Line" except Deidre Goodwin and 3 other minor actors (the one who get cut), and then I saw "Curtains" with the full OBC that Friday afternoon, and I was shocked that everyone was in the show being an almost "make up performance".

Which leads me to this question: When a holiday falls on a 2 show day, or something to that affect is is up to the producers of the show to make arrangements to squeeze all 8 shows into the week? (i.e. Curtains, on a Friday afternoon). Are they're Equity rules about this, and what are the actor limits? Do they have to be in the "make up" performance

BTW, great thread to give credit to so great performers who don't get enough credit as they should!

[MeggilyWeggily08]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:54pm

I was dissapointed at first to here that Meghann Fahy was on as Natalie Next To Normal, but she was absolutely incredible and I was thrilled I got the chance to see her again. Also, hearing on a thread that Adam Chanler-Berat would be on vacation when I saw Next To Normal I almost chose a different day to see it but Brian Crum was phenominal, hysterical, and only millimeters away from being better than Adam.

I was dissapointed seeing Caren Tackett as Mimi on the RENT tour. I didn't like her acting choices, and her voice couldn't handle the score as well as other Mimi's that I've seen.

I pretty much started crying when Michael Berry was on for the doctors in N2N, because I love Louis. I wouldn't say I was dissapointed in him, but Louis knocks him out of the ballpark.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:14pm

I've never had a bad experience with understudies. I was very lucky to see Saycon Sengbloh as Elphaba in Wicked (Amazing!).

[adamgreer]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:24pm

I've been blown away (in a good way) by the performances of:

Meghan Fahy, Michael Berry, and Jessica Phillips (save for her infamous debut performance) in next to normal.
Julie Reiber in Wicked
Haven Burton (both Shrek and LB)
Jeremy Jordan in Rock of Ages and WSS
Donna Marie Asbury in Chicago
Maya Days in Aida (though she later assumed the role)
Tim Martin Gleason as the Phantom
Andrew Valera in Les Miserables (the original production)
Ann Sanders in Beauty and the Beast

In terms of "bad" understudies, I've had a few of those- Chelsea Krombach and Jerad Bortz in Wicked, Lucy Vance in Miss Saigon, Ray Wills in The Producers, Megan Sikora's understudy in Curtains (who couldn't dance as well and lacked the sex appeal Sikora had), and Justin Patterson in Young Frankenstein.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:26pm

The worst for me was Michael Berry as Dan in N2N, the second time I saw him. I wasn't fond of his portrayal the first time and I needed to see Bobby again. Michael was a lot better the second time, but still not great. Unless Bobby does the tour, I have no chance of seeing him again.

The best was Lisa Brescia as Elphaba in Wicked. I was initially disappointed that SJB was out, but Lisa won me over as soon as she ran onstage. She's the best actress I've seen in the role and she touched my heart like no one else. I went back to see her twice in the Chicago production and she got even better.

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:45pm

"Meghan Fahy, Michael Berry, and Jessica Phillips (save for her infamous debut performance) in next to normal..."

Off-topic, but what was infamous about Jessica Phillips' Debut? I'm intrigued to know....

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:49pm

Was Maya Days really good as the Aida understudy? I saw her two weeks after she assumed the role full time and she was already walking through the show.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:53pm

I thought she was excellent, and I saw her a number of times- both when she was a standby, when she assumed the role, and when she returned to being a standby.

Two weeks after she assumed the role would have been about two weeks after 9/11. Maybe that had something to do with it?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:55pm

Off-topic, but what was infamous about Jessica Phillips' Debut? I'm intrigued to know....

It was the performance after the TONYS & people were lining up to get refunds. David Stone was looking like a vulture over the theatre. All of this must have made Jessica really nervous because she is said to have performed horribly.

I've only seen 2 of understudies.
Jason Gillman as Warner in Legally Blonde
Matthew Risch as Kyle/Dewey in Legally Blonde

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:56pm

Saw V/V with Julie Andrews & the understudy (Anne Runalfeson) was great.

Ditto for Jana Robbins filing in for Betty Buckley in White Lies

[steven22]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:05pm

Some of the understudies I've seen were Megan Hilty as Glinda (s/b) Katie Adams (Glinda) Kathy Santen (Morrible) Michael Berry (Dan and Doctors) and a bunch of others but the worst by far was Michael Berry. All of the others seemed to fit the role. Michael didn't fit either, in my opinion.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:09pm

The best understudy i've probably ever seen was Michelle DeJean as Roxie in Chicago. She was covering a week for Charlotte d'Amboise, and I went specifically to see Michelle. It was a very special performance. She went on to play Roxie full time on Broadway and the tour. She has unfortunately quit performing now.

And big kudos to the N2N understudies. Jessica Phillips, Michael Berry, Meghan Fahy, Tim Young (Henry), and Brian Crum (Henry). They were all uniformly excellent. I've seen Berry as Dan and the Doctors. His Dan was absolutely fantastic, and his Doctors were surprisingly effective.


Updated On: 5/2/10 at 06:09 PM

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:20pm

I just remembered that I saw Norm Lewis' understudy in The Little Mermaid. I was a little upset at first, but got over it becuase I was upset that I actually saw the show.

[chicagotheater]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:38pm

I think I have a top story. Live in Chicago went to New York to see Grey Gardens. Two days before I leave I get a message both Christine Ebersole and Mary Louis Wilson will not be playing the night I am going. I have no free night or day. Booked 5 plays 4 days.
Went anyway no one knew the reason why even at the theater. The play was closing the next week.
Saw athe undersudies Maureen Moore and Dale Soules. Thought they were great could not imagine anyone else doing the play LOved it.
Proves it is a good musical when it does not rely on the star like The Addams Family.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:43pm

I also got the opportunity to see Maureen Moore in Grey Gardens. I had seen it once before with Christine (and I went to the final Sat evening performance as well). I was completely blown away by Ms. Moore. I have never seen an understudy or standby deliver such a fresh and nuanced performance. She was very different than Christine, but no less amazing in the role. I wish I could have seen Dale Soules.

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:54pm

My worst understudy moment Aiko Nakasone in "Rocky Horror"
My best understudy moment Donna Marie Asbury in "Chicago"

Regarding Maya Days, she actually started 9/13/01, she and Idina were supposed to start on 9/11 but needless to say that didn't happen.

[sally1112]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:56pm

Sherie Rene Scott ruined my trip to NYC a few weeks ago when she was out when I went to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

[AbbyNormal13]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 7:12pm

My second time seeing Young Frankenstein, first time being previews in Seattle, and both Roger and Christopher Fitzgerald were out. I was soo bummed because I was only there for about a week, and couldn't go another night. The understudies were pretty good if I recall, but still not the same. But I was able to see it a few more times after moving here for school in the fall, so it worked out.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 7:25pm

My biggest disappointment was probably the first time I saw HAIR. It was the performance where Gavin Creel sprained his ankle and I was pretty let down when he came out at the end of intermission and told the audience that he had to leave. But Paris was fine, and I got to see Gavin do the full show two times after that, so it all worked out in the end.

Other disappointments include missing John Tartaglia in SHREK (his understudy was terrible) and Andrea Martin in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (her understudy was fine, but I missed seeing her).

I was also excited to see Jeremy Jordan in WSS a few weeks ago after hearing good things about him, but I was extremely let down. I even preferred Matt Cavenaugh, who I didn't care for in the role at all when I saw him. The opposite can be said for Haley Carlucci, though, who I found to be leaps and bounds better than Scaglione.

[shanna364]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 7:43pm

My sad story is from a couple of weeks ago. Was really impressed with Janet Dacal in Wonderland here in Tampa and in Houston. Booked my first Broadway trip months in advance to see In the Heights with her playing Nina.

You guessed it, she was out that night with throat issues. Her understudy Gabrielle Ruiz was very good, but still that was the point of the trip. Not only was she out but there was an understudy for Chris Jackson as Benny and Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia. Thankfully Andrea Burns was there and of course Corbin Bleu.

The show was fantastic anyway, but not what I had come for. Oh, and best part was meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda at the stage door when he came for a visit.

Trying again in June. Janet, please be well and on in June!

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 8:22pm

shanna: I gotta say, Gabrielle's voice is amazing, and MILES stronger than Janet's. You are lucky you caught her! She was on today as well.

Some of my favorite understudies I've seen: Saycon Sengbloh as Elphaba, Becky Gulsvig as Elle, Jay Johnson as Claude...all pretty amazing!