Those "Bummer" Moments When They Announce An Understudy...- Page 4

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 3:31pm

That brilliant performer is putting their career on hold to make it possible for that show to run efficiently!

I hardly think this is true. I don't think actors sit around thinking they're putting their career on hold when they sign up for an understudying gig, especially considering that the opportunity gives them the chance to be seen by other industry professionals when they go on and, of course, the experience of performing in a Broadway show. It can often prove to be an invaluable learning experience. If I were a performer, I would see a job as a job. You have to pay the bills somehow, and if working as an understudy is what does that, than that's how it is. It would be foolish to go into job with the mindset that it's actually going to delay your career.

Also, I saw another poster mention Jackie Burns in this thread. I forgot her in my last post, but I thought she was fantastic when she went on for Sheila. I wish she had been bumped up to the role full time.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 3:45pm

"Of course they have feelings...but having to go on in the place of the actor is part of the job. I meant that the friend or family member of an u/s is being unrealistic if they are hurt to "hear" that some audience members are disappointed. "

For starters, there's nothing unrealistic about feeling hurt when hearing an audience vocally express disappointment when a loved one's name is being announced. I completely agree, however, that someone loudly saying "That's my son!" is way out of line. I don't know how you can deny her her hurt, though. It may be unrealistic, but these things are not so easily controllable. Besides, first you said :

"I'm sure the understudy does NOT get personally affected by any reaction (though I don't ever remember hearing one); they KNOW they are the understudy and that they only get to perform when necessary."

I can tell you there that you're dead wrong. It absolutely does affect them. It is very hurtful to hear that kind of negative reaction, from hundreds of people, to your name. It's a hurt that happens on a very primal level. They suck it up and go on, of course, but understanding that it's part of the job doesn't lessen the hurt of that reaction of disapproval.

My all-time favorite understudy situation was Chicago, when Uta Lemperer was Velma. Mamie Duncan-Gibbs was her understudy, and was on vacation. Nancy Hess was the standby, and had been released as the show was well underway.

Lemperer left mid-show. Nancy Hess was sitting at home, feet up, watching a football game, when she got the call. She leapt into a cab, but the curtain had to be rung down for fifteen minutes. Velma's next appearance in the show was "I Can't Do It Alone". She brought down the house. I'd always wondered if she had warmed up in the cab on her way to the theater.

eta: I completely agree with Broadwayguy12's post, and I don't know a single understudy who has felt they were putting their career on hold. It's a stepping stone as well as a learning process.
Updated On: 5/3/10 at 03:45 PM

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 3:52pm

The most recent bummer was at In the Heights last month and finding out that Janet Dacal was out and Courtney Reed was on, but I loved Courtney.

And before that was when I saw HAIR on April 9th, going in waiting to see Rachel Bay Jones again, finding out that Emma Zaks was on. I was very pleased with Emma's performance and would to catch her again.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:32pm

Most times the covers are better! If you think about it most swings play 4/5 roles! That is a versatility and talent in itself.

Or it means they have 1/4 to 1/5 of the focus and devotion to the role as the lead. That's why many times leads have standbys instead of swings. Don't get me wrong, swings have a tough job, but to claim that they're categorically better at all roles they understudy than the leads who do it every night is ridiculous. Most of the time, the understudies have been instructed to just imitate the lead's portrayal anyway.

I haven't heard an understudy announcement on Broadway in many years, so I haven't heard the vocal responses you claim happen all the time time. I thought Equity's rule was that as long as it was on the board and there was a playbill insert, they didn't have to announce it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:37pm

I'd just like to point out: that almost every post on here has been a positive experience about having an understudy. The OP was even suggesting just that: the experience AFTER the "bummer" moment.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:40pm

They have to announce it if the lead calls out too late for them to have put the inserts in.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:40pm

~Yanira Marin as Anita in West Side Story and Nina LaFarge in In The Heights are two of the worst understudy performances I've ever seen.

On the flip side:

I loved:
~Tina Maddigan as Julia in The Wedding Singer.
~Jennifer DiNoia as Elphaba in Wicked.
~I love Haley Carlucci as Maria, Jeremy Jordan as Tony, and Natalie Cortez and Jennifer Sanchez as Anita in West Side Story.


So, I was there for all of this... LOL.

Agreed about Yanira Marin and Nina LaFarga. They are the two worst understudy performances I've seen, period.

I generally like seeing understudies. If it's my first time seeing a show and one of the leads is out, it's a little disappointing. There are some cases where I like the understudy better than the full time (Natalie Cortez as Anita, Courtney Reed as Vanessa in ITH). It really depends on the show.

[sorano916]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:43pm

Edit due to comment::: Then I guess I saw Blake the third time I saw it...whoever I saw go on for John was really good though!!

You saw Gerard Canonico, who ended up as Moritz on Broadway after Blake Bashoff left to do the tour. Gallagher's other understudy was Brian Charles Johnson but as far as I know, he never went on when Gallagher was still there. Interestingly enough, both Canonico and Johnson are with Gallagher now in "American Idiot."

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:44pm

Thank you, dramamama611

This thread was never about slamming the job of understudy. It just to recall those time where you look forward to seeing a performer, but they have an understudy instead. Temporarily, you think "Bummer", but then the understudy impresses you beyond your wildest dreams...and the night turns out alright after all

(And FYI, the understudy for the lead role moreover accesible at the stage door than the aactual star probably would've been)

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:51pm

I've been very lucky with seeing the leads, but there's many times ive wanted to see understudies. Example: Haven Burton as Fiona in Shrek, I would have died to see her but never caught her when I went.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 9:50pm

" I thought Equity's rule was that as long as it was on the board and there was a playbill insert, they didn't have to announce it."

What LizzyCurry said, plus, it's a two out of three thing. The three are the board, the insert, or the announcement (though it isn't limited to leads - any actor who is out, if not on the board AND an insert, must be announced). This sounds silly, but sometimes they actually run out of inserts, and that forces an announcement.

I don't think you were referring to me when you said " I haven't heard an understudy announcement on Broadway in many years, so I haven't heard the vocal responses you claim happen all the time", but I see literally well over a hundred shows a year, and I can assure you that the phenomena is not uncommon.

[defygravity24]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 9:57pm

everytime I see Next to Normal, Alice Ripley is out. I've seen Jessica Phillips twice as many times as I've seen Alice. I'm starting to think Alice is the understudy. Either that or she just hates me...but Jessica is still amazing!

[steven22]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 10:07pm

defygravity24,

I'm dying to see Jessica as Diana!
I love Alice but everytime I see N2N Alice is in. I've seen the show 5 times and I've been hoping for Jessica the past 2 times!!

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 10:13pm

What LizzyCurry said, plus, it's a two out of three thing. The three are the board, the insert, or the announcement

Yes, that's what I was referring to. As long as the other two are done, they don't need to announce it.

Perhaps I've just been lucky, but I see probably 25 Broadway shows a year (plus many more regional Equity shows), and the only understudy announcement I've ever heard was in 2001 for Reba McEntire in Annie Get Your Gun. Nothing since. (Unless you count the time they had to announce Shoshana Bean would be taking over for Idina Menzel in the last scene of Wicked after Idina was hauled off to the hospital.) I have enough understudy slips to wallpaper my bedroom, though. My point was the board/slips tends to be the more common choice these days.

Updated On: 5/3/10 at 10:13 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 10:42pm

"My point was the board/slips tends to be the more common choice these days."

It always has been the preferred pairing, in part to avoid the afore-mentioned audience reaction, and sometimes as in the case of Alice Ripley being out the day after the Tonys, a rush for the box office. Many people don't look at the boards or even their playbills beforehand, and if announcement has to be made, it comes as a surprise, and I think that's why the vocal reaction often occurs. It happens more often when a new understudy is in place, but for whatever reason, they don't have inserts yet. Like running out of inserts, this should never happen, but it does. Also, sometimes an announcement will be made for an actor who plays a minor role, to save the ushers from the tedious labor of stuffing playbills.

I remember once, when it was announced that Mario Lopez was out of A Chorus Line, there were some groans - but there was also scattered applause.

[[tos]fan999]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:06am

The only time I was truly bummed about seeing an understudy was when Bob Martin was out of the Drowsy Chaperone one weekend in January 2007. But the understudy, name escaping me at the moment, was great. And the rest of the cast was phenomenal as usual. It remains in my Top 5 favorite theatrical experiences.

[sorano916]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:51am

For "Hair," I've seen Jackie Burns on for Shelia and I loved her. Josh Lamon was on for Margaret Mead/Dad before he became Andrew Kober's replacement... Josh was really good and I greatly enjoyed him. I was a bit bummed when I saw that his understudy, Lee Zarrett, was on. Lee was good, especially for his first performance.

For "Next to Normal," I actually prefer Meghann to Jenn. Also, while Adam is great, I thought Tim Young was equally good as Henry.

And for the only performance of "American Idiot" that I saw in Berkeley, Tony Vincent was out and Andrew Call was on for St. Jimmy. I read and heard all the reviews about Tony so I was bummed when I saw that he was out, but really liked Andrew. And now, since I've seen Tony as well, I can say that while I liked Tony more overall, I prefer Andrew's "Last Night on Earth" over Tony's and Andrew is still a really good understudy for him.

[julesboogie]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 2:33am

"Or it means they have 1/4 to 1/5 of the focus and devotion to the role as the lead."

I can only chuckle at this. Let me ask you something. Which do you think is easier: Replacing an actor who can play one role well. Or replacing an actor who can play 4 roles well? It actually takes 4 times the devotion! You keep 4 sets of blocking, lines, songs, harmonies, cutoffs, bows, partnerings, and chemistries etc separate and let me know how much devotion it takes.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 2:44am

I see most shows through touring productions, so I rarely know/care who's in the cast in the first place. As long as the curtain goes up and *someone* performs the roles I'm a pretty happy camper.

The only time I've ever been emotionally invested in the performer was when I saw Patti LuPone in Matters of the Heart back in 2005. I have to admit, I'd have been a little nonplussed if they had announced an understudy for that performance.

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 5:57am

My sister and I were wandering around aimlessly and walked past the Wicked lotto. She is a huge Julia Murney fan, so we decided to give it a try. I should note, that any time she had tried to see Murney in anything, she'd be out that day so my sister was excited to see the show (we'd both been out of our Wicked phase for awhile by this point). We got to our seats, opened our playbills, and saw that Lisa Brescia was on, and we just laughed hysterically. Brescia was amazing, but I'm pretty sure my sister has still never seen Julia Murney live.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 6:20am

It's not MORE devotion -- it's the job they have. Is there more to learn? Sure, but EVERY one of them would trade it to HAVE a role. I'm not saying it's easy, and I do appreciate what they do - but you make it sound like they are SACRIFICING to have that job. They aren't. They also don't have it all dumped in their lap all at once. They learn it gradually -- one part at a time. And there are often parts they never play. Jonathan Bradford Wright (Spring Awakening) was an understudy for either Melchior or Moritz (I forget which) for quite some time -- never got to play it. (yes, the are SUPPOSE to be ready at all times regardless: but they aren't always!)

I'm a drama teacher. THAT means in addition to teaching my 5 classes every day, I am at rehearsal 4 days a week after school and am at the school many weekends. Am I more dedicated/devoted than the math teacher? Nope. Am I more important than the football coach that only works one season? Nope. I have a different job. And, like an understudy or swing, I love my job and am happy to do it. Are there other people that don't think what I do is as important as what the physics teacher does? Sure, but so what? I know that the people it DOES matter to appreciate and respect me. 'Nuff said.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 11:08am

Karen Mason took up Norma for Act Two of SUNSET, after Ms. Buckley was indisposed. Bravura rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye".

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 11:35am

In London at We Will Rock You
Found out Lucy Tapp was on for Mazz Murray as the Killer Queen as was so annoyed I wouldn't see Mazz but Lucy's vocals where amazing!

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:05pm

"I'm dying to see Jessica as Diana!
I love Alice but everytime I see N2N Alice is in. I've seen the show 5 times and I've been hoping for Jessica the past 2 times!!"

I saw the show 8 times trying to see ANY understudy and didn't. Finally when I fould out Alice was going on vacation I saw Jessica. Don't want to see the show without Jessica now.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/4/10 at 12:22pm

LMAO, iflip4musicals, that same thing happened to me. The only reason I wanted to see Wicked again was for Julia Murney.