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

"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

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.

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

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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."

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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"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.

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.

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

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"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.

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