Understudies

[afaye11]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 11:54am

Hi, I was wondering if people have stories about going to a show, having an understudy and being suprisingly impressed. So what was your best understudy performance?


For me it Was Jennifer Barnhart for Kate Monster And Lucy T. Slut at Avenue Q.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:02pm

I went to see CHICAGO in Ldn for Bonnie Langford. I was really happy to know that I wasnt seeing Amra Faye Wright and her understudy.
But to my surprise, Natalie Edmunds (Velma understudy)'s whole family and her dance students all came to see the show and the atmosphere.... WOW! Have never heard an applause during the understudy announcement, Velma's ATJ entrance, well, her every entrance and exit... HUGE applauses!
Natalie was extremely gd... tall, leggy, great belty voice with a Catherine Zeta Jones wig and she did look like her onstage!
It was one hell of a night as she and Bonnie was SO gd and so much chemistry!

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:39pm

Off-Broadway - Shout the Mod Musical.
I ushered there, and the first time I saw the original girl (Denise Summerford), and thought she was very good. I saw her understudy (Casey Clark), though, the next time I ushered, and she was amazing, and in my opinion, better than Denise.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:42pm

When I saw Wicked for the second time Jen was out and Megan Hilty was on. After that performance I loved her and saw her 5 more times.

Also, when I saw Gypsy Bernadette was out but Maureen Moore was spectacular.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:47pm

Millie- Megan Campbell was on for Millie and she was amazing! Plus I think she was around 18 or 19 (never saw Sutton though)
Hairspray- Leslie Kritzer
Wicked- Brandi Massey for Elphaba, instead of Shoshana Bean

[SarahBeth]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:50pm

When I saw the Wicked tour Emily Rozek and Jenna Leigh Green were in. Emily does a hilarious Popular.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:53pm

This is going back almost ten years, but I went to see The Life and Sharon Wilkins went on for Lillias White as Sonja. She absolutely stopped the show and received thunderous applause at the curtain call.

[Gingersnap]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:53pm

When I caught a matinee of DRS last summer, Joe Cassidy was on for Norbert and he was very good.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 12:56pm

Jenna Leigh Green as Elphaba on the national tour. Well, I knew she was going to be amazing because I was already a fan of hers, but I went to see Stephanie J. Block one more time.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 1:07pm

I know everyone will be shocked that my answer is Joe Cassidy for Freddy in DRS

Other understudes I've been impressed with are Laura Marie Duncan as Christine in DRS, Elisa Winter as Johanna in Sweeney, Howie Michael Smith as Princeton/Rod in Avenue Q, Sean McCourt as the Wizard in Wicked, Benjamin Eakeley as Anthony and the Beadle in Sweeney, Michelle Dowdy as Tracy in Hairspray, Saycon Songbleh as Elphaba in Wicked, Jason Gillman as Freddy in DRS, Karmine Alers as Mimi in Rent, Rachel de Benedet as Muriel in DRS, and Patti Coheneur as Margaret in Light in the Piazza. Granted, some of these people started doing the role a couple times a week, others took over, others had done the role...still they were technically understudies when I saw them.

[TheAudrey3]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 1:13pm

Colin Hanlon as Mark in Rent, Nicolette Hart as Linda in The Wedding Singer, Todd Buonopane as Leaf in ...Spelling Bee, Ben Eakeley in Sweeney, Karmine as Mimi/Maureen in Rent, Timothy J. Alex as Freddy in DRS (covered the night between Norbert and Brian).

[MarkRascati]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 1:36pm

Understudies were in for both Seaweed and Corny when I saw Hairspray. They were both exelent. I wouldn't have noticed if they hadnt been announced as understudies, though that was the only Hairspray performance I've seen.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 1:37pm

Melissa Dye as Cinderella in "Into The Woods."

Updated On: 8/8/07 at 01:37 PM

[Popular]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 1:44pm

"Millie- Megan Campbell was on for Millie and she was amazing! Plus I think she was around 18 or 19 (never saw Sutton though)"

YAY Megan! :) She's a family friend of mine. Yes she was pretty much straight out of high school when broadway called. Wish I could've seen her in Millie. Her sister Katie is a great singer as well!

[mrs felciano]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 2:20pm

I loved Ben Eakley in Sweeney Todd!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 2:31pm

Updated On: 8/7/06 at 02:31 PM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 2:32pm

Tina Maddigan as Julia in "The Wedding Singer"
Patti Cohenour as margaret in "The Light in the Piazza"
Diane Sutherland as Signora Naccarelli in "The Light in the Piazza"
Jason Gillman as Freddy in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"
Shelley Thomas as Paradice in "BKLYN the Musical"

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 2:33pm

I think I'd walk out if Felicia was out of The Wedding Singer, she is the reason I enjoy the show so much. But glad to read that her u/s is good.

[LooLu]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 3:49pm

Niki Scalera as Jane in Tarzan.

[admanrich]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 3:53pm

Haven Burton - Maureen u/s in RENT-- AMAZING, they seriously need to switch her with Ava

John Treacy Egan- Max u/s in Producers (Before he was promoted)

Megan Hilty - Wicked (saw her as a standby when JLT was out w/ bronchitis before she took over)

[wickedobsessed]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 4:03pm

Megan Hilty- She was in for JLT when I saw it (a week before Idina left) and the whole time I couldnt believe that she wasn't the full time Glinda. She really impressed me. I loved her so much I went back to see her for one of her last performances:)

[atlsuperstar]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 5:41pm

Kenita Miller is AMAZING as Celie in the color purple. She brings so much to the role. Also Saycon in Wicked, and Crystal for the SEason of Love Soloist that girl can blow Frenchie out of the water.

[GreenGirl22406]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 6:24pm

Even looking forward to Norbert as much as I was (a lot) I enjoyed Jason Gillman.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 8/7/06 at 6:29pm

The first time I saw Altar Boyz, Kevin Kern was on as Luke (also I've seen him as Matthew several times) and he's been one of my favorite theatre since.

Speaking of Kevin, he's currently Stephen Lynch's u/s in The Wedding Singer. :)

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/8/06 at 10:43am

Jason Gillman- DRS
Lisa Brescia- WiW
Lisa Yuen- Spelling Bee
James Romick- PotO