Understudies- Page 3

[showboat]

Posted: 8/9/06 at 10:59am

At Jersey Boys, I have, on separate occasions,seen Michael Longoria for JLY and Matthew Scott for Daniel Reichard. Both were amazing.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 8/9/06 at 11:07am

When I saw the national tour of Wicked in Hartford, I was delighted to see that Jenna Leigh Green was going on as Elphaba. (Subsequently, Maria Eberline was on as Nessarose.)

I also saw Bryn Dowling go on as Roxie in Chicago. This was right after I read her "Gypsy of the Month" article on BWW, so I was very excited to see her. She was wonderful.

[Producer2]

Posted: 8/9/06 at 11:19am

Apparently Sutton Foster took an unannounced vacation from Millie because I know others who saw Millie the same week as I did and Sutton was out. Catherine Brunell was no Sutton Foster and I was in the front row.

[mijofly19]

Posted: 8/9/06 at 11:25am

Jason Gillman as Freddy in DRS.
Patti Cohenour as Margaret in Piazza.
Lisa Yuen as Marcy in Spelling Bee.
Kate Wetherhead as Olive in Spelling Bee.
Dominic Nolfi as Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys.
Blake Hammond as Edna in Hairspray. (Before he took over the role.)
Horace V. Rogers as Streetsinger in Brooklyn.

[ILUVTOMG]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 2:57pm

One really bad understudy experience in all my years of theatre-going - can't remember her name but she subbed for Amanda Plummer in PYGMALLION revival. Dreadful. monotone. sounded like she was near-sighted and reading from cue cards. terrible accent - AND SHE WAS BRITISH! on the other hand i saw peter o'toole's u/s (Ivar Brogger?) at another performance and he was Wonderful.

oh, and i forgot to mention in my earlier post that i also had the pleasure of seeing maureen moore as norma in sunset blvd.

should i now officially change my name to ILUVMAUREENMOORE?

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 3:22pm

I forgot one: Cara Cooper in TWS.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 4:27pm

best understudy i have ever seen is emily rozek. I saw her as millie right before it closed then again as glinda on the wicked tour.

on the subject of wicked that same day i saw victoria matlock's first performance as elphaba , nicolas dromard as fiyero and christopher russo as dillamond all were equally amazing.

so i guess i've been lucky to never had a "bad" understudy

[GretchaSketh]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 4:38pm

Cara Cooper - on for Amy Spanger in The Wedding Singer
Katie Adams - in for Kendra and Megan in Wicked
Tina Maddigan - on for Laura in The Wedding Singer

[broadwayxminixidina]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 4:53pm

Katie is AMAZING! She is suer humble, and a wonderful person, also.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 5:00pm

James Ludwig as every male role in Spamalot

[stePHANIE 814]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 5:41pm

My two favorites have to be Jason Gillman as Freddy in DRS and Tina Maddigan in The Wedding Singer (yeah I know not really original since people have already mentioned them quite a few times, but hey.. they deserve it). Being a huge Norbert fan, I was pretty upset that he was out the first time I was going to see the show, but Jason definitely won me over very quickly! Tina was absolutely wonderful! My sister couldn't believe that she was the stand-by for Julia by the end of the show. I am SO glad I got to see her go on that night.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 6:32pm

So what was your best understudy performance?

Charles Hagerty as Marius
Randal Keith as Valjean*
Ben Davis as Enjolras
Nina Negri as Cosette
DB Bonds as Raoul
Garrett Zuercher as Huckleberry Finn
Susan Spencer as Jo March
Evan D'Angeles as Chip Tolentino
Michael Minarik as Bobby Strong

* hey, I think they promoted that guy a few years later...

[ieatcrayonz]

Posted: 8/15/06 at 5:14pm

(#1)cara cooper as holly in the wedding singer
tina maddigan as julia in the wedding singer
kevin kern as robbie in the wedding singer

[Sab6888]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:08am

by far eden espinosa in for idina menzel in wicked! no other understudy has ever blown me away like eden did - i wasn't surprised when she landed the brooklyn lead soon after!

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:12am

Charles Hagerty-Marius (3NT Les Miz)
Kris Koop-Christine Daae (Bway POTO)
Daniel Marcus-Fosco (Bway WIW)

[To The Stage!]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:26am

Haven Burton (AMAZING!) and Karmine Alers in RENT.

[Maggie_May]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:38am

Kevin Kern as Robbie Hart (The Wedding Singer)
Jay Wilikson as Roger (RENT)
Cara Cooper as Holly (The Wedding Singer)

[Stphen1187]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 12:56am

Within the past few years, I've been most impressed by the performances of Dennis Parlato in 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' (also covering during the switch between Jonathan Pryce and Keith Carradine), Niki Scalera in 'Tarzan,' Nicolette Hart in 'The Wedding Singer,' Kenita Miller in 'The Color Purple,' and Lisa Yuen (on for Marcy) in 'Spelling Bee.' I always anticipate seeing an understudy or two when I see a show because, in the instance that the given understudy doesn't go on in the role too frequently, it's sort of momentous. It's also always interesting to get a different take on a role.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 8:48am

I don't know his name but the man who understudied Norbert Leo Butz when I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels blew me away.

Kevin Kern and Tina Maddigan were amazing in The Wedding Singer.

[missyrose87]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:13am

Victoria Matlock as Elphaba when Julia Murney was out- I saw Julia later and still like Victoria better!

[Weez]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:22am

I got Karmine Alers for Mimi when I saw RENT two years ago. In the midst of the Melanie Brown fiasco. I was so relieved. ^_^

[eppsdaman]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:29am

I just saw Dee Roscioli as Elphaba in Chicago... she was AMAZING, and the crowd loved her.

I also saw Marilyn Caskey during Diahann Carroll's vacation from the Toronto production of Sunset Boulevard, and she was light years better than Diahann ended up being when I finally saw her. I wrote Marilyn a letter after I saw her, and she sent me a beautiful response, with a copy of her understudy slip signed in silver marker... one of my most prized posessions .

[singtopher]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:35am

When I saw the First National of Millie, I saw the understudy for Trevor Graydon. He was pretty much the only thing in the show I enjoyed.

[PaintWordPictures]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:54am

"* hey, I think they promoted that guy a few years later... "

Aww Randal... Met him the last week of Les Mis in St. Louis - he was one of the FIRST out the stage door. So nice. Even people who play one of the most well-known theatre roles for 6+ years in a few different countries have to start somewhere!

[TCwestTitan101]

Posted: 1/10/07 at 11:15pm

When i saw wicked in chicago on 12/5/06 instead of seein Kristy Cates and Erin mackey, Kris Cussick. we saw Jennifer Dinoia as Elphaba, Erin Mackey as G(a)linda, and Nicholas Belton as fiyero....it was really great....if anyone wants the full review of the show, send me a message...i know jennifer dinoia has only performed 5 times and we saw her on her 4th so its pretty rare!
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