Understudies Who Should Become Stars

Whenever an understudy goes on as a certain role at a specific performance of any show, audiences are usually bummed that they're not seeing the performer who has been playing the role full time (especially if the performer in question is a star and/or giving a much buzzed about performance). Although as Seth Rudetsky said on SiriusXM On Broadway, we should never be disappointed that we're seeing an understudy. Whenever we do see one, we should save our playbills with the sheets that says "At this performance, the role of _____ will be played by...". That way if one takes a look back at those specific memories later on, they may notice that they got to see a future star go on in a big role before they became anyone. Examples Seth cited were Bebe Neuwirth going on for Debbie Allen as Charity Hope Valentine in the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity, Victoria Clark going on for Faith Prince as Adelaide in the 1992 revival of Guys & Dolls, and Megan Mullally going on for Rosie O'Donnell as Rizzo in the 1994 revival of Grease.

Another big example I can think of is Shirley MacLaine. Long before she became a much lauded film actress, she appeared in the original Broadway cast of The Pajama Game, understudying the role of Gladys. Of course, there have also been instances where a performer was originally involved with a show as the understudy, yet later ended up opening the Broadway production in the starring role (see Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Patina Miller in Sister Act). To make a long story short, some of the biggest Broadway stars of today started out as understudies.

Now onto the question I wanted to ask with this thread. Are there any understudies you've seen on stage that you would personally love to see given an opportunity to become a star? If so, which one(s)? Your answer doesn't need to be a performer who went on for someone else at a specific performance. It can also be someone who usually works on Broadway as an understudy that you got to see play a principal role in a touring and/or regional production somewhere.

Bebe won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the 1986 Broadway revival of SWEET CHARITY. It’s tradition for actresses playing Nickie to understudy Charity. Helen Gallagher did so in the original 1966 Broadway production. Her performance as Nickie is what brought her to the attention of the producers of CHEERS. It had zero to do with her understudying Charity.

I love Seth but he is a mish-mosh with his facts quite often. My favorite was watching him argue with the cast of ONE DAY AT A TIME over Bonnie Franklin winning a Tony Award for APPLAUSE. She didn’t win though she was nominated. They corrected him and he would not have any of it - he claimed she won it. Oh, Seth. STFU.

Jessie Shelton and Khaila Wilcoxon. Two very different choices as Jessie has more critically success and experience than Khaila, but both are amazing talents who are rarely seen as Eurydice because of Eva Noblezada's consistent attendance

Scott Stephen said: "Brittney Johnson, Wicked’s current Glinda standby is an absolute force and I would love to see her become of one of Broadway’s most successful leading ladies."

This is a comment I've seen a lot. A huge swath of Wicked fans are very impressed with, and excited to see, Brittney as Glinda. It's remarkable the amount of people I've talked to that know her name and want to see her, those that normally wouldn't know the names of understudies/standbys/alts in a longrunning show.

There's a ton of footage of her on youtube in the role I found just googling "Wicked Brittney" but for official stuff, here's her singing popular. Perfect mix of adorable and silly without turning it into a caricature.