Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role — Page 4

#76

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 12:54am

"I saw Aida four times while Toni Braxton was in and luckily I had her understudy each time. "

Haha how is that even possible?

#77

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 12:56am

MY first broadway show was avenue Q a couple years ago and Barret Foa was out and i was really upset but Howie Michael Smith was fantastic and ended up taking over the role once barret left for spelling Bee. Jenn Damiano was incredible as Isle and I liked her much more than Lauren Pritchard. Alex Socha's Wendla is incredible as well though I dont know if I liked her better than Lea. They both played the role very differnt and I liked both takes on the role. Also Andy Karl was a great Emmitt in Legally Blonde and I didnt mind not seeing Christian and Andy's understudy as the UPS guy stole the show when I saw it.

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<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado

#78

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 12:58am

Wow. Did two people ACTUALLY say Maureen Moore over Christine Ebersole??? My heart just stopped. How can ANYONE have been better than Christine?


Yes I did. I saw them both multiple times and Maureen's performance is still the one that sticks out for me.

#79

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 1:02am

Jesse Swenson as Melchior in SA was AMAZING, and I'm thrilled that I saw Barrett when he was covering for John T. in Avenue Q. Both Barrett and John are GREAT, but Barrett seemed to make both characters a bit more real.

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"I think of avant-garde as downtown shows where you rub waffles and chocolate on yourself."- Hunter Bell

#80

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 1:12am

LOVED Matt Doyle as HANSCHEN.

I saw Ann Harada's understudy in the OBC of Avenue Q and loved how she played the role. I like Ann too, but this understudy (can't recall the name) was really excellent.

#81

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 1:15am

Linda Muggleston as Ruth in Wonderful Town
Nancy Anderson as Eileen in Wonderful Town
Neil Benari was a great Zoser in Aida
Sean McCourt as the Wizard in Wicked
Cicily Daniels for Frenchie Davis in Rent

More to come....

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Dean: Can I tell you something? Lorraine: That depends on what it is. Dean: I think you're really really pretty. Lorraine: (after a pause) Ok, you can tell me that.

#82

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 1:23am

I saw a fabulous performance by Catherine Walker as Mary Poppins.

#83

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 1:28am

Dee Roscioli is amazing in Wicked, and I think she's amazing! However, I saw her standby, Jennifer Dinoia, perform and I absolutely adored her!! Her voice gave me the chills and the sensation like I was hearing all the music from Wicked for the very first time - AMAZING! That has never happened to me before. I just loved how she carried her voice in her singing. I by no means dislike Dee or think she does a bad job. She is incredible. I just thought that Jenny was pretty darn good herself, and am happy that I got the chance to see her perform.

#84

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 6:35am

"I can't remember her name but the understudy for Toni Braxton in Aida. I saw Aida four times while Toni Braxton was in and luckily I had her understudy each time."

That would be Saycon Sengbloh. Toni (and all of the other "star" Aidas) only did 6 shows a week, so Saycon, who was the standby, covered the matinees.

#85

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 8:00am

Lisa Brescia as Elphaba
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Lisa is the standby not the understudy.
Anyway I saw both Lisa and Chelsea Krombach(who is the understudy) and they were both AMAZING!!! Not quite as good and Stephanie J. Block but there's no doubt in my mind as to why they were picked to be standby and understudy.

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Don't believe everything that you hear! Only the peeps involved know the truth!

Updated On: 4/24/08 at 08:00 AM

#86

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 8:05am

Um... in most cases, people use "understudy" as an all-encompassing term for standby/understudy/swing.

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broadwayunderstudies.com - most underrated performers on broadway

#87

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 8:30am

Um... in most cases, people use "understudy" as an all-encompassing term for standby/understudy/swing.
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Alrighty then. Standby and understudy are 2 completely different things though as is a swing different than an understudy. Same with alternates.

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Don't believe everything that you hear! Only the peeps involved know the truth!

#88

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 10:08am

I loved Patrick Wetzel's Man in Chair...more so than Jonothan Crombie but still Bob Martin was "the man" for me.

#89

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 10:11am

Alrighty then. Standby and understudy are 2 completely different things though as is a swing different than an understudy. Same with alternates.

So we can only keep this thread to people who are in the ensemble who go on as a lead? If they're sitting backstage during a regular performance, it doesn't count? Don't be silly.

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broadwayunderstudies.com - most underrated performers on broadway

#90

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 11:18am

I saw Asa Somers go on as Joe/Jerry in Grey Gardens while Matt Cavenaugh was on vacation in March 2007. I loved him in the role, but didn't realize until I saw Matt in the part in July how much better Asa was. Matt seemed alright with the accents on the oobcr, but by the time I saw him, he seemed to have made it into an almost laughable impersonation.

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It's like writing "Norma Shearer for the win!" in a Joan Crawford biography.

#91

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 2:35pm

Saw Steven M. Goldsmith go on as Frankie Valli in Chicago--WOW.
Just amazing!

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Hunter: Your teeth need whitening./ Heidi: You sound weird./ Jeff: You taste funny.
-Jeff Bowen's worst onstage line flub.

#92

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 5:33pm

I definitely enjoyed Becky Gulsvig as Elle much more than Laura Bell Bundy.

#93

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 5:48pm

In Wicked (London) I greatly prefered Annalene Beechey (standby) to Helen Dallimore as Glinda. I also love Cassidy Janson as Elphaba (but I love Kerry Ellis too).

#94

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 9:49pm

Maureen Moore as Rose in GYPSY. Not only did I think she was far superior to Bernadette Peters but I thought it was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen in my life. I went back to see her a second time when Ms. Peters was on vacation.

#95

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 9:51pm

Trekkie: What the heck did you like about Jesse? I thought he was awful. Absolutely awful.

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"Those You've Known And Lost Still Walk Behind You"-Spring Awakening

#96

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 11:24pm

Jesse was terrible as Melchior. What a train wreck.

The best one is either Matt Doyle, or Jonathan Groff. Both gave equally amazing performances. Jesse was in a totally different league, one miles below.

#97

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/24/08 at 11:59pm

Bill Nabel as Lumiere
The entire cast of Movin' Out
Jan Neuberger as Madame Morrible
Caaren Lyn Manuel as Maureen
Sort of: Karmine Alers as Mimi

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"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable." -F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise

#98

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:13am

karmine alers as mimi - rent
caren lyn manuel as mimi - rent
moeisha mcgill as mimi - rent
haven burton as maureen - rent
marcus paul james as collins - rent
todd e. pettiford as collins - rent
jay wilkison as roger - rent
haven burton as elle - legally blonde
becky gulsvig as elle - legally blonde
andy karl as emmett - legally blonde
jonathan crombie as man in chair - the drowsy chaperone

#99

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:36am

Laura Marie Duncan as Christine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

#100

re: Understudies You Liked Better Than the Person Playing the Role

Posted: 4/25/08 at 10:07am

I saw Jon Walker Patrick in for Roger Bart in YF and thought he did a great job. I have not seen Roger Bart's performance so I don't have a point of comparison.