Understudies are gods- Page 2

[musicgal04]

Posted: 11/14/05 at 11:33pm

I say that Linda Muggleston and really all of the understudies in Wonderful Town really kept that show going for awhile there. Nancy Anderson and Susan Derry both held their own as Eileen... and Matthew Shepard was an amazing swing who I saw in nearly every performance I saw (11) in some capacity.

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 11/14/05 at 11:33pm

When I saw Les Mis last year, I saw Roger Seyer go on as Valjean and boy, he was amazing.

It's amazing to think that these people get way less rehearsal time that their counterpart, and then they can still go on and outshine them.

Do understudies get dress rehearsals? Because if I were an understudy, I couldn't imagine going on for someone without having costume changes worked out and things like that.

[JACXR71]

Posted: 11/14/05 at 11:36pm

Every time I've seen Wicked, I've seen the Glinda understudy, and she's always been amazing - Megan Hilty (when she was u/s for JLT), Katie Adams (u/s on the tour) and Sarah Jean Everman (u/s in Chicago). All were fantastic in my opinion.

I'm glad my post on the unpopular opinions thread about understudies being able to blow some of today's bigger names out of the water isn't so unpopular after all!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/14/05 at 11:56pm

They do get dress rehearsals, but it doesn't always happen right after the join the cast. Peter Lockyer joined the Phantom tour as a Raoul understudy in San Francisco two years ago, but he didn't actually rehearse Raoul until the next city.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 11/15/05 at 12:21pm

I agree that being an understudy is hard work not as hard as being a swing though. I had an understudy once who pushed me down a flight of stairs a la Nomi Malone because he wanted to go on for me. Being the total bitch that I am I bandaged myself up and took a bunch of pain medicine and gave a stellar performance that evening. Needless to say, he got reported, fined and fired.

[Natalie 2]

Posted: 11/19/05 at 2:44pm

Understudies usually get a "put-in" rehearsal, where they get to do all of their costume changes while the rest of the cast stays in rehearsal clothes. Depending on the character, the rehearsal may be a full run-through or just a few scenes. Our Julian Marsh put-in was just the book scenes, but our Peggy put-in was the entire show. Interestingly enough, Jarran Muse (our wonderful Billy cover) never got anything more than a quick run-through of some dance bits a half hour before curtain the day he was to go on. The same thing happened last year when Chad Harlow (our other amazing Billy cover) had fifteen minutes notice.

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 11/19/05 at 4:47pm

Wicked's Saycon Sengbloh is amazing.
Former understudy Megan Hilty was amazing, and still is.

Diana Kaarina was pleasing as Maureen Johnson in Rent.

[misto625]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:23pm

I agree with Linda Muggleston being amazing. I liked Rene Auberjonis and Charles Antalosky in Sly Fox. I have seen understudies for most major roles in the Lion King as well. In 1999 I saw the tour of Rent with understudies for Mark and Roger: Matt Caplan and Trey Ellet. All my good stories escape me at the moment.

[zoran912]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:32pm

I saw Megan Campbell on for Sutton Foster as Millie a few years ago. Phenomenal. I later saw the show in London and definitely missed Ms. Campbell.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:58pm

How often does it happen that someone is a general swing, u/s, and regular ensemble in a show? Because if I'm reading Kevin Kern's bio on the website for The Wedding Singer correctly, he's a swing and the u/s George & Glen. But he's also regular ensemble because I saw him in pictures from the press preview.

I thought the fact that he was swing for all 5 roles in Altar Boyz was impressive! Geeze.. this is just kind of over the top.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:19pm

Kenita (insert last name here) does a fabulous job as Celie in The Color Purple

[Rebekah]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 8:02pm

The two times I saw Woman in White, Lisa Brescia(sp) was in for Maria Friedman (whom I saw in London and was awesome).

Since I didn't get to tell you personally Lisa, I'll tell you here! You were fantastic and made the show very enjoyable for me!!! Best of luck in all your undertakings!!!

[Doogie]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 8:54pm

Woman In White has a slew of great understudies, not just Brescia. Michael Shawn Lewis, the u/s for Walter, was a principal in Phantom.

Elena Shaddow, the u/s for Laura, and Linda Mugleston, understudy extraordinaire, are two of my favorite performers EVER, regardless of understudy status or not.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 9:01pm

*Kenita Miller

[dreaminaret]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 9:08pm

Saw Rent with Justin Brill as Mark for the first time (he's a Swing and usually on for Gordon)... def better than Mark Caplan, and at least up to par with Trey Ellet (and leaps & bounds better than Joey Fatone). Also the understudy for Angel in August was really good but the name slips me.

[kyguy78]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 9:35pm

May be a little off topic, but I was just curious if anyone saw Laura Bell Bundy when she was the Glinda understudy in "Wicked?" Just wondering how my fellow Kentuckian did!

[Billboard Girl]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:10pm

When I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels last week, Jason Gillman was in for Norbert and gave an absolutely fantastic performance.

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:29pm

I saw Maureen Moore go on as Rose in GYPSY during Bernadette Peter's vacation. Not only was it the greatest performance I've ever seen given by a stand-by but it was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen in my life! She was glorious and she belted the hell out of it. What a beautiful voice that woman has. Her "Rose's Turn" and the monolgue that preceded it had a poignancy that I'd never seen before. And I've seen a lot of GYPSYS! Ms. Moore is a helluva pro.

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:38pm

I saw LBB in Wicked and thought she was very good also she was very nice afterwards, her mother was there and she introduced me and we talked. great performance and very nice at stage door.

[OddExoticCreature]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 10:50pm

I'd be petrified to be an understudy. I have a lot of respect for them.

[Plum]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 11:14pm

Kenita Miller seems to be making a mini-career out of understudying LeChanze, but I saw her in Ragtime as well as Dessa Rose and can say she's honestly fantastic in her own right.

And though no one was out when I saw the show, I bow to the amazing standbys in Sweeney Todd. Covering multiple roles (and instruments) in that intricately choreographed production is a tremendous task.

[way_to_spend_the_day]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 12:34am

How can anyone have a doubt in their mind as the the awesomeness of understudies after the Spelling Bee Understudies video?? Which I am still addicted to...

I really give a hand to all the understudies, who not only have to know what to do and when to do it and where to be at what time, they have to face the criticisms and prejudice from the audience simply because they are an understudy.

Anyone know how understudies are treated by their fellow actors in a Broadway production? I assume they'd be respected by those who are in the cast with them, but I know that's DEFINATELY not the case with regional theatre...

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 8:11am

In my performing career, I spent so much time understudying - it's a very difficult and ultimaly very rewarding spot to hold in a show. At first, when I was younger, it would make me mad to get that spot and not the lead (if I felt I was right for it) but then I worked with a director who made me aware that, to him at least, understudies worked harder than anyone else, and that if he cast me in that position, it meant he thought very highly of my talents, my abilities, and my work ethic. From then on, I was thrilled to get understudy parts, and though I often didn't get the chance to show my stuff, when I DID, it ws a feeling unlike anything else in the world.
I give great Kudos to anyone in this business who gets a chance to be an understudy. It means you're relied upon to be able to fill the lead's shoes - and that's a heavy responsibility when you're also playing character parts and/or in the chorus.
Applause, to all you fine understudies out there!

[Color and Light]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:09am

My favorite, favorite understudy moment had to been when I saw Cabaret back in the fall of 2003. Jon Secada was playing the Emcee but was out that day, and we had Vance Avery, who had been in the company since the revival opened. He was positively amazing - which was a pleasant surprise for the friend I saw it with, since she had already seen Jon Secada in the role and was more than underwhelmed. Fabulous.

The best part of the night had to be when the Emcee comes out and talks to the audience. When he called out to the very last row in the mezz (where we were), we replied "We love you!" We didn't think he'd hear us, but he gave us this huge grin and said "No, I love *you* more!"

After the show was over, we bolted for the stage door to meet him, we were so taken by Vance. It took him about 45 minutes to come out, but while we were waiting, we talked to a few members of the company and Susan Egan, who was so sweet! Vance finally comes out, and the three of us are the only ones left by the door. Since I was the youngest in our trio, I had to ask if it was him, and he just bursts into this huge grin! He ended up hanging around and talking to us for a good fifteen minutes without us even asking. Told us a good load about the show and all sorts of fun things. And then, towards the end of the conversation, he looked at us and went "... Were you the girls who screamed at me during intermission?" And we were all kind of embarassed to admit it. He then said "That really made my night!"

I think we died. He was so sweet. We got pictures and our Playbills signed, and I'm smiling now just thinking about it.

Vance Avery = the man.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 12:34pm

I saw Rent on Thursday night and Maureen was intially played by Ava Gaudet . Then came the announcement at intermission that the role of Maureen would be played by Karmine Alers (?). She was the most fabulous understudy and made the whoel audience forget that she wasn't in the first act. My friend and I actually wished that she had been the maureen initially because of how fantastic she was!