Understudy-Palooza Weekend- Page 3

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 5/29/18 at 11:20pm

Both Patti Murin & Caissie Levy were out of FROZEN tonight.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 5:38pm

After seeing Band’s Visit, I was planning on visiting Christy Altomare. I stopped by at the theater and she and a ton of people were out.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 9:31pm

https://instagram.com/p/Bja7v7GDVuC/

Just wanted to point out how every cast member being in at Hamilton Chicago is such a rarity, that Montego Glover just posted on Instagram about it. Every Hamilton company seems to have problems with this...

[anislander]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 9:45pm

According to my brother who was at the show tonight, Renée Fleming’s understudy went on in Carousel halfway through Act 2.

[S394206H]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 9:49pm

I know that a whole bunch of Broadway actors are taking their vacations this week- like half the cast of Spongebob alone seems to have been out the past few days. I guess some are using their vacation time now and others are gearing up for the crazy summer months that they have coming up.

[C4b2a3b]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 11:25pm

S394206H said: "I know that a whole bunch of Broadway actors are taking their vacations this week- like half the cast of Spongebob alone seems to have been out the past few days. I guess some are using their vacation time now and others are gearing up for the crazy summer months that they have coming up."

That's really good to know. My assumption was that producers and Tony nominees would want to perform for Tony voters. If I remember correctly from last year, voting continues until 2 days prior to the performance. Have the rules changes for 2018?

Updated On: 5/31/18 at 11:25 PM

[Elegance101]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 11:38pm

S394206H said: "I know that a whole bunch of Broadway actors are taking their vacations this week- like half the cast of Spongebob alone seems to have been out the past few days. I guess some are using their vacation time now and others are gearing up for the crazy summer months that they have coming up."

But why would anyone in Spongebob be calling out right before the Tonys? Especially ES and GL.

[Oak2]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 11:47pm

From the original post there seems to be a statement implying that holiday weekends is normally when a lot of actors take off/understudies come in. Is this really true? If so I guess I got really lucky - both of my last two Broadway trips were on holiday weekends - Labor Day Weekend 2016 and Memorial Day Weekend 2017. Saw 5 shows both times, and there were almost no major understudies except for one, which admittedly was a disappointment - in the Labor Day trip I saw Aladdin but Jonathan Freeman, the one I most wanted to see, was out, but I think that was more my fault for choosing a matinee since I guess he tends to take matinees off on 2-show days? But other than Freeman I don't recall any understudies at all, at least not for the big-name roles. 

[charityhopevalentine2]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 1:31am

Listen, I don't blame Ethan for calling out a few times during the week. Spongebob is probably the most physically demanding role on Broadway ATM. Reminder that actors are humans too and need to take care of themselves! 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 1:37am

Uh...not even the slightest... but sure... I just wonder, if a part is too much for someone to perform 8x a week why not have an alternate? Like Dolly. Nothing wrong with it. These shows are becoming more and more difficult. No one wants to do Dewey in School of Rock 8x a week. It's rough. Although, hats off to Angels in American and Harry Potter casts because they're all doing tremendous work and not phoning it in and that is DIFFICULT. 

[charityhopevalentine2]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 1:43am

RippedMan said: "if a part is too much for someone to perform 8x a week why not have an alternate? Like Dolly. Nothing wrong with it."

I agree, I think they should hire a Spongebob alternate after the Tony's.

 

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 6:18am

Elegance101 said: "S394206H said: "I know that a whole bunch of Broadway actors are taking their vacations this week- like half the cast of Spongebob alone seems to have been out the past few days. I guess some are using their vacation time now and others are gearing up for the crazy summer months that they have coming up."

But why would anyone in Spongebob be calling out right before the Tonys? Especially ES and GL."

Ethan and Gavin haven't been calling out lately. In fact, Gavin hasn't been out for a month or two. S394206H is over exaggerating, there were only 4-5 cast members out recently and they were all ensemble members with the exception of Brian Ray Norris (Krabs). 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 10:44am

RippedMan said: "I don't get why they don't just start double casting Anna and Elsa. It's going to be a constant slew of people calling out. That's a tough role to sing if you aren't "feeling it" that day."

 

Not "feeling it"?  It's their job to "feel it" onstage whether they do or not.  Do you have a job?  If so, try calling your boss tomorrow morning and tell him you won't be coming in because you're "not feeling it".  Let us know how that works out for you!

 

[ActorGuyIL]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 11:33am

I've seen plenty of understudies in my day and only once have I ever been disappointed in a performance. In the 90's I saw a tour of Miss Saigon in Boston where the dance captain went on as Thuy and couldn't even remotely sing the role. I was flabbergasted that he would get the assignment.

Best understudy ever was Vance Avery who went on for Donny Osmond in Joseph many times in Chicago. He was phenomenal, but I felt sorry at how hard he had to work to win the audience over once the announcement was made that he would be on. Do ANY productions do that live announcement any more?

 

Updated On: 5/31/18 at 11:33 AM

[S394206H]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 12:32pm

taylortrensch said: "Elegance101 said: "S394206H said: "I know that a whole bunch of Broadway actors are taking their vacations this week- like half the cast of Spongebob alone seems to have been out the past few days. I guess some are using their vacation time now and others are gearing up for the crazy summer months that they have coming up."

But why would anyone in Spongebob be calling out right before the Tonys? Especially ES and GL."

Ethan and Gavin haven't been calling out lately. In fact, Gavin hasn't been out for a month or two. S394206H is over exaggerating, there were only 4-5 cast members out recently and they were all ensemble members with the exception of Brian Ray Norris (Krabs)."

 

I was exaggerating, yes, but only because I think that many cast members being out at one time is a little ridiculous, even if they aren't principal characters. It's definitely not my place to judge when people take their vacations/ call out, since I don't know their lives and schedules, but I do think this is an odd time for a lot of people to call out of a show at the same time.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 12:34pm

“Not feeling it” might have been referring to Myron’s post about her anxiety causing her to call out...

[Gypsy_Mamma<3]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 1:44pm

Looks like understudy weekend is continuing into this week. Grey Hansen was out last night, with Demarius R Copes on for Damien. Hearing he is on again tonight. 

Updated On: 5/31/18 at 01:44 PM

[schubox]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 1:45pm

ActorGuyIL said: "I've seen plenty of understudies in my day and only once have I ever been disappointed in a performance. In the 90's I saw a tour of Miss Saigon in Boston where the dance captain went on as Thuy and couldn't even remotely sing the role. I was flabbergasted that he would get the assignment.

Best understudy ever for Vance Avery who went on for Donny Osmond in Joseph many times in Chicago. He was phenomenal, but I felt sorry at how hard he had to work to win the audience over once the announcement was made that he would be on. Do ANY productions do that live announcement any more?

"

Doesn’t Hamilton do live announcements? Or at least I think I remember hearing one 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 1:57pm

The only time I’ve ever heard of a live announcement is when there’s something really last minute and it’s too late to stuff the programs. In my experience, Hamilton stuffs the programs with a full cast list of that specific performance, whether understudies are going on or not.