Understudy's and Standbyes costumes.

[Ready 2 Defy Gravity]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 3:29pm

Do the understudys and standbyes ave their own costumes? Or do they use the main casts costumes?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 3:30pm

On a production contract, they do.

On the tiered contract (Little Women tour, Piazza tour), they don't.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 3:32pm

on one of the recent castcoms some of the cast of "Pirate Qeeun" were getting fitted for theirs.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 7:40pm

Some of Tina Maddigan's frocks came from Macy's!

[Dover]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 8:44pm

It depends, too, on how differently-sized the understudies are from the regular actor. If they can wear the same clothes, or with very little modification, there's less incentive for the producer to pay for another costume. But in some cases the amount of time required to alter the costumes for the understudy exceeds the amount of notice the wardrobe staff might have (i.e. an actor doesn't show up for half hour and suddenly all the costumes have to be altered).

[JLY's Jersey Gal]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 10:27pm

Same thing but different size.

[craftymarley]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:54pm

It depends on the individual show, how different the actors' sizes are, how much money is involved, how long the show has been running, how much skin the clothes touch, etc.

At Wedding Singer, Tina doesn't wear any of Laura's things, but Kevin Kern wears almost all of Stephen's. Matt Stocke has a nearly complete set of Robbie understudy clothes though, even a double Swiss Army watch. The swings don't have a specific costume for each actor they could cover in things like All About the Green or Saturday Night, they just each have one generic costume, which is what a lot of shows do. For awhile some of the swings were wearing the ensemble member costumes when they covered them, for instance Angelique wore Christina's Cyndi Lauper dress until another dress was built for her.

At the Grinch all of the children actually share costumes though, and when the principle adult characters are covered, the ensemble members wear their ensemble costumes and add pieces. But I also know that at Lestat the Claudia standby wore Allison's costumes to cut additional costume costs, and the plan was to continue doing so until she outgrew them, even before we knew how fast it would be closing.

Of course actors can never share shoes and undergarments, which is why many long running Broadway shoes have bags of shoes and undergarments in storage in case actors come back into the show. Any other costume questions, just ask.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:59pm

Thanks for your post crafty!

[AnythingCanHappen]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 2:51am

craftymarley: as a wannabe costumer.... i love you for your knowledge.

[MrAmySpanger]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 3:11am

for wedding singer costumes:
Tina maddigan has all different costumes...and it's kindof funny because the bit wedding dress "this is the dress i was meant to get married in..do you think ill look okay" etc. etc. is a completley different dress form the one she wears in the finale.
Christina Sirvich, understudy for the same role, uses tina's costumes, and theyre apperantly too big so they are pinned.....alot.
For holly: cara, nicolette, and robyn all use amy's costumes.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 3:26am

Thanks Crafty! I'm glad I'm not the only one any more to answer these kind of questions.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 3:27am

Thanks Crafty! I'm glad I'm not the only one any more to answer these kind of questions.

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 7:50am

quick "thinking" question: in WEDDING SINGER there are two different dresses, the one she wants to get married in, and the one she actually gets married in to Robbie...well, has it ever been considered that maybe she wanted a different dress, since the other one she picked out was supposed to be for Glen? haha, just a RANDOM thought...

[marypoppsfan!]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 8:28am

it wicked katie adams has her on as does saycon, but saycon shares with brandi and katie shares with heather spre and megan sikora and sarah jane verman

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 9:05am

Perhaps things have changed in recent years, but it wasn't that long ago that understudies usually wore the same costumes as the regular actor, even in the case of understudies for leads. Presumably, in cases where this wouldn't work at all, they didn't, but often last-minute adjustments would have to be made by the wardrobe people.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 11:38am

Sometimes they do. When I went for Jersey Boys in August, both John and Christian were out and Michael and Dominic went on for them. Dominic started out in some of the same costumes that Christian wears but I think around the beginning of Act II they were different, whereas Michael was in the same costumes for John and they were probably John's cause they looked a litte too big for Michael. Matthew Scott went on for Michael and the Pesci costume for him looked too big. So, I think it depends.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 12:06pm

When I went to Behind The Emerald Curtain for Wicked, we were told that in that particular show, everyone had their own costumes. But that it was a rarity to be in a show where that happens. However, because Wicked is raking it in, it is a show that can afford to give everyone their own costume.
Updated On: 11/26/06 at 12:06 PM

[actor]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 12:22pm

I remember than when I saw Shoshana as a standby, she was wearing Idina's wig...and looked like she was drowning in it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 12:44pm

The sad truth is when you get down to the chorus members' swings and replacements, they are often cast because they fit the costumes.

That happened to a friend of mine (who had done a couple of Broadway shows), when he was up for a chorus replacement in the original "42nd Street." It came down to him and one other guy for the job, and the other guy got it because he fit the costumes already. They actually told my friend that, after his final callback. In a show like that one, where the chorus has several costly costumes, I guess it makes sense, even if the other guy doesn't dance "quite as well." If he's good enough, the truth is it will play a part in the decision-making.

I dare say you wouldn't find that happening with featured or principle roles... at least I would HOPE not!

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 12:54pm

"The sad truth is when you get down to the chorus members' swings and replacements, they are often cast because they fit the costumes.

That happened to a friend of mine (who had done a couple of Broadway shows), when he was up for a chorus replacement in the original "42nd Street." It came down to him and one other guy for the job, and the other guy got it because he fit the costumes already. They actually told my friend that, after his final callback. In a show like that one, where the chorus has several costly costumes, I guess it makes sense, even if the other guy doesn't dance "quite as well." If he's good enough, the truth is it will play a part in the decision-making."

That probably happens with A Chorus Line too. Those finale costumes cost thousands each.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 1:37pm

Actor, wigs are never shared, as they are considered skin parts, meaning, they touch the actors skin, thereby soaking up sweat. If, in case of an emergency, and they must wear the same wig, it has to be washed and re-styled before hand.

[Chris T]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 2:13pm

When Patti LuPone was Norma Desmond in London, on the first occasion she was indisposed the understudy Norma, Carol Duffy, was on her holiday and Alisa Endlsey, who at the time was second cover, had to go on. There were no costumes for her at all and the wardrobe department had to adapt all of Patti's constumes to fit her at very short notice.

[Producer2]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 2:33pm

Do the "Chicago" costumers keep every costume from the hundreds of stars and ensemble members who have been in the show for the past ten years? Are they recycled for other performers? Do they hold on to some in case the performer returns to the role?
ex. Charlotte? Bebe back in the day?

[JoeGillis]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 2:39pm

In the original b'way production of Rent - the Mimi's understudy (Shayna Steel, Simone, Yasmine) boots were snake skin vs. the traditional leapord . The Maureen's understudy (Kristen Lee Kelly's) shoes were blue platforms w/ checkered bottoms vs. Idina's white shoes and the Joanne understudy costumes were different than Freddies. I think Gille's sweater for when he understudied Mark was different.

Updated On: 11/26/06 at 02:39 PM

[thejcm]

Posted: 11/26/06 at 5:30pm

Also in RENT (only on Broadway), the same kimono for Mimi has been used for every actress playing the part.