Understudy vs Standby vs Swing vs Alternate

[bwguyhottie]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 10:30am

Can someone define the difference for me? I hadnt even heard of the term alternate until I read "Making it on Broadway" last week.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 10:35am

An alternate is an understudy who has scheduled appearances every week. For example, when Lea Salonga was in Miss Saigon on Broadway, she was on a 6 show contract. The other 2 shows were performed by her alternate and were always the same shows (In Lea's case I think it was the Wednesday matinee and Saturday evenings). The other 3 roles have been explained on her numerous times and I am sure others will be able to explain it better than me.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 10:37am

Understudy means the actor also has another, smaller role or is in the chorus.

Standby plays no role other than "standing by" in case the person they are standing by for cannot perform. In unusual cases, an understudy for a lead can get the standby billing, but it's not the same thing. I had a friend who had standby billing even though she played a role in the same show...it was in lieu of more money.

Swing understudies chorus parts.

Alternate plays certain shows of the week - used for very demanding lead roles, or lead roles played by children, i.e., Secret Garden - Daisy Eagan was billed as Mary Lennox, but Kimberly Mahon played Mary on Wednesday and Saturday matinees.

[broadwaybaby654]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 10:39am

Another good example is Christine in POTO.

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 10:40am

Understudy is usually an ensemble member who learns a specific role(s) in case of something happening to one of the lead performers.

Standby is usually hired when there is a star vehicle (i.e Hugh Jackman in 'the Boy from Oz' or whoever is playing the title role in AIDA). The standby's chance of going on are slim, I think Hugh Jackman's original stand-by left the show because he never went on because Hugh has done every show.

Swing is a person who, at any given time and at any performance, can appear in whatever role is needed. A guy I know was in the tour of "Annie" with Jane Connell and Gary Beach, and was a swing and u/s Rooster. As a swing, he appeared in numerous chorus roles (and one night, even appeared as Mrs. Pugh!!!!)

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 11:07am

How do they decide who goes on, the understudy or the stand-by?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 11:07am

Standby is the first person in line. If they are sick or unavailable, then the understudy goes on.

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 11:13am

Thank you Rathnait

[basketcase]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 12:08pm

As far as deciding which understudy will go on (if there are no stand-bys, or if there is more than one understudy and the stand-by is unavailable), that decision is usually left to the stage manager.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 12:34pm

I know this has been answered but I will give my 2 cents.

Understudy - They are usually ensemble members who learn a principle role in the show. They may take over a principle role in the show if the person is on vacation or sick. There might be more than one understudy.

Swing - These people don't normally perform in the show. They may fill in for a vacationing/sick ensemble member and may even have to perform a principle role. They sometimes have to go on at a moment's notice.

Standby - They are like an understudy, except there is not a place for them in the ensemble...they might not fit in because of age. They have to be ready to go on stage if an actor/actress has to leave before the show is over.

Alternate - They perform at certain performances. For example, if the role is quite demanding, one person may perform 6 of the 8 performances a week. The alternate will take on the other two. For example, in Phantom of the Opera, Julie Hanson is the alternate Christine who performs on Monday nights and Wednesday matinees, while Sandra Joseph performs in the other 6 shows.

[Poppy]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 2:10pm

Another good example of "Alternate" is Robert Evan in Jekyll & Hyde. He performed Wednesday and Saturday matinees and Robert Cuccioli performed all the evening shows. When he graduated to the evening shows, Joseph Mahowald became the "Alternate," doing the matinees. When David Hasselhoff was hired as evening man, Mr. Evan returned to the show as an "Alternate." He was "Standby" for Michael Crawford and Rene Auberjonois in the short-lived Dance of the Vampires. He went on once for each actor. Can you imagine learning both roles and not going on at all?

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 3:09pm

A lot of times the understudies or standbys never go on. Hugh Jackman's understudy(I forget his name but I think he was in Bare) never went on. Harvey Firestein's understudy only did the second act once in the two years that he was in the show.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 3:10pm

There's of course never a guarantee that you will go on as an understudy or alternate.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 3:59pm

"There's of course never a guarantee that you will go on as an understudy or alternate".....unless of course you happen to understudy someone who has a rocky attendance record *cough*donna*cough*

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 4:01pm

If a show lasts enough, there's close to one. Also, understudies and standbys (especially) get moved up to the role sometimes. Plus, most people do get sick sometime, and other that BFO, I've never heard of a show cancelling b/c the lead is out.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 7:52pm

DIE THREAD DIE

[Jon]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 8:34pm

Rathnait62 - you cut off the naughty part of your icon!

(For those whio don't know, it's Karen Ziemba in Playboy, back in 1984.)

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/21/04 at 8:38pm

Yes I did Jon!! Just for the avatar...didn't want to cause trouble... Plus I'm just not sure KZ would want her full Playboy pic splashed all over the board whenever I posted. Maybe she would...but I just don't know.

[adotburr]

Posted: 10/12/21 at 11:46am

Digging this one up from its grave since I have a question and didn’t want to start a new thread…

Can an alternate go on outside of their scheduled shows?

For example, let’s say Lana Gordon is scheduled Tuesday evenings and Wednesday matinees each week. But Amber needs to be out Friday evening. Can Lana get the Persephone call for Friday evening or would Friday evening go the the understudy? Or is it discretion if the stage managers?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/12/21 at 11:53am

I've seen it happen in Jersey Boys a few time when the alternate Frankie Valli went on for the six-show Frankie instead of the understudy. I don't know if that was/is more common for that show in particular, though.

[Tag]

Posted: 10/12/21 at 12:14pm

There's so many factors at play in these scenarios.  But I'd think that a true alternate's (not standby) per performance rate would be a lot higher than putting on an understudy at an AEA minimum.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/12/21 at 9:51pm

An alternate is also not on call if they’re not scheduled to perform (that would be a standby). So while possible for them to perform on a different day as scheduled, it would have to be scheduled in advance. Otherwise, they’re not expected to be at the theatre and therefore the understudy or standby would go on.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/12/21 at 10:12pm

adotburr said: "
Digging this one up from its grave since I have a question and didn’t want to start a new thread…

Can an alternate go on outside of their scheduled shows?

For example, let’s say Lana Gordon is scheduled Tuesday evenings and Wednesday matinees each week. But Amber needs to be out Friday evening. Can Lana get the Persephone call for Friday evening or would Friday evening go the the understudy? Or is it discretion if the stage managers?"

Yes. Or, at least, that was my experience back in the 90s. When I worked for Miss Saigon, whenever the principle Kim was scheduled to be out, the alternate performed. This included performing all 8 shows during her vacation week. And the reverse was also true: when the alternate missed, the principle performed. 

Though not alternates, there was one week during Billy Elliot where Trent Kowalik performed all eight performances due to the circumstances of injuries and scheduled absences of the other Billy's. 

And as HeyMrMusic states, the alternate typically is not required to be at the theater on days off, so would only perform during scheduled absences.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 10/13/21 at 10:43am

AnothaPartofMe said: "Standby is usually hired when there is a star vehicle (i.e Hugh Jackman in 'the Boy from Oz' or whoever is playing the title role in AIDA). The standby's chance of going on are slim, I think Hugh Jackman's original stand-by left the show because he never went on because Hugh has done every show."

Wow, I hadn't heard of Kevin Spirtas leaving the show, but I guess when they opted to shut the show down for a week so Hugh could do press for a movie, that straw would've broken my back too.