What happened to the Grease cast tonight?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:21pm

I stopped in to the box office at about 6:40 tonight (on my way to 39 Steps) to pick up a ticket for Friday night (I've been avoiding seeing this...but now it's the last show of the season I've yet to see).

Anyway, I happened to notice the understudy board for tonight. There were understudies on in the following roles:

Roger
Doody
Jan
Marty
Patty
Teen Angel
Miss Lynch
Hand Jive Specialist

They actually ran out of room on the understudy board. They had signs that someone made on the computer taped to the wall for a couple of them.

I can't imagine the producers would schedule that many vacations at one time. Is there a strain of yellow fever going through the cast? Do they not believe attendance to be compulsory?
Updated On: 4/29/08 at 10:21 PM

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:22pm

That sucks.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:30pm

Ha...adamgreer, all I can say is it doesn't matter if they put Jennifer Holliday, Patti LuPone, and Bernadette Peters in this piece of crap, it's still gonna suck. Can't wait to hear what you thought of it. It's without a doubt, the worst show I've seen in the last two years or so.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:32pm

That sucks.

That = Grease

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:35pm

Did they even have enough understudies and swings to go around?!

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:36pm

They could've gotten some of the set pieces to play the roles, there wouldn't have been much difference.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:37pm

I was wondering that....I didn't take note of the performers going on. I honestly don't know. I'm sure the ensemble was short a few members tonight, at the very least.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:56pm

These were regular roles that were replaced by understudies? Or are some of these bumped up, therefore they have understudies?

Bizarre.

Although, pneumonia has been going around!

[misto625]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 12:59am

Wow!! Anybody have a picture of the sub-board? I would love to have seen this (both the board and the actual performance for the fun of it).

[beyonddizzy31]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 1:47am

I knew something was up! I work across the street from that theatre and know practically the whole cast, who usually comes into my Sbux for their pre-show jolt of caffeine. I didn't see one cast member tonight, which I thought was bizarre.

Would it have anything to do with the Easter Bonnet competition?

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 10:10am

Grease didn't perform in the easter bonnet.

With the exception of the Hand Jive Specialist, none of the actors in those roles are understudies.

[4thRowAsile]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 10:16am

Doesn't say when it was...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=27270

Laura Osnes who has the starring role of Sandy in the Broadway production of Grease and her Pink Ladies and T-Birds performed some of the the musical revival's hit songs, including "Hand Jive" in which they lead the spectators in an interactive "Hand Jive" contest at NBA Jam.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 11:18am

"With the exception of the Hand Jive Specialist, none of the actors in those roles are understudies. "

Then why were they listed on the understudy board? Are they replacements whose names and biographies haven't made it into the Playbill yet?

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 11:31am

"Then why were they listed on the understudy board? Are they replacements whose names and biographies haven't made it into the Playbill yet?"

Do you know what an understudy board is? It is placed up at a performance listing roles currently being played by understudies. It is not a listing of the show's understudies. Cast replacements can be listed on the understudy board. If they aren't in the program they also receive a full-page insert. They are more likely to be on the understudy board when they begin performances prior to their scheduled first performance.

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 11:42am

4thRowAsile- that NBA Hand Jive event was last week Thurs 4/24, part of "Broadway Day" (inasmuch as Grease + Legally Blonde = Broadway Day) at the NBA Store-
nba store spring jam offers free events for the family during spring recess

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 11:56am

"Do you know what an understudy board is? It is placed up at a performance listing roles currently being played by understudies. It is not a listing of the show's understudies. Cast replacements can be listed on the understudy board. If they aren't in the program they also receive a full-page insert. They are more likely to be on the understudy board when they begin performances prior to their scheduled first performance. "

I'm well aware. I was responding to a post from shesamarshmallow. All of the roles I originally listed were up on the board last night, indicating they were being played by someone other than the listed performer.

[brandonm2]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 2:27pm

This reminds me of when I went to see ACL last march and their were understudies for Cassie, Mike, Val, Diana, Connie and Don

[gottadance2]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 2:45pm

It's a shame that no one was there. If anyone knows the cast list from last night, I think some of us would love to know who was on for who. how crazy!

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 4:10pm

Reminds me when I saw the Les Mis revival for the first time. There was an understudy for all the leads except Fantine which was Lea Salonga at the time(who's the only reason I went). It was the best show that I saw out of the 5 times that I've seen it with exception of the last show.

[stagescreen]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 4:16pm

They could have hired additional vacation swings if that many people are out on vacation, or it could have been a pre-planned show to test out different actors covering roles (i.e. Annaleigh Ashford's one-shot at covering Elle Woods last year.)

Also, let's not forget the nasty incubator of disease that backstage can be...if one person gets sick, they all get sick.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/30/08 at 4:19pm

I think the kid who plays the Hand Jive Specialist is one of the contestants on that dance show with Elizabeth Berkley. I haven't watched it and I forget the name of it.