What is a swing?

[noahrp3]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 4:04pm

I always hear about people being swings in broadway shows and i never knew what it meant.

[commasplice]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 4:10pm

Threads that might help, pulled from the search function...

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=755440

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=447051

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=640456

[jeremykushnier1fan]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 8:27pm

yah...i never knew what it meant either, soo please someone tell moi!!i assume its a dancer or someone in the chours...just a geuss

[MissNY]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:15pm

I never knew either until I was talking to a swing member from Wicked. It means they are understudies for anyone in the show. So basically they have to be able to perfrom any parts. Usually they will take over an ensemble member since most main parts have their own individual understudies

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:34pm

It's a piece of wood or plastic attached by rope or chain to a tree or man-made structure.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:38pm

...like a bedroom ceiling.

[CatieElphie1]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 10:39pm

ha! I get it now...like, they have to be able to "swing" to any part...ha!
Ephiphany, right there.
i'm such a loser

[playbill_signer_05]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 10:54pm

I think a swing is someone who knows all of the chorus rolls so they can fill in for any one of them at any time. Aren't there usually 2 female and 2 male swings?

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 10:59pm

I have a swing on my front porch and we often sit on it on cool summer evenings. Oh wait, maybe that is an understudy on my front porch.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 11:26pm

Haha. I always heard it wasn't a good idea to become a swing unless you wanted to end up doing that a lot. Any swings that have made it out of that and became big stars?

[commasplice]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 11:29pm

Norbert Leo Butz started out as a swing for Rent. That's all I can think of off the top of my head, though.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 12:03am

A swing usually needs to know all of the male or female ensemble tracks...so when an understudy goes on for a lead, the swing takes that spot in the ensemble. I guess you can call them an u/s for the ensemble.