When a situation happens during a play....

Posted: 9/3/06 at 3:02pm

I was just wondering, when(or if ever) a situation happens during a broadway (or off Broadway play) such as a sickness in the family, accident, (or death), can the actors of the play just leave right than and there and the under study takes over for them? How does that work?

Updated On: 9/3/06 at 03:02 PM

[TomMonster]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 3:04pm

Yup! Understudies/stand-bys can replace at anytime during the peformance.

I've seen it a few times. During Shogun when the set fell on top of the lead. During Spamalot when Patsy got sick. Other times too, but I can't recall. I'm sure others will chime in soon.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 3:05pm

Constantly when Melanie B. was in RENT.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 3:10pm

Idina's fall, anybody?

[Parks]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 3:30pm

Idina getting sick Act I--Eden taking over for act 2.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 3:56pm

Bernadette getting physically sick during "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun" in AGYG, walking offstage, coming back on trying again, walking off again, the curtain closing and Valerie Wright coming on 15 minutes later. She was apparently brilliant.

[Chenofan #1]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 4:56pm

I saw The Nutcracker and the lead threw up all over the stage. It was the last performance, and she refused to leave until the end of the act, so all through the first act, she kept throwing up. I had to look away, because I would have thrown up too if I saw it.

I felt so bad for her. She did good, even though she kept upchucking all over every 5 minutes.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 5:04pm

When we saw Beauty , the actor playing the Gaston was replaced in act 2 with his understudy . No explanation was given

[mrcacou]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 5:34pm

When I saw Tarzan last Thursday, they made an announcement during intermission that Jane would be played by the understudy in Act II.

[boxers7]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 5:43pm

mr - I was there too. Although it looked to me like it was the understudy in Act One too, only Jen called out too late to put a slip in.

[mrcacou]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 5:46pm

I sat on the third row, which is way to close by the way. It was not the same actress in act one and two. May she got as bored as I and decided to go home.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 7:03pm

During the early run of RENT on Broadway, Daphne lost her voice towards the end of "Out Tonight". She bravely continued the whole scene that followed it, which was painful to witness (you could FEEL her pain). When the next Mimi scene came on, her understudy took over. Since this switch was in mid-performance, the "for the remainder of the show, the role of Mimi will be performed by..." was done at the start of Act 2.

During the short Broadway run of BIG, the lead actor playing the kid was replaced by his understudy in Act 2 -- they gave the standard 'replacement' announcement at the start of Act 2. BUT the original actor came back to finish Act 2, which was a bit confusing. What was admirable was that for the curtain call, both actors shared their curtain call.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 8:23pm

some instances i know of;

daniel davis in a preview of la cage, very early in the show announced that he was unable to perform and his understudy would be on in a few minutes (the full story involves harvey fierstein going up and doing some audience interaction while the understudy, since it was previews and he had no rehearsals for the role, was being crashed coursed on the choreography behind the curtain)

marissa jaret winoker hurt her leg during "mama i'm a big girl now" and was replaced

natalie belcon left avenue q before "special" and the announcement before act 2 was "from the cafe scene onward the role of gray coleman was and will be played by..."

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 8:30pm

When I saw the national tour of "Hairspray" in March, Keala Settle performed the role of Tracy for Act 1. She was utterly fantastic, and I was very happy with her performance. Intermission went over by about ten minutes, so I had a feeling something was wrong.

Eventually, the conductor popped out of the orchestra pit and apologized for the delay. An announcement was made that for the remainder of the performance, the role of Tracy would be played be Christine Dannelson (Keala's standby,) and right away the music started and the show went on. Christine ended up being just as great as Keala, but it was deffinetly an experience to see one role played by two different actors over the course of the same show.

Updated On: 9/3/06 at 08:30 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 9/3/06 at 8:31pm

Woops. Double post.

Updated On: 9/3/06 at 08:31 PM

[OtherDaryl]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:31am

Let's see if I get this right - Illinois Shakespeare Festival - Juliet running backstage mid-show, trips over a pipe, breaks nose and u/s goes on with book. U/S played Juliet for the opening.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 8:50am

John Tartaglia left after finishing "Purpose" and Barrett took over at a performance a couple months into the run.

As most of you know, more recently, John Lloyd Young started JERSEY BOYS and left about 15 minutes into Act I and Michael Longoria took over. It was a Saturday matinee.

I believe this happened several times when Linda Lavin was in GYPSY.

Updated On: 9/4/06 at 08:50 AM

[kenmarksnj]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 9:48am

yeah and actually the john lloyd young thing happened again last friday.

he no longer performs any matinee shows.

[dramaparoxysm23]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 10:12am

Are the understudies usually in the chorus? And then a swing would have to replace the understudy...so are there actors sitting backstage at every performance, hoping for something to do?

Updated On: 9/4/06 at 10:12 AM

[pab]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 10:21am

More in this thread

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 10:22am

Why did it happen constantly when Mel B was in the Rent cast? (Brilliant casting.)

Posted: 9/4/06 at 3:04pm

What about in a situation if someone's wife/girlfriend is about to give birth, can their boyfriend/husband just leave the stage?
Updated On: 9/4/06 at 03:04 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 5:06pm

"Why did it happen constantly when Mel B was in the Rent cast? (Brilliant casting.)"

You're being funny, right? David Hasselhoof as The Phantom would be better casting than that debacle!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/4/06 at 5:12pm

I was there for the Daniel Davis incident and it's something I'll never forget. He stopped mid-"With You On My Arm." The audience had no idea it wasn't part of the show when he yelled for the orchestra to stop. John Hillner got his crash course in choreography while Harvey did a stand-up/Q&A session. When they returned to the stage, Gary Beach started off with "Ladies and Gentlemen, meet my new husband!"

Hillner was phenominal for having no rehearsal. He was visibly uncomfortable for Act One, but looked like he'd been doing it for years in Act Two. Gary made a very nice speech following the show.

Posted: 9/7/06 at 9:12am

To Drama,

I just noticed your avatar of Steve I. It's still a shock that he's gone.