Why isn't Josefina Scaglione not the mistress in Evita? — Page 2

^ You probably haven't been around here long enough to know that the "racist" comment is a running joke.

It's used all the time now since there have been so many threads on the subject and so many people up in arms about it.

And by the way, your comment was racist.

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DOH!

Oh, for crap's sake.

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"I heard Jessica Lea Patty is the Eva alternate. If not, she's first understudy."

She may indeed be the first understudy, however I know that she is not the alternate.

It used to be that if you played only one role in a show, you were on a principal contract. If you doubled as ensemble or played more than one role, you could (and usually did) go on a chorus contract.

Example: "Big River." Only Huck, Jim, the Duke, and the King were on Equity principle contracts on Broadway (the OBC). Everyone else was on a chorus contract, because they all doubled up on roles or in the ensemble.

So if the actress playing the Mistress doesn't double as ensemble, she can be on a Principal contact. Otherwise, it's chorus.

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Updated On: 7/30/11 at 04:49 PM

Jessica Lea Patty is terrifically talented, and has proved herself understudying principal roles from show to show to show the last few years. Given her substantial dance abilities and history in the chorus, though, it makes more sense that she'd be the understudy in the ensemble rather than the alternate.

I feel like the alternate is going to be someone who has a little more professional weight, though I certainly think Patty is destined to break out of the chorus soon. She just needs to stop taking chorus jobs if she wants to change the industry perception of herself. She's too good not to.

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adamgreer---there are exceptions to every rule, and producers can bend the rules and negotiate with Equity.

Producers generally want to keep the number of principal contracts to a minimum for a musical, because the minimum salaries are less for chorus. There are a few other differences as well between the contracts, but salary is the main concern. Equity is pretty clear that if you're playing only one role, you're a principal. It has less to do with your stage time and more to do with the fact that you're being hired for just one part. So producers love to make sure actors double up in at least one more scene, making them candidates for chorus contracts. It happens all the time. Still, when there are agents involved along with actors' egos, rules can be broken. But at least Equity won't fight the producers about it, if the performer is playing multiple parts. It's considered "ensemble" at that point (aka chorus contract).

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It's like she couldn't make up her mind on a first name and just checked the box marked "all of the above." Then walked away, thinking she was done.

Or thinking she was Cher.

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Bus & truck or first national?

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I actually heard that she was cast as the role and then had to turn it down.

somethingwicked: she was most likely offered the u/s to the role, however, the alternate is a relatively unknown and not someone with a lot of industry clout.

Does anyone know if the EVITA choreography on the Kennedy Center tribute to Sir Andy is the same as the show? I'm assuming it is because Spencer is dancing next to Elena. Also, are there any more clips about of the choreography? It looks a little like a tango, but not much and all those kicks! Mary Murphy would be all over their ass.