Worst Understudy Ever?- Page 2

[Kris2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:04pm

Just a note. Hope it didn't sound like I was insulting Saycon, Schele or Ta'rea. Just throwing names out there for CapnHook. I think Schele called out when I saw Aida, but I don't remember.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:08pm

The best understudy I ever saw was Carolee standing in for Randy in "City of Angels". Also my second time seeing the show. Randy was better, but it is still the only time when an understudy was just as good as the listed player.

[harris007]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:12pm

carolee was amazing in city of angels, i saw her take over the role when randy left. and the worst undertsudy/replacement came as big shock to me , it was greg ujbara, he was filling in for james naughton in chicago, the night i saw it he flubed 4 lines, marylou henner covered nicely when he flubbed

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:15pm

Greg will be great in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". I just don't see him as Billy.

[zippyjen]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:20pm

Phillup something in rent. I did not like him as collins one bit.

[cturtle]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:21pm

he wasn't the worst understudy ever, but i did NOT like sean mccourt when he stood in for joel grey. i was expecting this cute little old eccentric character, and i got a really tall young guy who was dull and brought nothing special to the role.

[andyf]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:23pm

Hey, back off Michelle T. She may have been really weak and the role may have been clearly too big for her, but at least she hit the F.

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:27pm

saycon deserves everything she gets////sorry if you can't take someone elses performance....I'm sorry Miss Williams was a HORRIBLLY POOR excuse for an AIDA. Updated On: 1/23/05 at 08:27 PM

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:48pm

yeah i cant really think of bad ones, but one of the best was Elizabeth Loyacano in for Melissa Errico in Dracula. i actually saw her twice and the 2nd time she blew me away. Much better than Melissa i thought (especially compared to melissa's later performances- she was holding back a lot when she came back from her "vocal strain" leave)

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:50pm

Hey, Alison, thems fightin' words!

Posted: 1/23/05 at 8:54pm

hahaha im sorry. i do love melissa. she's great!! and she was the sweetest and one of the most intelligent performers ive ever met at the stage door! besides tom hewitt that is.... oh why do i have an inappropriate crush on a 50 yr old gay man?!?! hahaha

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:14pm

Linda Muggleston was the ONLY redeemable quality of Wonderful Town when I saw it last September

[iamemma]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:15pm

i love taye diggs

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:18pm

My vote for worst understudy goes to Mitzie Welch, who undersudied Carol Burnett in FADE OUT-FADE IN (a truly loathesome show). When it was announced that the u/s was going on, everyone expected an actress who somewhat resembled Miss Burnett. In fact, dark-haired chorus girls got applause when they walked across the stage because they somewhat resembled Miss Burnett and we thought they were the u/s. Not so.

Mitzie Welch is a petite blonde who resembled Doris Day and totally lacked Carol Burnett's mugging skills and physical talents. Oh, what a miserable night that was!

[Dextrous Existence]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:19pm

Sebastian Arcelus as Roger in Rent. He was the understudy for that show for a very long time, and he was God awful!

[Feathah]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:19pm

I really feel for understudies/standbys when they go on. They usually don't get a regular shot at the role they understudy and sometimes have very little notcie before they go on. Especially when they are going on in place of a major star.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:25pm

Luckily, I have never seen an understudy perform. I've seen understudies once they have replaced the original star (i.e. Jessica-Snow Wilson replacing Kerry Butler in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, etc.), but I've never had the experience of hearing one of those announcements or having a little paper flutter out of my program.

Although one time, I WAS the name that was announced. Long story short: actor drops out two days before opening night, director reluctantly decides to step in, I find it unacceptable, I offer to step in, I learn the part in a day. This was for a production of THE CRUCIBLE, if you're wondering. It was cool to hear "This evening, the role of Deputy Governor Danforth will be played by Joshua..." and hearing the audience rustling and some oohs and ahhs... pretty cool! Updated On: 1/23/05 at 09:25 PM

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:26pm

I've never seen what I would term a "bad" understudy.

Do you have any idea how difficult that job is? An understudy gets NO rehearsal for the sometimes multiple roles that they are covering. They're expected to do their own job in the show (unless they are a standby, which is a different thing entirely), and go on for an absent performer on a moment's notice. Often, when you see an understudy taking over a role, that is the FIRST TIME they have ever been on stage in that role. They have had NO rehearsal with the cast, just with a stage manager (and usually that is limited to a couple of hours, at best).

I take my hat off to understudies. What they do is unbelievably impressive.

[Justice]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:33pm

Actually, in most shows, the Understudies/Stand-by's/Swings have a seperate rehearsal than the original cast. These rehearsals continue throughout the run.

[teth]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 9:34pm

True. Understudies certainly deserve a lot more credit. But then, if they're bad, they're bad.

I think in recent memory, the only time was when I saw Urinetown the tour twice in SF. The first time I saw it, I got chills in "Run Freedom Run!" when the guy who played Bobby Strong sang the really high notes at the end. The understudy I saw in the next time wasn't just as good.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:15pm

Minor quibble,Alison-Tom Hewitt is 46(ok,so that's close to 50),and also a very handsome & charming man-so your crush isn't that inappropriate,unless you intend to follow up on it.

Otherwise,I'm with Quibbler & Veuve-can't recall any bad understudies,but on the contrary have often found them very pleasant suprises.Loved Mamie Duncan-Gibb...

[DiRrTy_ReNtHEAD420]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:37pm

I thought Michelle Williams was good in AIDA, i didn't see Heather Headly but she sounds fantastic on the album. I did see Cheneye Jackson with Debrah Cox and I though he was great. I was pissed off i didnt get to see Adam P. in the role that night but it was whatever.

I also saw Sebastian Arcelus as Roger in Rent and wanted to shot him in the middle of One Song Glory. And was hoping they would forget to do Light my Candel.

A great understudy I saw was Desten Owens as Collins in for Mark Richard Ford. Desten did the most wonderful rendition of Ill Cover you Reprise. It gave me chills. And I'm glad to see him in the show in that role now!

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:42pm

I HATED seeing Will Chase in Aida. I didn't HATE him, just seeing him. He wasn't bad... I just had been looking forward to Adam Pascal for months and months and months in advance. And I knew that I'd never have a chance to see him in Aida if I didn't that day. When Will Chase was posted on the board as playing Radames that day, I cried.

[wildcat]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:54pm

I've not seen a truly bad understudy but a great many giving a colorless performance which I find equally dismaying. Of course, the toughest gigs are for those who are filling in for a legend...Candace Tovar for Verdon in CHICAGO, Jaqui Maltby for Rivera in CAN-CAN...zzzzz.....
Dolly, why would you expect the understudy to resemble the star? Did Joanne Worley look like Channing in DOLLY? Did Helen Gallagher look like Verdon in CHARITY?

[RENT-head1]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 10:56pm

I wasn't too much of a fan of Dominique Roy playing Mimi in RENT. She had a really pretty voice, but honestly, I didn't feel any emotion from her part whatsoever.

I can't believe some people didn't like Randy Harrison in Wicked! I didn't get to see him onstage unfortunately, but I've heard sound clips and thought his voice was awesome. Maybe I'm biased... I'd have his children if he was straight lol.

Nic