Worst Understudy Ever?- Page 3

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/23/05 at 11:02pm

He had a lovely singing voice, but when Boq says "Missss Galinda, I had feelingsss for you..." you kinda don't believe him.

[chickenlover]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:21am

I had the pleasure of seeing Linda Mugleston play Ruth in WT and her regular role of Violet. She looks like she has a scowl on her face because she is playing a drunken prostitute. Is she supposed to have a big grin on her face? Does that equal a good performance? I have seen Ms. Mugleston in several shows and have always enjoyed her. Understudies have a tough job...especially those who cover the star in the show. Actors like Linda Mugleston and some of the others who are mentioned on this thread are hired because they are talented and dependable. That is why they work all the time. They deliver while others simply watch from the balcony and then trash them on the internet.

[eslgr8]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:39am

I've seen many understudies and truth be told I can't think of one that was bad. It is disappointing, though, not to see the regular performer. I don't mind it so much if I've already seen the show, though. It's fun to compare the performances, and also to see the new dynamic which takes place when one of the actors is different.

[grownupgroupie]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:44am

I think Bronx is referring to Derrick Williams, who was the u/s for Fiyero. Too bad he/she didn't like him--he's going to be Fiyero on the tour as well.

[Popular]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:39am

I saw the u/s for Tracy (Hairspray) over the holidays and she was great! I'm always glad when an u/s get a chance to shine. It must be nerve racking knowing that people are going to be disappointed to see you instead of the regular star they came to see. I think I mentioned this already but a friend of mine u/'d Sutton Foster in Millie and when she went on she was awesome (so I've heard - live in L.A. so couldn't see her) but I'm sure she was terrified, being really young and just out of high school in her B'way debut.

Anyway, go understudies!!! More power to them! :)

[Janki]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 8:06am

Gurpret Singh as Sweetie-U/S in Bombay Dreams in London....last name Singh...ironic, cause he couldn't!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 8:10am

She plays other roles besides Violet. She's the cleaning lady, a villager, etc. She is always scowling.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 8:22am

popular- was your friend Megan Campbell? I saw her go on and she was FANTASTIC!

[sassypanz]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 8:46am

Julie Hanson (phantom)- Cute but her voice shakes like a polaroid camera.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 9:04am

Couldn't stand Saycon as AIDA and didn't like Matt Bogart as Radames.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 9:19am

AIDA is a bad show to begin with, so if it doesn't have top notch performers, it will always be excruciating. It only works with a Heather Headley, or a Sherie Scott, or an Idina Menzel. The only Ramades that was better than adequate was Adam. How did that show last so freakin' long?

[Jimmcf]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:43am

Maureen Moore as Norma Desmond (in for Elaine Paige). I had seen her in 'Falsettos' where she was good, but she was overwhelmed in this show.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:46am

For the most part I enjoy seeing an understudy go on. I saw two different understudies go on for Marin Mazzie in Ragtime and I did not like either one of them.

Updated On: 1/25/05 at 11:46 AM

[Popular]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 12:23pm

Whatyouown - YEP!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 12:29pm

Did any of you see Maureen Moore as Mama Rose?

[chickenlover]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:50pm

I know Linda Mugleston plays other characters in W.T., and I also know that she does not in fact scowl, I do the show with her everynight and I'm sorry that pathetic little broadway credit-less you is sitting up there in the mezz handing out playbills for a dollar a week, whereas we are actually talented and on the stage, somewhere you will never be. If you're going to trash people make sure you don't work at the same theatre they do, or at least don't be stupid enough to tell people that you work there and honestly don't put your pic up if your into bad mouthing..now everyone will know exactly who to NOT hire ever!..way to ruin your career!..have fun ushering for the rest of your life.

[Popular]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:54pm

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn! oopsies. See, that's why I keep my mouth shut.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 12:09am

"I did NOT like Randy Harrison in the role...he's too gay to make me believe he likes Glinda - I thought he was gonna pounce on Fiyero... "

Thank you, you made me feel much better about postponing my trip to see Wicked when he joined the cast. I hated him on Queer as Folk, so I did not want to spend that much money and effort just to suffer through his performance. Sounds like I made a good choice.

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 1:00am

I cannot remember her name (and if I did I prob. wouldn't throw it in here) but JLT's understudy for Urinetown was not well rehearsed. That was truly unfortunate. I felt sory for her; you could tell she didn't have adiquite time to prepare with the cast.

[gravity87]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 1:31am

I cant believe that someone didnt like sean Mccourt as the wizard. grated i never saw joel gray but I saw both sean and george hearn and hearn was terrible in the part, i hated him as the wizard. sean took the part in a tottaly different direction and you could tell that the wizard was a liar, despite looking like a tall uncle fester sean kicked ass

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 1:51am

Oh my god, leave Randy Harrison alone. Just because a guy plays a homo on TV (and yes Im happily aware he's gay in real life) doesnt mean he's always gonna play "gay". And eww, Im gay as well and I would not have "jumped" Norbert Leo Butz if I was hammered. And so what if he's gay? If you take the homos out of musical theatre you're basically gonna be left with John Lithgow. The part of Boq is useless and written to be a pansy anyway. He's a friggin munchkin, do u want him to talk like Barry White?

(Steps down from Podium).

In response to the main question, I saw Darren whatever his name was from Dracula in for Douglas Sills in Little Shop and he was atrocious. It's really bad when the only person laughing at the jokes is the actor himself.

[The Ninth Show]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 2:29am

Absolutely the worst understudy ever is Michael Rawley who understudies Scar in the Lion King tour. This guy isn't even High School quality. Embarrassing to say the least. Who knows how he ever got cast as an understudy to a leading role.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 3:02am

I don't know if it was your friend,Megan Campbell, or not popular - BUT...

I saw an understudy once do the role of Millie Dillmount (it was the Thanksgiving before it closed - so Thanksgiving 2003) and after having seen Sutton 3 other times in the role - this girl was truly GAWD AWFUL! Again, Im sorry if shes your friend - but it was the most lackluster performance given and she sucked the life and energy right out of the show. (UNTIL Gimmie Gimmie - then she got good! Go Figure) Anyway, I'll look at my playbills tomorrow to see who the Understudy indeed was - but she was so bad I was embarresed for the 6 other people I had RAVED to about the show that were visiting and seeing it. Fortunately enough those same people got to come back and see Sutton's final performance as Millie! Now, lets talk about a show :)

Anyway...thats really the only BAD understudy Ive ever encountered. (Well there was that one princess subbing for Mandy Gonzelez in the tour of AIDA - ugh) Most other understudies were good in fact. Didnt see Linda Muggleston in WT - only Donna & Brooke *how I miss Donna in the role* - and Maureen Moore only played about 5 or 6 performances as MAMA ROSE (and to think poor Bernadette was castized for missing that many performances for a 14 month run!

[JLfrom NYC]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 3:16am

Updated On: 1/25/05 at 03:16 AM

[JLfrom NYC]

Posted: 1/25/05 at 3:16am

Ok, I'm just going to throw my two cents in here and say that I don't think people are belittling Randy Harrison for being a gay man playing a straight character. I believe they are saying he came off as playing the role too "gay" - in his inflections, responses to other character, etc. I don't think it's a bash at all--just an opinion about his presence in the role.

Honestly, I'd have to agree with that assessment. Randy's voice is beautiful, and he's a great looking guy--however, in my opinion, he played the role way too passively, and I did not for a second believe that he was in love with Glinda. The role might be a small one, but I never doubted the character's intentions when Chris Fitz played him.

Others I haven't enjoyed (and this is just my opinion; I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who thought they were great.)

Michelle T. Williams in AIDA (does she ever move her arms? when she speaks? When she sings? when she walks? Ever?) Anyway, she wasn't an understudy--she was a replacement. Even still. Of course, I didn't like AIDA as a whole anyway.

Stacie Lewis as Hope Cladwell (and whoever the understudy for Spencer Kayden was) in URINETOWN. I saw three or four understudies the first time I saw Urinetown, and none of the jokes came across because none of the characters came across. The songs were flat. The character choices were odd. Particularly, I remember despising Hope Cladwell as a character, and then seeing URINETOWN with JLT, and really loving the character. I think the problem was that the understudies just didn't have a grasp on how the parts should be played. Not surprising; understudies don't perform the role 8 times a week.

Laura Bell Bundy as Glinda in WKD. (In this case, you just can't play Kristin Chenoweth playing Glinda. It doesn't work. I think that's why JLT is very sucessful in the role; she takes on what's written and then makes it her own.)

On a MORE POSITIVE NOTE, some of the best I've seen:

Carolee Carmello as Penelope Pennywise in URINETOWN (not an understudy, but as a replacement, she's fantastic.)

Susan Egan as Sally Bowles in CABARET (again, a great replacement.)

Susan Egan as Millie in TMMILLIE (I really do adore the way Susan sings, among other things.)

JLT as Glinda in WKD (could they have picked a funnier gal?)

Snow-Wilson (I forget her first name) as Audrey in LITTLE SHOP. In this case, I thought she was far superior to Kerry Butler in terms of character and vocal styling.