#1
Posted: 11/26/10 at 7:22pm
Has anyone seen De'Adre Aziza as her understudy? Pretty disappointed. Gonna give it a chance.
sherie Rene scott out of women on the verge 11/26
#2
Posted: 11/26/10 at 7:38pm
I would love to see Aziza in the role!
#3
Posted: 11/26/10 at 7:45pm
Who is Aziza's understudy?
#4
Posted: 11/26/10 at 7:47pm
Nina LaFarga and Vivian Nixon.
#5
Posted: 11/26/10 at 9:29pm
Vivian Nixon is amazing!
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
#6
Posted: 11/26/10 at 9:52pm
All my best to De'Adre! She's great as Paulina and I think she'll be great as Pepa, too.
#7
Posted: 11/26/10 at 10:31pm
Weird. Scott was in the matinee today
#8
Posted: 11/27/10 at 12:24am
wow that's wierd.it's possible for two leads in a show to understudy each others parts?I ask because I'm majoring in Musical Theatre but I'm still pretty new to the world of broadway i guess and was just wondering but i bet she would be great as Pepa!
#9
Posted: 11/27/10 at 12:34am
wow that's wierd.it's possible for two leads in a show to understudy each others parts?I ask because I'm majoring in Musical Theatre but I'm still pretty new to the world of broadway i guess and was just wondering but i bet she would be great as Pepa!
Paulina isn't a lead, number one. It's a pretty small role. Number two, they don't understudy each other. Sherie doesn't understudy anyone.
Paulina isn't a lead, number one. It's a pretty small role. Number two, they don't understudy each other. Sherie doesn't understudy anyone.
#10
Posted: 11/27/10 at 2:10am
so did de'Adre Aziza actually go on as Pepa? did anyone see it?
#11
Posted: 11/27/10 at 2:59am
Word on facebook and twitter is that she was fantastic.
I really wish I got to see her!
I really wish I got to see her!
#12
Posted: 11/27/10 at 9:40am
I was there last night. While the show didn't rock me, and I didn't expect it to after recent reviews and posts, I was very happy with Aziza. Basing everything I know about Women on the Verge from the film, I thought she was pretty great. The songs she was given weren't too hot, nor was the rest of the score/book/show.
Benanti was amazing and that was pretty much it. Enjoyed seeing LuPone, Mitchell, and Benanti, and stage again.... So that's pretty much what I've gained from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
And if you do have tickets and Sherie Rene Scott happens to be out, you'll get a respectable performance of not so respectable material.
But if you haven't got tickets, definitely a pass.
Last time I'm paying full price based on speculation and casting...
Benanti was amazing and that was pretty much it. Enjoyed seeing LuPone, Mitchell, and Benanti, and stage again.... So that's pretty much what I've gained from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
And if you do have tickets and Sherie Rene Scott happens to be out, you'll get a respectable performance of not so respectable material.
But if you haven't got tickets, definitely a pass.
Last time I'm paying full price based on speculation and casting...
#13
Posted: 11/27/10 at 10:09am
Weird. Scott was in the matinee today
I heard that Sherie has been ill but, like a trouper, was trying to press on. She finished the matinee but knew that she wouldn't be able to continue for the evening performance. I wonder if de'Adre will be on all weekend while Sherie recovers.
I heard that Sherie has been ill but, like a trouper, was trying to press on. She finished the matinee but knew that she wouldn't be able to continue for the evening performance. I wonder if de'Adre will be on all weekend while Sherie recovers.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#14
Posted: 11/27/10 at 10:41am
[off topic] Jaxel614, were they doing any collections for BCEFA?
#15
Posted: 11/27/10 at 11:17am
"wow that's wierd.it's possible for two leads in a show to understudy each others parts?I ask because I'm majoring in Musical Theatre but I'm still pretty new to the world of broadway i guess and was just wondering but i bet she would be great as Pepa!"
"Paulina isn't a lead, number one. It's a pretty small role. Number two, they don't understudy each other. Sherie doesn't understudy anyone."
Yea, usually cast members with smaller parts are the understudies, and the leads do not cover the smaller roles. A few examples are in In The Heights, Sonny, at least currently, is u/s for Usnavi. The person who plays Usnavi never covers Sonny. Also, Carla covers both Vanessa and Nina, but not the other way around.
The character Francis has a small part in La Cage, but covers both male leads, Georges and Albin. Neither of them understudy his small part. Even though his part has a name, it is nowhere near being a leading role.
"Paulina isn't a lead, number one. It's a pretty small role. Number two, they don't understudy each other. Sherie doesn't understudy anyone."
Yea, usually cast members with smaller parts are the understudies, and the leads do not cover the smaller roles. A few examples are in In The Heights, Sonny, at least currently, is u/s for Usnavi. The person who plays Usnavi never covers Sonny. Also, Carla covers both Vanessa and Nina, but not the other way around.
The character Francis has a small part in La Cage, but covers both male leads, Georges and Albin. Neither of them understudy his small part. Even though his part has a name, it is nowhere near being a leading role.
#16
Posted: 11/27/10 at 11:51am
If someone finds out who is on for both performances today, please us know. Thanks!
#17
Posted: 11/27/10 at 1:46pm
I was there last night as well, and it was my first time seeing the show. I'm pretty much going to echo everything that Jaxel said.
de'Adre Aziza did quite well last night in a role and show that just doesn't live up to any of the incredibly talented people on that stage. I love Sherie Rene Scott, but frankly, de'Adre seems more appropriate in the role. You could tell the cast was extremely supportive of her last night. There were lots of whoops and cheers backstage before and after act 1, and they all gave her a really nice hand at her bow.
I think the biggest problem for me last night was that I was bored, except when Laura Benanti was onstage. I'm agreeing with everyone who says she steals the show completely. She has the best material in the show, and she runs with it.
The other problem was thinking to myself of all those great actors on that stage who have played such great, iconic roles who are now reduced to doing this. To think that Brian Stokes Mitchell has played Fred, Cervantes/Don Quixote, and Coalhouse, and is practically singing lounge songs now seems so....odd? I normally don't like Patti LuPone, but thought she was actually quite good last night. She played it straight without giving her normal inflections, or weird diction.
The audience response was pretty tepid last night, with the exception of only 2 songs. It really is kind of sad to think what the show could have been, but not everything can be perfect.
Also, to the person who asked, after the curtain came down, Danny Burstein spoke to the audience about giving BC/EFA donations at the exits.
de'Adre Aziza did quite well last night in a role and show that just doesn't live up to any of the incredibly talented people on that stage. I love Sherie Rene Scott, but frankly, de'Adre seems more appropriate in the role. You could tell the cast was extremely supportive of her last night. There were lots of whoops and cheers backstage before and after act 1, and they all gave her a really nice hand at her bow.
I think the biggest problem for me last night was that I was bored, except when Laura Benanti was onstage. I'm agreeing with everyone who says she steals the show completely. She has the best material in the show, and she runs with it.
The other problem was thinking to myself of all those great actors on that stage who have played such great, iconic roles who are now reduced to doing this. To think that Brian Stokes Mitchell has played Fred, Cervantes/Don Quixote, and Coalhouse, and is practically singing lounge songs now seems so....odd? I normally don't like Patti LuPone, but thought she was actually quite good last night. She played it straight without giving her normal inflections, or weird diction.
The audience response was pretty tepid last night, with the exception of only 2 songs. It really is kind of sad to think what the show could have been, but not everything can be perfect.
Also, to the person who asked, after the curtain came down, Danny Burstein spoke to the audience about giving BC/EFA donations at the exits.
-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."
#18
Posted: 11/27/10 at 3:12pm
did he only make a plea for donations? or were there items for sale too?
#19
Posted: 11/27/10 at 4:41pm
I was at the show last night. While I will keep my negative comments to myself, I will say that de'Adre Aziza did a fine job. I was a little disappointed not to see Scott. Benanti was a treat and I was surprised with Guarini's performance. A lot better than I expected.
They were collecting. Danny Burstein made a short announcement after the show and two ensemble members were at the doors, collecting donations.
They were collecting. Danny Burstein made a short announcement after the show and two ensemble members were at the doors, collecting donations.
#20
Posted: 11/27/10 at 7:07pm
In terms of the question about understudies, it's a good question. De'Adre Aziza is not a lead, but she is one of the featured performers (there are 9 performers who get billed before the others for WotV). It is relatively unusual for a featured performer to be understudying a lead, if for no other reason that it leads to a cascade of understudying (an understudy then has to perform the featured role, and often then a swing has to step in for that person).
de'Adre Aziza is the only featured performer for WotV who is understudying another part.
The only other example I can think of off the top of my head where this happened with the original cast was Janet Dacal playing Carla in In the Heights and also understudying Vanessa and Nina. (Robin de Jesus did not understudy Usnavi when he played Sonny.) I believe that Bryce Ryness played Woof and understudied Berger at some point in the recent Hair revival, but I do not think that he was understudying Berger when the show first opened.
de'Adre Aziza is the only featured performer for WotV who is understudying another part.
The only other example I can think of off the top of my head where this happened with the original cast was Janet Dacal playing Carla in In the Heights and also understudying Vanessa and Nina. (Robin de Jesus did not understudy Usnavi when he played Sonny.) I believe that Bryce Ryness played Woof and understudied Berger at some point in the recent Hair revival, but I do not think that he was understudying Berger when the show first opened.
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
#21
Posted: 11/27/10 at 7:29pm
I wasn't referring to Robin De Jesus, Shawn Taylor Corbett, current Sonny, actually covers Usnavi. The current Grafitti Pete, Jon Rua, also covers Sonny and Usnavi, but that isn't usually the case. Courtney Reed is in the same situation that Janet Dacal had.
The featured thing can go a few ways. Theres the case where Theo Stockman had understudied the character of Will in the Berkeley run of AI, but as his part became more of a featured ensemble part, they decided to have someone with a lesser part understudy.
Megan Sikora, a featured ensemble member of Promises, also understudies Fran.
I know neither of the mentioned characters above have names or are billed as featured, but it does reflect your point. Before Stephen Buntrock became Frederik in ALNM, he had just been promoted to Frid, and was still covering Frederik, as he was with a smaller part. Another AI example, Christina Sajous who usually plays Extraordinary Girl (a featured part) covers the largest female role, Whatsername.
The featured thing can go a few ways. Theres the case where Theo Stockman had understudied the character of Will in the Berkeley run of AI, but as his part became more of a featured ensemble part, they decided to have someone with a lesser part understudy.
Megan Sikora, a featured ensemble member of Promises, also understudies Fran.
I know neither of the mentioned characters above have names or are billed as featured, but it does reflect your point. Before Stephen Buntrock became Frederik in ALNM, he had just been promoted to Frid, and was still covering Frederik, as he was with a smaller part. Another AI example, Christina Sajous who usually plays Extraordinary Girl (a featured part) covers the largest female role, Whatsername.
#22
Posted: 11/27/10 at 8:21pm
Thanks for the additional information. And I wasn't implying that you had said that about Robin de Jesus, just clarifying that things are different than they had been. I think before Shaun Taylor-Corbett got promoted to full-time Sonny, he was understudying both Sonny and Usnavi, so it makes sense that he would keep doing that. The same might be true for Jon Rua.
I can not recall any time this happened for straight plays. The plot of Theresa Rebeck's The Understudy relies on this idea that a featured performer in a play would understudy the lead, but I have never heard of this actually happening in real life.
I can not recall any time this happened for straight plays. The plot of Theresa Rebeck's The Understudy relies on this idea that a featured performer in a play would understudy the lead, but I have never heard of this actually happening in real life.
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
#23
Posted: 11/27/10 at 9:00pm
Another example I can think of the understudy thing is that in Legally Blonde, the
actress playing Serena understudied Vivienne, which I thought was funny considering they were essentially the same size part, with one big song.
actress playing Serena understudied Vivienne, which I thought was funny considering they were essentially the same size part, with one big song.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
#24
Posted: 11/27/10 at 9:05pm
That's also true, about STC. There are other odd situations where standbys understudy other characters. I believe Eden Espinosa stood by for Elphaba when she was also understudying Nessarose.
The other thing I can think of is Haley (forget the last name) in WSS. She is the Maria s/b, but also swings some of the Shark girls.
The other thing I can think of is Haley (forget the last name) in WSS. She is the Maria s/b, but also swings some of the Shark girls.
#25
Posted: 11/27/10 at 10:09pm
I was there last night, and Sherie's understudy was very, very good. When I got to the theatre, it was posted at the office. Karen Akers was in the lobby on her cell phone.
Laura B steals the show. She was hysterical!
Laura B steals the show. She was hysterical!
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