swing? understudy? heirarchy

Understudies are typically in the ensemble of a show, and then if a lead actor that they understudy is out sick, they go on in the lead role. Swings can also understudy lead roles, but swings aren't in the ensemble on stage. They wait backstage in case an ensemble member is out, or if a lead role that they understudy is out and they're the ones that can be put on the fastest. For example, a friend of mine was at Phantom last year and Hugh Panaro, the lead Phantom, came down with something during act one, so as soon as they realized they would need to replace him for act two, they put their male swing, Greg Mills in the makeup and he went on as the Phantom for all of act two. I know there was also one day that Mills was scheduled to go on as the Phantom (it was a vacation week for the lead Phantom) but a male ensemble member called out sick, so Mills had to cover that role instead, while one of the other Phantom understudies went on in his place.

There certainly are swings that have learned 12 roles, but that's not an exact number that they all most know. They'll learn whatever the show requires them to learn.

Just to make things more confusing, there are also standbys. The standby will usually cover one or two lead roles at most. They wait backstage, and don't learn any other tracks for the show. They are there in case the lead gets sick and they need to go on immediately, often mid-act.

TL;DR - Understudies are in the ensemble and know a couple lead roles. Swings are off-stage and know as many roles as they can handle. Standbys are offstage and cover just one lead role.

We won't confuse you with what on-stage swings are.  Or what split tracks are!

Swings also have a higher weekly minimum fee over Ensemble (because they have to know so much).

There is actually a great documentary called "The Standbys" that focuses on just this subject.  Highly recommended! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2290757/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Thanks for posting about this documentary! I love a good backstage look!

I get so upset when people who don't get it, put understudies/swings down like they're in those spots because they're not good enough to be a lead. I can't cound the times i've talked to people about certain stars being on Broadway, like Jenna Ushkowitz on Glee, and people have said "Yeah but she was only swing" as if that's an insult and I'm just like, ONLY!? Ive gone on whole rants to people before about how she covered 4 out of the 5 female roles she'd be eligible to play in the show, and covered for ensemble chairs as well (Spring Awakening), and it's like how can you not find that more impressive? that at any one moment she could be called upon to go on i'm the spot of any nee of people, she had to not only know the songs but all their individual lines in the songs and remember who's part she was singing that day, and know lines for a good portion of the show as well. I just don't get people who don't respect what swings do and how they can ever think they're any less talented just because they don't go on every night. (I have a lot of feelings about this, clearly)

Is there a limit on how many roles a standby can cover? I remember in "American Idiot" that Van Hughes was standby for the three main male roles (Johnny, Will, Tunny) and then there was an also an understudy in the ensemble for each role.

Also, can there be only one cover per principal role or must there be at least two? And I don't mean when an understudy or standy requests not to be listed, but that there actually is only one cover.

And off-Broadway shows rarely have official understudies, right? Swings, yes, but not really understudies.

1. If a person's SOLE job is to understudy (stand-by or general understudy), the limit is 5. If you have another role or position (speaking, ensemble, or swing), the limit is 3.

2. There is no official requirement for how many covers a role must have. Many times, a play will only have one cover per role. Musicals however are more precarious.. Vocal distress, injuries, etc. Some producers have elected to have only one cover per role and that has led to some emergencies in the past (Seussical comes to mind), so you will generally see at least two covers per role in a musical. Sometimes I have even seen four covers for some roles.

3. Open-ended runs Off-Broadway are required to have understudies for every role, though it is common to only have one cover per role. Sometimes a show will have two for each. Short limited runs off-Broadway are not required to have understudies... Equity has strict rules on that. If a production runs beyond a certain number of performances, understudies must be assigned and hired.

How things are listed in a program is really up to the discretion of the production, contract negotiations and the union agreement and it can certainly vary.

When any understudy goes on, the audience must be notified in  to least two ways, regardless of how they have been listed in the program.

Sometimes, especially in shorter runs that do employ understudies within the company, they will not be listed because programs have gone to print before understudies have been selected.

Major respect for Swings. I think most people forget that not only do they have to remember multiple tracks, they also have to have strong acting and vocal chops to be able to transform into the different roles at a moment's notice. They can't play one ensemble member's track the same way they play another's. I have mad respect for Swings/Understdys/Standbys and everything in between.

Also worth noting about Swings: I know at least for some shows, the Swing will only cover select ensemble tracks instead of all of them in their gender. For example, a female swing in X Show might only cover the female ensemble tracks in their vocal/dance/acting range. I also know that in some shows, although all swings will be able to dance/act/sing, some will be put on ahead of others depending on the ensemble track. I believe in Mary Poppins, there was a more dance oriented swing who was the first to go on for one of the more dance intensive tracks than say the other female swing who was the first to go on for the more character-y tracks. And then you have the occasional show where a swing will cover the opposite gender's ensemble tracks.

The documentary is available on ITunes. 

Forgot about this video, but it's a decent look at Swings, Standbys & Understudies at Wicked.