 | This sectionrelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Understudy" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2013) |
Intheatre, anunderstudy, referred to inopera ascover orcovering, is a performer who learns the lines andblocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in aplay. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage, the understudy takes over the part. Usually when the understudy takes over, the theater manager announces the cast change prior to the start of the performance. Coined in 1874,[1] the termunderstudy has more recently generally been applied only to performers who can back up a role, but still regularly perform in another role.
Performers who are only committed to covering a part and do not regularly appear in the show are often referred to asstandbys andalternates. Standbys are normally required to sign in and remain at the theater the same as other cast members, although sometimes they may call in, until they are released by theproduction stage manager. If there is no doubt about the health of the actor being covered, or there are no hazardous stunts to perform, a standby may be released at the first intermission, if not before. At times, standbys are required to stay within a certain area around the theater (10 blocks in New York City is a common standard). Today, the standbys must also have a cell phone so that at any time they can be called to the theater.[citation needed]
Alternates, like standbys, do not have a regular role in the production, but they are scheduled to perform a physically and vocally challenging role for a certain number of performances each week. They commonly go on for matinee performances. Examples of this include the starring roles inEvita,Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,Dear Evan Hansen,Les Misérables,Jekyll & Hyde, andThe Phantom of the Opera.
Inmusical theater, the termswing is often used for a member of the company who understudies severalchorus, dance and/or other (usually smaller) roles.[2] If an understudy fills in for a lead role, a swing acts the parts normally performed by the understudy. Asuper swing oruniversal swing is a swing who commutes around the country as needed to act in various productions of a widespread show. The term "super swing" can also refer to a performer who understudies every role in a performance, most notably in performances with smaller casts such asSix.
In contrast, aprompt cues an actor while not personally being on the stage or in the spotlight.
Several actors made their names in show business as understudies who took over leading actors’ roles for several performances. Examples includeAnthony Hopkins forLaurence Olivier, when Olivier became ill with cancer during the run of the National Theater'sThe Dance of Death, 1967;Ted Neeley andCarl Anderson forJeff Fenholt andBen Vereen respectively during the 1971Broadway run ofJesus Christ Superstar when Neeley and Anderson were asked to star in the1973 film version and subsequent tours; andEdward Bennett forDavid Tennant asHamlet in theRSC's 2008 production.Kerry Ellis was called to perform as Eliza Doolittle inMy Fair Lady whenMartine McCutcheon took ill. In the audience that day wasBrian May, who was then writing his musicalWe Will Rock You, and he was so impressed with Ellis's performance he immediately wanted to cast her as Meat, a lead in the show.
In 1974, baritoneThomas Allen fell ill during a performance atThe Proms of Carl Orff'sCarmina Burana. His understudy was unable to take over – he was a medical doctor, and was attending to Allen.Patrick McCarthy, then unknown, stepped out of the audience, went backstage, and offered his services as a professional singer who knew the part. He received a standing ovation.[3][4]
In 1978,Madeline Kahn departed theBroadway musicalOn the Twentieth Century nine weeks into its run.The New York Times reported that "she said she was withdrawing because of damage to her vocal cords."[5] She was replaced by understudyJudy Kaye, who had been playing a small role, and the critics were invited to return. According toThe New York Times, "bang, boom, overnight [Kaye] is a star."[6] They praised her performance, Kaye won aTheatre World Award, and her theatrical career took off. She later starred in the US tour oppositeRock Hudson.[7]
In 2002 (and also in 2003, 2005 and 2006),Sam Moran had filled in forGreg Page in the children's entertainment singing groupthe Wiggles during their concerts more than 150 times before stepping up as part of the official lineup in November 2006.
WhenCarol Haney broke her ankle while playing the role of Gladys inThe Pajama Game,Shirley MacLaine assumed the role.
Arthur Stanley Jefferson, also known asStan Laurel, was an understudy ofCharlie Chaplin working forFred Karno, amusic hall impresario, before Laurel and Chaplin entered American film.
Roberto Alagna opened the 2006–07 season at La Scala on 7 December 2006 in the new production ofAida byFranco Zeffirelli. During the second performance on 10 December, Alagna, whose opening performance was considered ill-at-ease, was booed and whistled from theloggione (the least expensive seats at the very top of La Scala), and he walked off the stage.[8] The role of Radames was taken over successfully for the rest of the performance by his understudyAntonello Palombi, who entered on stage wearing jeans and a black shirt.[9]
During the25th-anniversary performance of theAndrew Lloyd Webber musicalThe Phantom of the Opera, the titular character and Christine are played by understudies Simon Shorten andKatie Hall when they walk on a lowering walkway during the title song. In the film release of the performance, footage of the principal actors (in full costume) singing the song on the walkway was filmed in one rehearsal and added in the final cut.