Threaded Order Chronological Order
| More examples in recent history | |
| Posted by: GabbyGerard 04:11 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Shows that had an alternate do a few performances a week (such as Evita and Dolly) - AlanScott 03:23 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
|
|
|
| "Kim" in Miss Saigon is regularly cast with an alternate on Broadway and on tour. Sherry D. Boone was an alternate for Audra McDonald in the title role of Marie Christine. In Movin' Out, there were alternates for ALL five of the principals: the lead vocalist and the Brenda, Eddie, Judy and Tony dance tracks. (Sidenote: Original Brenda alternate Holly Cruikshank gave two of the best dance performances I've ever seen--as Brenda and then in the tour of Contact as the Girl in the Yellow Dress, a role where she far bested original Deborah Yates.) After the opening of Jersey Boys, an alternate was added and regularly maintained for "Frankie Valli." Kevin Mambo was the alternate for Sahr Ngaujah in the title role of Fela! The title role in Hamilton famously gets an alternate (though cast inserts suggest that nearly every principal in the show is on a borderline alternate schedule). A couple of "classics" added alternates in revival. In 2008, A Chorus Line added an alternate for Cassie. In 2009, West Side Story added an alternate for Tony--one of whom was Jeremy Jordan. After the opening of An American in Paris, alternates were added for "Jerry Mulligan" and "Lise Dassin." In the tour of the recent Hedwig and the Angry Inch revival, Lena Hall would take a weekly break from her Tony winning performance as Yitzhak to play Hedwig--likely the first time we've seen an alternate who is both a Tony winner stepping out of her award winning performance and of a different gender. (Though not an alternate, Bebe Neuwirth did frequently spell Debbie Allen in the first revival of Sweet Charity, stepping out of her Tony winning performance as Nickie.) I can't find any documentation of it in a quick internet search, but I could swear that Effie got an alternate at some point in Dreamgirls, though it might have just been on tour or for the tour-turned-revival. Ditto the role of "Jo/Mae" in Dirty Blonde. I have excluded roles played/shared by minors. |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: More examples in recent history | |
| Posted by: larry13 11:14 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: More examples in recent history - GabbyGerard 04:11 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
|
|
|
| I found your post--as indeed most of the others on this thread--packed with very interesting info. But I have one question: All the roles with alternates are difficult/tiring ones, some exceptionally so. EXCEPT Cassie in CHORUS LINE. Does she(alone in the cast?)really need an alternate? And not until the 2008 revival? |
|
| reply to this message |
| I have the same question(s) as you! And a role that SHOULD have had an alternate! | |
| Posted by: GabbyGerard 01:40 am EDT 08/20/17 | |
| In reply to: re: More examples in recent history - larry13 11:14 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
|
|
|
| I seriously question the necessity of a Cassie alternate. In my mind, it says more about the way the 2006 (sorry--typo in my original post) revival was cast and music directed. This might get me flayed, but I also wonder about the need for a Kim alternate, especially when she has so little to sing in the second act. In my estimation, a recent musical that SHOULD have had an alternate was Next to Normal. Alice Ripley gets plenty of flack on this board. I'm the first to admit that she's far from perfect. But, with the vocal and emotional demands of the role of Diana, I believe it should have been a "six show week" for its star. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: More examples in recent history | |
| Posted by: mikem 07:27 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: More examples in recent history - GabbyGerard 04:11 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
|
|
|
| Are people out that much in Hamilton? That was not true for the original cast, at least in the first six months of the run. Victoria Clark had an alternate when she extended in Light in the Piazza. Fantasia also eventually had an alternate in The Color Purple. Did Norbert have a reduced schedule at the end of his run in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels? I thought I had heard that but I may be wrong. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.012272 seconds.