Topic Gypsy--Rose's Standby from the General Chit-Chat forum.
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| Author | Topic: Gypsy--Rose's Standby |
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Bwaybaby
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3/10/2001 | posted: 1/6/2003 at 8:36:27 PM ET
Hi Karen--
I hope I can help you out with this.
An understudy is a performer who goes on for another role( generally a lead role or secondary lead or most often someone in the ensemble ) when that performer can't be there. I'll use AGYG as an example for this. If Bernadette was out sick or was on vacation then Valerie Wright or Karyn Quakenbush(Bernadette's stand-by) would go on as Annie. Many times an understudy has another role( usually a pretty big role)in the show full-time as well.
A cover/standy-by is sort of the same thing as an understudy although they generally don't have a role in the show other than being a cover. Their job is to go on in case of an emergency. My friend is Michael Crawford's cover for Dance of the Vampires. So what he has to do is show up at every performance and stay until, I think its, intermission. This way they want to make sure Michael doesn't get sick or hurt himself and can go on that day. After my friend leaves at intermission if something happened to Michael and they needed my friend to come back they'd just call him on his cell phone. He also covers for Rene Auberjonios.My friend does not however have another role in the show. If Michael or Rene are there and don't have to leave during the performance for any reason( getting sick or hurt) then my friend does not perform in the show.Which is what Maureen will be doing in Gypsy. She'll be there each night incase, for what ever reason, Bernadette can not go on or can not continue performing. This is what Karyn Quackenbush did for AGYG. She was the stand-by for Annie Oakley and Dolly Tate.
A swing is like a cover(or stand-by) only they cover members of the ensemble. A swing needs to know all the roles(blocking,lines,lyrics,ect...) in the ensemble that he/she is covering.Frequently, a swing can be a cover for ensemble players but will not go on if everyone is there and well, but if there is a large cast they probably have a better chance of going on. The bigger shows have more than one swing.
It really varies from show to show so every show is not the same when it comes to these things.
I hope that explained most of it for you 
|  MsPetersFan1
Registered User
Registered:
6/25/2002
From:
Long Island, New York & Boston, | posted: 1/6/2003 at 9:17:01 PM ET
Thanks for clarifying all of that! I too had no idea between the differences in them.
~* Megan *~
|  moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 1/6/2003 at 9:36:06 PM ET
Also, it can often be the case that a standby or cover doesn't have to show up to the theater but must be within a 10 block radius during the show with a cell phone or something like that - not sure of the actual block radius. There was an article in the paper (NYT or Wash Post) that profiled Karen Quakenbush when she was Bernadette's standby for AGYG. One of the nights when Bernadette became sick during the show, Karen was out to dinner with her husband (within whatever the block radius she had to be) and she got a call that Bernadette was sick. She got over to the Marquis and I guess just followed Bernadette around backstage. She was trying to make it through the 1st act but Karen had to be ready to go on at any moment so Karen said she just walked behind her trying to stay out of her way. As it turned out Bernadette made it through the first act but Karen took over for the second.
| Bwaybaby
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Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 1/6/2003 at 9:46:42 PM ET
I think I remember Karyn or someone saying that it was her husband's birthday so they were out to dinner to celebrate. So, as far as I know, they're generally required to be at the theatre unless they have special circumstances as to why they can't be there. A few weeks ago my friend ( who is covering at Dance of the Vampires) was able to take a night away from being at DOTV to go perform with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Beacon but he had to have his cell phone on the entire time.
I remember Karyn saying that for the first eight months or so she'd watch the show once a week as well.
But like I stated in my post above,it varies from show to show.
I personally think covers, stand-bys and swing deserve all the credit they can get!! Often they don't get the luxury of a month & a half+ of rehearsal time.The stage manager will just tell them the basics( their lines, blocking...ect..).Plus, they usually have to live up to the expectations the audience had for the performer the stand-by is going on for. And I'm sure often some people in the audience aren't too pleased that particular performer is out. They have to be ready to go on for a role that they may have never done before or have only done a few times at such short notice. I would think it would also be somewhat frustrating not being able to do what you love doing everynight- perform.
As a side-note, Karyn is currently in Imaginary Friends on Broadway. Peter Marx(Charlie Davenport in AGYG)is also in the cast.
Karyn also played Annie Oakley on tour in AGYG opposite Tom Wopat.
| Karen
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5/3/2002 | posted: 1/7/2003 at 10:43:47 AM ET
Many thanks for all the information. I can always count on you guys!
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 1/7/2003 at 7:27:52 PM ET
No problem Karen!! There's also such a thing as a Partial Swing and an Alternate but I don't want to bore you anymore LOL 
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 1/9/2003 at 11:04:20 AM ET
In an interesting coincidence, I just noticed that there's a fairly lengthy thread about the understudy/standby distinction on Talkinbroadway's All That Chat right now. I guess it was started last night. So if you haven't seen it yet, it's worth taking a look.
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 1/9/2003 at 11:21:48 AM ET
I saw the posts on ATC lastnight and wasn't going to post. However....I find it very interesting because it seems one of the posters may have seen the posts about it on this board.... http://www.talkinbroadway.com/forum/messages/26531.html
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