Gaelen Gilliland, Adam Kaplan and Wallace Smith Talk Understudying on THE ENSEMBLIST Podcast

Mo Brady and Nikka Graff Lanzarone announce the release of The Ensemblist's 43rd episode: "Understudies."

We at The Ensemblist find it really exciting to open a program and find the telltale square "At This Performance" slip of paper- because that means an understudy is going on, and the audience is getting a unique theatrical experience! On this episode, Nikka & Mo interview three guests who have understudied principal roles on Broadway while also tackling their own tracks. Guests Gaelen Gilliland, Adam Kaplan, and Wallace Smith share their favorite understudy experiences, mishaps, and crazy backstage antics that go along with the job.

Gilliland (Honeymoon In Vegas, 9 to 5 the Musical, Legally Blonde, Wicked) explains how understudying often throws curveballs to those waiting in the wings. She speaks about the importance of staying grounded whenever one is given the opportunity to step into the spotlight. Kaplan (Newsies) reveals how being an understudy can feel like a heroic feat, and how being prepared early is always key. Smith (Rocky, Godspell, American Idiot, Ragtime, Hair, The Lion King) talks about the perks of getting to take over a principal role for a performance and how the understudy rehearsal process is different than a standard rehearsal process.

New episodes of The Ensemblist can be downloaded every two weeks through the iTunes store by searching for "The Ensemblist." Episodes can be also be streamed on Stitcher Radio, TuneIn, and downloaded directly from Podbean at theensemblist.podbean.com.

Our website, TheEnsemblist.com, features stories, Q&As, and blog posts from those in the know about life as an ensemblist, plus cool stuff we can't NOT share. You can also follow @theensemblist on Twitter and Instagram and Like us at facebook.com/theensemblist.