Michael Halling, Hugh's Standby at BFO

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 4:32pm

Has anyone seen him? Why didn't he go on when Hugh had other commitments?

[thebigkrakowski]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 4:36pm

Because the audience would all rush to return their tickets!

I'm not sure why he has a standby at all! Is that an equity rule?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 4:39pm

Probably just for purposes, then, if Hugh has to leave in the middle of the show. But that would suck for the standby, the audience would probably boo like crazy =(

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 5:36pm

I thought the standby was Kevin Spirtas (otherwise known as the delicious Dr. Wesley on Days of Our Lives), or did something change?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 5:50pm

I saw Kevin as Bobby in COMPANY here in San Diego. It was going to be extended, they had announced it and had posters and everything and then Kevin had to cancel because he was going into The Boy From Oz rehearsals that week. What a great choice that was!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 5:55pm

Oy. Well, it must be nice to get paid to sit under someone's shadow and do nothing for a year.

Come back to Daaaays, Kevie!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 6:07pm

Hugh's never off so Kevin's never on. He should have done another show at the same time.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 6:10pm

Check the BFO official site, I went by that.

[Plum]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 6:41pm

Reminds me of Elaine Stritch's story of understudying Merman in Call Me Madam while doing Pal Joey at the same time. :)

[Jon]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 7:27pm

Equity requires understudies or standbys for all roles on Broadway.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 7:38pm

so am i the only one here who has gotten the idea to become a standby for a handful of b'way workhorses (i.e. get paid to do nothing in multiple shows)? I'm not sure if equity would allow it but it was one of my college plans

[Fan2]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 7:44pm

Kevin Spirtas left a while ago. I just checked my three playsbills (April, June and July) - they all say Brad Anderson is Hugh's understudy.

The April playbill had no standby listed, but the June and July playbills had Michael Halling listed as Hugh's standby.

[Bway_Mill_Fan]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 9:33pm

Is it more likely than he rather than Hugh perform for Boy from Oz @ Bryant Park?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 9:39pm

Maybe they won't do songs that required Hugh's character to be there, unless Hugh made a commitment to be there.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 10:17pm

i sincerely hope not- i hate that damn kid

Posted: 7/23/04 at 10:21pm

I was under the impression that Mr. Hill from BARE was an understudy for Hugh at some point - maybe early in the run?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 10:27pm

You hate him (the standby)...why?

[jo]

Posted: 7/23/04 at 10:37pm

In the first six months or so of the show, John Hill was the understudy ( although he also appeared on the show as Judy Garland's husband - with song and dance routine in "You Need An Older Woman") and Kevin Spirtas was the standby, both for Hugh Jackman. John Hill left to do BARE. But before that, in one of his absences from the show, Kevin substituted for him in the role of Judy's husband, which I was able to see. I do not know when Kevin actually left the show.