Master Class Standby / Understudy Question

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 3/30/20 at 10:19pm

Hello.  I was looking at a YouTube video of Master Class with Patti LuPone.  I wondered who would have been her understudy/standby.  I then looked at the Master Class Playbill Vault.  In the cast list, there was not a mention of an understudy or standby.  I thought that was interesting.

Updated On: 3/30/20 at 10:19 PM

[Marway44]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 6:51am

There was no understudy or standby.  When I saw it, Patti had a bad cold.  An announcement was made that Patti was suffering from a bad winter cold, however, she will be performing with a tissue in one hand and will be coughing, but she wants you to know that anything she does associated with her cold is not part of the show and she apologizes for her nasal voice.

She gave an outstanding performance for someone who should have been in bed resting.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 9:06am

The fact that Patti LuPone performed while ill does not necessarily mean there was no standby. A standby can elect to not have her name listed in the program, as many often do -- especially if they are somewhat prominent. 

[Marway44]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 9:52am

There was no understudy for the role. It was news when the show opened and the box office confirmed this when I picked up the tickets. You really have to give credit to someone with that kind of responsibility. You have to do all 8 shows a week, sick or tired.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 10:12am

Marway44 said: "There was no understudy for the role. It was news when the show opened and the box office confirmed this when I picked up the tickets. You really have to give credit to someone with that kind of responsibility. You have to do all 8 shows a week, sick or tired."

I highly doubt the accuracy of this, regardless of what you were told. Most likely, there was a uncredited standby whose performance was announced in the event of her appearance (which may have been never). I'll happily eat my words if someone can provide concrete evidence to the contrary.

[carnzee]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 10:23am

It's not unheard of to not have an understudy/standby. Hugh Jackman didn't have one for The River.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 10:55am

*

Updated On: 3/31/20 at 10:55 AM

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 7:56pm

Neil didn’t have an understudy for Hedwig. What a brutal role physically and vocally, and seems so risky for a producer to not require an US for a role like that. 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 8:42pm

At end of the day shows like Master Class or Hedwig are star-vehicles and almost virtually one-person shows. There's almost no point in having an understudy, since the overwhelming majority of the audience would ask for a refund or exchange if the star is missing.

Updated On: 3/31/20 at 08:42 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/31/20 at 9:47pm

PatrickDC said: "Neil didn’t have an understudy for Hedwig. What a brutal role physically and vocally, and seems so risky for a producer to not require an US for a role like that."

While not explicitly listed, I remember reading somewhere (possibly in my Playbill), that Paul McGill (who was credited as the movement associate) was also the Hedwig understudy - but was listed in the far-back crew credits and not up on the cast page.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/1/20 at 12:30am

imeldasturn said: "At end of the day shows like Master Class or Hedwig are star-vehicles and almost virtually one-person shows.There's almost no point in having an understudy, since the overwhelming majority of the audience would ask for a refund or exchange if the star is missing."

This. Especially if the Master Class no-understudy situation originated with Zoe Caldwell (who, remember, was married to the show's producer, Robert Whitehead). And if the leading actor can't go on, then the producer cancels the show and the Star Insurance kicks in.

[Marway44]

Posted: 4/3/20 at 6:49am

So I finally heard it from the horses mouth.  I have a house manager friend who emails Patti and he asked her and she indeed confirmed, there was no understudy.  While she did not miss a performance, she was tempted once but pulled it off as it was a play, but had it been a musical we would have had another Glenn Close situation.