223 posts
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Post by Kim_Bahorel on May 6, 2017 10:19:17 GMT
Les Mis only every announce main characters that are covered not ensemble. I have found sometimes they haven't even announved that. You have the cover sheet and a cast board just right of the merch desk. As I'm a cover fan I always snap a photo of each to quickly work out who I will see cover that day (I know I'm odd). Even then I found names added but werent on and not on the board but where on. The thing with Gavroche is the boy who was meant to be on may have got ill right before the performance or during the show. I heard it happening a few times before where when Charlotte who used to cover Gavroche got a call two scenes before she had to go on. But you're very lucky I have tried to see a cover Gavroche for ages. 😁 The one time I saw a female Gavroche they didn't announce it & it wasn't on the board either, there were just names for young Cosette & Eponine then a blank where Gavroche's name would be. I don't know if they thought the public wouldn't want to see a female Gavroche or wouldn't care or what. Personally I thought she, Daisy Maywood, was the best Gavroche I'd seen & ever since I've wished Gavroche had been written as a trouser role. The only time I remember being completely baffled by an understudy's identity at Les Mis was when there was a Grantaire on who I just didn't recognise. This was around 2009-10 time when I'd seen the show several times with that cast & I knew it was neither the lead not the first cover. After very careful programme scrutiny in the interval I finally realised it was one of the swings, George Millar, who I found totally unrecognisable in a dark wig. (I can't believe that only a few years ago he was covering students & now he's covering the Dads in Mamma Mia!) It's funny how some of them look completely different. My stage Les Mis cast wise only goes to Nov 2015. But I'm very familiar with current cast at least and even when Jonny Purchase or Steffan Harri are on as Enjolras they completely different in the wig and make up. The thing with programme as well it doesn't give you who covers specific ensemble like Bamatabois, Foreman, Bishop & Grantaire either. I know who the 1st 2nd and in some cases 3rd covers are. I know all the other ensemble roles are done by the swings. This year in the cast of Foreman 2nd & 3rd covers are swings. Grantaire 2nd cover is a swing. But there was one show and I am gutted I missed it when Oli Brenin (swing) who doesn't even cover Grantaire did it. A few months ago when all 3 Enjolras' were off they had to get back in Matt Jeans who was 2nd C in 2015-16 cast. But he only did the Enjolras track not ensemble track and Oli did the ensemble track. I'm like damn it I missed this. This year I have been lucky and gone so far 43 times to Les mis and seen a lot of the ensemble have to pick up bits of other tracks that the swings can't do. |
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183 posts
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Post by sirdaniel on May 6, 2017 14:31:55 GMT
One of the kids was indisposed during the interval when I went to School of Rock. They made a hasty, quick and very mumbled announcement after the interval...no clue what it said. It was only because the kid had *obviously* changed that I clicked. Never understood why they aren't more proud of understudies/any changes etc.
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183 posts
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Post by sirdaniel on May 6, 2017 14:33:37 GMT
Oh, and they still had David Fynn on the board when it was Gary Trainor. Can't be that difficult to update the screen surely.
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1,743 posts
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Post by fiyero on May 6, 2017 15:03:41 GMT
I'm currently at Rent in Poole. Now I know Lucie (Maureen) has gone to Eurovision so was expecting a sign. No sign, no slip, no altered programme (as it was known ahead that she'd be off) so I asked. The lady was sure she was on as she'd seen her. After much radioing someone was understudied by someone with a hard name. As it was 5 minutes to curtain we agreed I'd check back at the interval. As suspected Maureen is the (amazing) understudy Christina Modestou and Mark is off too. There are now signs up and at the programme seller, I have power!
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Post by lou105 on May 6, 2017 18:42:42 GMT
Rent didn't announce Lucie's understudy when I saw it, either. We saw one photo on social media of a sign in the foyer, but we didn't spot it.
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Post by basdfg on May 6, 2017 19:22:48 GMT
I've Just come from Carousel where there was only one sign for the Understudy of Mr Snow. No slip in programme. Through we also got an on stage announcement to tell Us Kathrine Jenkins has a chest infection but is still performing (which they have been doing all week).
I got a slip in my Programme last year at showboat and also at the Wizard of the Oz in 2011.
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Post by d'James on Jun 30, 2017 13:51:08 GMT
More bad behaviour of understudy announcement by ATG. No cast board at The Girls. They didn't 'think' there were any understudies on. Has anyone been there when there are understudies on, and if so, how were they announced??
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Post by Kim on Jun 30, 2017 14:27:59 GMT
Grease always used to do understudy announcements in the pre show announcement, now it's just signs in the foyer (or in Birmingham's case several different ones with the day before covers as well as that day)
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Post by d'James on Jun 30, 2017 15:21:44 GMT
No cast board at The Girls I think "The Girls" was on a TV screen, revolving with a wodge of advertising, wasn't it? I asked the staff and they said there wasn't one. I did see a screen but it rarely had anything to do with the show on it. |
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Post by Kim_Bahorel on Jun 30, 2017 16:25:49 GMT
Last week I wasn't going to the show but I was around Queens to buy tickets. The Les Mis cast board said there was a cover one that day as it turned out he wasn't on. I'm there tweeting West End Covers and everything. This is not the first time its happened.
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Post by ali973 on Jun 30, 2017 16:35:04 GMT
TBH I can't remember when was the last time I heard an announcement made for an understudy. Even when there are full casts lists posted in the lobby correctly showing the names of the understudy, there aren't any indications that these people are understudies.
Slipping a piece of paper does not necessarily work in London since not everyone gets/buys a program. It's a bit easier to manage on Broadway or in the US in general because everyone gets a free program.
I think the paper slip business in London varies depending on the management of that specific company. I remember how in the Bodyguard (in London, might be different on tour), they were very serious about the notice in the foyer as well as the programs. I have huge stack of understudy slips from that show.
Unfortunately, it's clear that this isn't not a priority to the producers or the company managers in London, because if it were, it would have been enforced more vigilantly. I personally don't really have this problem, because I sort of know who should/shouldn't be on even if I haven't seen the show before, and can go back to the website to double check.
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449 posts
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Post by SageStageMgr on Jun 30, 2017 19:36:09 GMT
The union should do more to ensure appropriate credit is given.
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Jun 30, 2017 20:34:46 GMT
When I saw The Girls, there was a loose piece of paper on the bar in the Stalls Bar with the understudies on.
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4,029 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Jun 30, 2017 21:21:51 GMT
More bad behaviour of understudy announcement by ATG. No cast board at The Girls. They didn't 'think' there were any understudies on. Has anyone been there when there are understudies on, and if so, how were they announced?? I couldn't see any cast board or understudy information when I was there yesterday matinee so I buttonholed an usher who radioed through to someone & confirmed that there weren't any understudies on. |
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Post by d'James on Jun 30, 2017 21:55:52 GMT
More bad behaviour of understudy announcement by ATG. No cast board at The Girls. They didn't 'think' there were any understudies on. Has anyone been there when there are understudies on, and if so, how were they announced?? I couldn't see any cast board or understudy information when I was there yesterday matinee so I buttonholed an usher who radioed through to someone & confirmed that there weren't any understudies on. I had that at Milton Keynes but I was told to find a supervisor to find out. I'm normally too shy to ask outright though. (Shouldn't have to.) |
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Post by TallPaul on Jul 1, 2017 13:11:39 GMT
No cast board at The Girls I think "The Girls" was on a TV screen, revolving with a wodge of advertising, wasn't it? You're right @theatremonkey , as always. The screen was on the left of the foyer / bar.
In the good, old days, didn't they used to announce any cast changes before the show? "Ladies and gentlemen, at today's performance the role of Bloody Mary will be played by..." Followed by a loud groan because everyone had gone to see Bertice Reading. Come to think of it, maybe that's why they stopped. Imagine standing in the wings and hearing that.
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Post by d'James on Jul 1, 2017 15:16:53 GMT
I think "The Girls" was on a TV screen, revolving with a wodge of advertising, wasn't it? You're right @theatremonkey , as always. The screen was on the left of the foyer / bar.
In the good, old days, didn't they used to announce any cast changes before the show? "Ladies and gentlemen, at today's performance the role of Bloody Mary will be played by..." Followed by a loud groan because everyone had gone to see Bertice Reading. Come to think of it, maybe that's why they stopped. Imagine standing in the wings and hearing that.
So does that screen only show something when there's an understudy on? You'd think the staff would know. |
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Post by zak97 on Jul 1, 2017 22:00:50 GMT
The Phoenix really has been a bit of a shambles for understudies when I've been. Guys and Dolls last year - sign saying understudy (name escapes me) was on when not as Oliver Tompsett was performing. I can only guess they forgot to take the sign down.
For The Girls they are just very inconsistent. The first time I had understudies for Annie and Chris. They were both listed. But on this occasion the understudies for the Miss Wilson's weren't. Having returned, I have, however, seen understudy lists which lists every cover. Equally last time they never listed Jenny Gayner as going on for Annie (could have been really last minute, of course) but even if was last minutes I would have thought that is the circumstance that justifies an announcement over a tannoy.
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