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Post by theatre-turtle on Jun 23, 2016 17:55:28 GMT
I never knew this about click tracks, and it makes me sad, knowing it now. One of the reasons I love going to the theatre is to hear wonderful singers achieving amazing things with their voices - I don't want to be going now and thinking that some of the most impressive stuff I'm hearing is on tape. Sorry! And the base of the Tony is plastic. Here's one of the oldest Phantom fan sites in existence with more info on the click-track: web.archive.org/web/20100314181839/http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/article/view.article.php/c6/17Elder Price's "No, no, NOOOO" (right after I Believe) is also pre-recorded, so he doesn't have to do that anguished yell 8x a week. This is actually incredibly eye opening and a little sad. Grateful if anyone could shed light into which other shows use pre recorded vocals. Wicked? Miss Saigon? Billy Elliott?
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Post by andrew on Jun 25, 2016 15:15:23 GMT
Is there a technical term for actors being onstage as the audience file into the auditorium, going about their business or walking around prior to the show properly starting? Recent memories include Great Britain, Doctor Faustus, Everyman etc...
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Post by dippy on Jun 25, 2016 16:16:05 GMT
I've heard it called pre-show but don't know if there's another name too.
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 25, 2016 17:25:11 GMT
Is there a technical term for actors being onstage as the audience file into the auditorium, going about their business or walking around prior to the show properly starting? Recent memories include Great Britain, Doctor Faustus, Everyman etc... As dippy says, you can have a pre-show, but that'd be something more like the recent Barnum UK Tour with circus acts in the audience before the show, pre-show is where there are actual 'performances' that happen before the show, I *think* the term might also be pre-set, where an actor is set before the show, if it's on stage then that's where they are pre-set. Can also apply to props, sets, costumes etc. May be wrong - will wrack my brain!
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jun 25, 2016 17:33:36 GMT
This is actually incredibly eye opening and a little sad. Grateful if anyone could shed light into which other shows use pre recorded vocals. Wicked? Miss Saigon? Billy Elliott? I know most screams in shows are pre-recorded (understandably) [Eponine's Elphaba's...) I found this thread on BWW that is a pretty interesting read on different shows using prerecorded tracks for different reasons: www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=993796#3804023EDIT: Michael that video is hysterical. I remember binging OBSSESED! videos years ago- they were so good (and Nicole's was a standout)
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Post by andrew on Jun 25, 2016 22:30:31 GMT
EDIT: Michael that video is hysterical. I remember binging OBSSESED! videos years ago- they were so good (and Nicole's was a standout) I wish he'd do more. I'm not sure how much of Seth Rudetsky I could tolerate in lengthy portions, but the videos are great.
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Post by shady23 on Jun 25, 2016 22:48:08 GMT
Is there a technical term for actors being onstage as the audience file into the auditorium, going about their business or walking around prior to the show properly starting? Recent memories include Great Britain, Doctor Faustus, Everyman etc... Also The Play that Goes Wrong.
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Post by firefingers on Jun 25, 2016 23:00:27 GMT
Yeah, I'd say pre-set as well.
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jun 26, 2016 6:50:03 GMT
EDIT: Michael that video is hysterical. I remember binging OBSSESED! videos years ago- they were so good (and Nicole's was a standout) I wish he'd do more. I'm not sure how much of Seth Rudetsky I could tolerate in lengthy portions, but the videos are great. Have you seen the hour long one he did live with Megan Hilty, Ramin Karimloo and Ana Gasteyer? I was sure he was gonna do more of those but I guess not. those and Side by Side on Broadway.com I used to watch all day long
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Post by Jon on Jun 26, 2016 13:54:06 GMT
Side by Side by Side is absolutely hilarious, the Jonathan Groff episode is my favourite
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Post by andrew on Jun 27, 2016 10:10:47 GMT
Side by Side by Side is absolutely hilarious, the Jonathan Groff episode is my favourite There's a great clip of them running through Groff's family farm and upsetting all the fainting goats. She also made Daniel Radcliffe seem human in a different episode.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2016 18:37:12 GMT
Can somebody quickly explain the difference between a standby and understudy? I know what swings are but why can't Wicked just have an Elphaba understudy in the ensemble rather than have somebody sit backstage for 2hr 30 mins every day?
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 3, 2016 18:43:48 GMT
Can somebody quickly explain the difference between a standby and understudy? I know what swings are but why can't Wicked just have an Elphaba understudy in the ensemble rather than have somebody sit backstage for 2hr 30 mins every day? For emergency- they need to be able to switch between the cover and the Elphaba on the stage as quickly as possible. If the cover was part of the ensemble the time it would take to get her off stage (as they don't have earpieces there isnt really any elegant way to get them off stage) and into costume (+8-20 minute makeup) would stall the show for too long. Standbys are usually given to taxing lead roles who are on stage for a large portion of the show- meaning it is more likely something would go wrong, and in order to have the switch happen as smoothly as, a cover is needed backstage. I feel like there is a lot of thought that goes into it and it's ultimatly a producer's call. For ex. Chrisitne does not have a s/b but the Phantom does. Why is beyond me though ha!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2016 19:07:31 GMT
Can somebody quickly explain the difference between a standby and understudy? I know what swings are but why can't Wicked just have an Elphaba understudy in the ensemble rather than have somebody sit backstage for 2hr 30 mins every day? For emergency- they need to be able to switch between the cover and the Elphaba on the stage as quickly as possible. If the cover was part of the ensemble the time it would take to get her off stage (as they don't have earpieces there isnt really any elegant way to get them off stage) and into costume (+8-20 minute makeup) would stall the show for too long. Standbys are usually given to taxing lead roles who are on stage for a large portion of the show- meaning it is more likely something would go wrong, and in order to have the switch happen as smoothly as, a cover is needed backstage. I feel like there is a lot of thought that goes into it and it's ultimatly a producer's call. For ex. Chrisitne does not have a s/b but the Phantom does. Why is beyond me though ha! What does the alternate Christine do for the rest of the week when they aren't on? Are they in the ensemble?
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 3, 2016 19:14:20 GMT
For emergency- they need to be able to switch between the cover and the Elphaba on the stage as quickly as possible. If the cover was part of the ensemble the time it would take to get her off stage (as they don't have earpieces there isnt really any elegant way to get them off stage) and into costume (+8-20 minute makeup) would stall the show for too long. Standbys are usually given to taxing lead roles who are on stage for a large portion of the show- meaning it is more likely something would go wrong, and in order to have the switch happen as smoothly as, a cover is needed backstage. I feel like there is a lot of thought that goes into it and it's ultimatly a producer's call. For ex. Chrisitne does not have a s/b but the Phantom does. Why is beyond me though ha! What does the alternate Christine do for the rest of the week when they aren't on? Are they in the ensemble? That a really good question. I know she isn't in the ensemble, and I'm almost sure she doesn't wait backstage either. I feel like she has to stay within a radius of the theatre though, but I can't say that I know. I wonder what an alt.'s pay is like. I mean they must get minimum week's pay even just for the 1/2 performances right? Maybe someone knows
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2016 9:17:26 GMT
I believe the alternate is 'on call' for any performances they aren't scheduled for and have to be within half an hour of the theatre until a certain time. I've no idea how they work out the pay though!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 4, 2016 9:29:56 GMT
For emergency- they need to be able to switch between the cover and the Elphaba on the stage as quickly as possible. If the cover was part of the ensemble the time it would take to get her off stage (as they don't have earpieces there isnt really any elegant way to get them off stage) and into costume (+8-20 minute makeup) would stall the show for too long. So is the standby Elphaba all made up and hanging about backstage every night? She can't be out and about in the vicinity with a pound of MAC landscape green on her fizzog. God what a depressing job.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2016 9:36:20 GMT
I guess they just hang around backstage and if they are needed there would be a delay to the show? still not a riot of a job...
I'm sure I read somewhere that they call extra children in Matilda every day and at a certain point in the show they 'release' the ones not needed that performance...I guess it's because children can be snotty little things and you never know when one will go down!
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 4, 2016 9:59:15 GMT
For emergency- they need to be able to switch between the cover and the Elphaba on the stage as quickly as possible. If the cover was part of the ensemble the time it would take to get her off stage (as they don't have earpieces there isnt really any elegant way to get them off stage) and into costume (+8-20 minute makeup) would stall the show for too long. So is the standby Elphaba all made up and hanging about backstage every night? She can't be out and about in the vicinity with a pound of MAC landscape green on her fizzog. God what a depressing job. No no- they have to be within the theatre (sometimes they watch the show of seats are available), and the makeup artists have mastered putting on the makeup faster I imagine. The two S/b (Elphaba and Glinda) share a dressing room with Nessarose usually. I really want to reccomend "Unnaturaly Green" by Felicia Ricci, she was a s/b in the Chicago production after graduating with an English degree (so no formal training) and it's a really ammusing telling of what it's like- Wicked and being a standby. Plus she's a sweetheart I think the first chapter is online, but any way she covered for Eden Espinosa and had to go on the first day she took over as standby without a proper put-in. She was in the audience when Eden cracked in The Wizard and I and got a phone call- really funny stuff. This is what they do as standbys lol:
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 4, 2016 10:08:27 GMT
Clearly they are very busy girls:
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 4, 2016 10:19:11 GMT
I'd like a friend called Felicia, just so that at the end of phone calls I'd be able to legitimately say...
"Bye Felicia".
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Post by theatre-turtle on Jul 4, 2016 10:23:09 GMT
I'd like a friend called Felicia, just so that at the end of phone calls I'd be able to legitimately say... "Bye Felicia". New record for gayest post on these forums 😬
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 4, 2016 10:24:13 GMT
*curtseys*
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Post by 49thand8th on Jul 4, 2016 14:13:41 GMT
I believe the alternate is 'on call' for any performances they aren't scheduled for and have to be within half an hour of the theatre until a certain time. I've no idea how they work out the pay though! There is a great documentary called The Standbys -- about standbys on Broadway. I saw a screening of it a few years ago. In the US anyway, standbys don't have their own separate type of contract, though they would like to. Technically, according to the union, they are understudies, though their job is very different from that of an understudy (as has already been brought up). Merwin Foard, who's in the documentary and was at a Q&A I attended, said "It's bullsh*t" that understudies and standbys have the same contract. On top of it being boring, it can be isolating, and oftentimes they need to rehearse themselves in a separate part of the theatre while listening to the show over a speaker. thestandbys.com/
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2016 14:18:12 GMT
Oh brilliant thanks!
David Nicholls (of 'One Day' fame) also wrote a book called 'The Understudy' while not a documentary it is quite entertaing!
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 4, 2016 14:33:09 GMT
I believe the alternate is 'on call' for any performances they aren't scheduled for and have to be within half an hour of the theatre until a certain time. I've no idea how they work out the pay though! There is a great documentary called The Standbys -- about standbys on Broadway. I saw a screening of it a few years ago. In the US anyway, standbys don't have their own separate type of contract, though they would like to. Technically, according to the union, they are understudies, though their job is very different from that of an understudy (as has already been brought up). Merwin Foard, who's in the documentary and was at a Q&A I attended, said "It's bullsh*t" that understudies and standbys have the same contract. On top of it being boring, it can be isolating, and oftentimes they need to rehearse themselves in a separate part of the theatre while listening to the show over a speaker. thestandbys.com/Thank so much for this! Is it considered more prestiges to be a standby though? Is it something the actor would strive for? Because I know often times it is described as "bumped" from an understudy to standby.
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Post by Michael on Jul 4, 2016 14:48:44 GMT
There is a great documentary called The Standbys -- about standbys on Broadway.[...]https://thestandbys.com/ Thanks so much for this. Unfortunately, it's not available on our German iTunes, so I bought it directly from the producers - after having to choose the US state I'm living in (despite changing the country to Germany) - surely Delaware is a nice place to live
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Post by 49thand8th on Jul 4, 2016 15:25:57 GMT
There is a great documentary called The Standbys -- about standbys on Broadway. I saw a screening of it a few years ago. In the US anyway, standbys don't have their own separate type of contract, though they would like to. Technically, according to the union, they are understudies, though their job is very different from that of an understudy (as has already been brought up). Merwin Foard, who's in the documentary and was at a Q&A I attended, said "It's bullsh*t" that understudies and standbys have the same contract. On top of it being boring, it can be isolating, and oftentimes they need to rehearse themselves in a separate part of the theatre while listening to the show over a speaker. thestandbys.com/Thank so much for this! Is it considered more prestiges to be a standby though? Is it something the actor would strive for? Because I know often times it is described as "bumped" from an understudy to standby. I think it might be, but it might depend on the personality. If you're a standby, you have more time to work on your own projects (not just silly videos, although those happen a lot too) and then when you go on, there's no need to bring in a swing to cover your ensemble track. In a way it could be seen as more luxurious because it's more relaxing, but at the same time, not everyone sees it as more luxurious than boring. Some performers WANT to be doing something in the ensemble every night, which is understandable. One of the women in The Standbys said that you can oftentimes be pigeonholed as an understudy (not a standby) because you develop a reputation for being reliable 8 times a week PLUS able to jump into a lead at the last minute, and that can prevent you from being cast as a lead. You're seen as someone who's very dependable who can do two jobs.
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Post by Michael on Jul 4, 2016 16:45:43 GMT
What an amazing documentary, thanks again 49thand8th. Guys, if you can spare ten bucks, buy it, it's worth every penny. That said, now I'm even happier for having a secure office job with flexitime and 30 days of leave and everything.
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Post by 49thand8th on Jul 4, 2016 17:36:43 GMT
Great! So glad you enjoyed it!
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