When an Understudy is Amazing

Donna Steele in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Miles better than Amanda Holden.

Dean Chisnall in Love Never Dies. While Joseph Milson wasn't a bad Raoul I found Dean's portrayal to be more varied (and no offence to Joseph but on the singing front Dean was so much better).

Once I've seen a show I almost always only ever return if I want to see an understudy.

I've seen loads of fab understudies but for me the standouts were Rachel John and Jon Robyns in Memphis. I loved Beverley and Killian but Rachel and Jon were spectacular. Especially when together. I also preferred Tim Newman to Killian as well.

Alan Burkitt as Jerry Travers in Top Hat, who was much better in my opinion than either Tom Chambers or Gavin Lee. I managed to see him 8 times during the London run, then another 8 times when the producers finally saw sense & gave him the lead for the second tour.

Tanya Manalang in Miss Saigon at least matches Eva.

Another vote for Alexandra Jay in My Fair Lady - just wonderful.
Margaret Preece in Sound Of Music - cant compare her to Lesley Garett but she was faultless so very happy to have seen her.
Loved Fiona Rees as the Narrator in Joseph at the Adelphi, so much preferred her to Jenna Lee James.

Times I preferred the understudy:

Nikki Davis-Jones as Elphaba (vs Rachel Tucker)
Adam Bayjou as Valjean (vs Peter Lockyer)
Zoe Birkett as Rachel Marron (vs Alexandra Burke)
Leo Roberts as Shrek (vs Dean Chisnall)
Tanya Manalang as Kim (vs Eva Noblezada)
Carolyn Maitland as Ellen (vs Tamsin Carroll)
Lauren Varnham as Scaramouche (vs Lauren Samuels)

Seems I often end up liking the understudies...

To be honest, I do normally prefer the lead to the understudy, but examples of where I preferred the understudy are:

Joanna Woodward as Carole King (over Katie)
Oliver Ormson as Elder Price (over Nic)
Robbie Scotcher and Stephen John Davis as Sam and Bill in Mamma Mia (over Richard and Charles)
Paul Ayres as Charlie Price (over Killian)
Rachel John as Felicia (over Beverley)
Matt Nalton as Gerry Goffin (over Alan)

However, I love the vast majority of understudies, even if I do prefer the lead.

Just remembered another one: Ian McIntosh as Deco in The Commitments (over Killian).

Basically I would say that understudies are all amazing - but in particular in recent years some seriously amazing performances by First Covers that I have had the privilege to witness have been Jonathan Williams as Valjean in Les Mis, Adam Bayjou as Valjean in Les Mis, Carolyn Maitland as Ellen in Miss Saigon, Kane Oliver Parry as Fiyero in Wicked and Shaun McCourt as Joseph in the UK tour (genuinely in a totally superior league to the celebrity cast in the role). The current cast of Phantom has two astonishing covers as the Phantom and Christine - Kieran Brown and Lisa Anne Wood - and the current alternate Donna in Mamma Mia (Shona White) is fantastic.

And as for Natasha Barnes in Funny Girl, this is what Mark Shenton wrote in The Stage:

"She's like a quirky, young Imelda Staunton, burning with a quiet intensity, heartbreakingly good acting and a singing voice that reminded me of the great, late Judy Garland."

I don't tend to see a show more than once, so this thread is difficult, but I will throw my hat in the ring for Jonathan Williams as Jean Valjean (2009) - Absolutely incredible and the best Valjean I've seen by quite some distance.

Lately Jessamy as Fantine blew me away, Tanya as Kim was amazing. And some credits for Natasha J Barnes. I was at the show where she performed Fanny for the second (or 1,5) time, and was blown away.

See I wasn't that impressed with Debbie as D van C. I know what you mean about Patina though.

I much preferred Richard Southgate as Moritz over Iwan Rheon in Spring Awakening in London. I didn't dislike Iwan but I saw Richard first and have this strange attachment the original people I see play roles.

I also preferred Sooha Kim and Richard Carson to Eva and Chris Peluso in Miss Saigon. Sooha especially was phenomenal, I was in love with her by the end which made the ending all the more tragic. I liked Eva but Sooha's acting felt more genuine, although I found Eva's voice to be just a bit more powerful.

Those two leads literally changed the whole show for me though. I first saw Miss Saigon just under a year ago, and although I liked it, I wasn't blown away at all. I decided to revist in the last few weeks, just to give it another go, and my gosh I sobbed from beginning to end! I loved it.