All Entries in the "Understudies" Category
Addams Family Cast Members Shine at ‘At This Performance’
excerpt from the “Stage Rush” website, posted February 14, 2011
The latest installment of the At This Performance concert series brought big laughs Sunday night. The concert that gives Broadway understudies and standbys the spotlight saw performers choosing hilarious song selections and telling stories of their careers that had the audience in stitches.
The night kicked off with At This Performance’s youngest performer ever—11-year-old Logan Rowland from The Addams Family. He sang Pugsley’s solo “What If” with polish and confidence while his parents video taped and took pictures from the audience. Rowland told the story of his first time going on in the role—co-star Nathan Lane made an announcement to the audience during the show’s curtain call that they had just witnessed his Broadway debut.
Rowland’s Addams co-stars Mo Brady and Lisa M. Karlin duetted with “Crazier Than You,” and each had a follow-up solo. Karlin sang “See What I Want to See” from See What I Want To See. Brady’s solo was a song called “I Won’t Have To Anymore.” Easily the night’s most emotional performance, Brady sang the story of a young man preparing to flee the home of his verbally and physically abusive father. Showing great emotional depth and vocal range, Brady’s performance was among the night’s most memorable.
Zachary James Will Teach One-Day AF Workshop
The Addams Family Workshop with Star, Zach James (Lurch), Logan Rowland (Pugsley u/s) & an Ashley Gonzalez of CESD Talent Agency!
Join Zach James (Lurch), Logan Rowland (Pugsley u/s) and Ashley Gonzalez of CESD Talent Agency for an Addams Family theme workshop!
The workshop will focus on:
•Dance Combination& Song from Addams Family
•Song Interpretation & Vocal Coaching
•Scene Work from Addams Family
•Musical Theatre Audition Technique
•Mock Audition for a Talent Agent
When: Sat., Dec. 4th
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Ages: 7 – 16
Where: Ripley -Grier Studios – 520 8th Ave – 16th Fl. – between 36th & 37th St.
Normally: 150.00 Sale Price: 135.00
Rachel de Benedet, Terrence Mann Cast In NAMT Musicals
Rachel de Benedet
I was excited to read the casting announcement for NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals, which will be presented in Manhattan this October, for not only does it include two of our own Addams Family members, but also one of my favorite performers, Christian Hoff.
Christian Hoff
Terrence Mann
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre presents the annual festival for industry members, which showcases eight new musicals in 45-minute staged readings. A host of Broadway veterans populate the presentations that will be offered Oct. 21-22. For more information, and complete casting, visit NAMT.
Merwin Foard Featured On New Christmas Carol Recording
Two of my Broadway favorites, Merwin Foard and Daniel Reichard, can be heard together on new ‘Christmas Carol’ recording!
Foard at "The Little Mermaid" Opening Night
Reichard at "The Addams Family" Opening Night
Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys) as Fred and Ghost of Christmas Past, and Sean Palmer as Young Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol–The Concert features music by Bob Christianson and lyrics and a book adaptation by Alisa Hauser.
Jonas Brothers Visit The Addams Family
Nick and Kevin Jonas, along with little brother Frankie, visited another famous family this week – The Addams Family!
For more pics, visit broadway.com.
Another Look At Merwin Foard
I’ve posted a couple of interviews/articles on Merwin Foard, understudy for Gomez and Mal Beineke in The Addams Family Musical, but I think my readers can stand one more. I find Foard truly fascinating, and anyone who can go on in the lead role of a show, without a single cast rehearsal, is a hero in my book!
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Understanding Broadway: The Standby
By Frank DiLella, Theatre Producer for NY1 News
01 Jul 2010
Merwin Foard observing the performance from the backstage monitor at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
There’s a chameleon lurking in the wings over at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. No, I’m not talking about the Basil Twist creature that lives under Pugsley Addams’ bed.
Eight times a week this chameleon, known as actor Merwin Foard, sits patiently backstage, prepared to step in for Nathan Lane’s Gomez or Terrence Mann’s Mal Beineke — just in case anything goes wrong with either performer.
Foard, a longtime musical theatre vet, has spent the last few years standing by for some of Broadway’s biggest stars, from Michael Cerveris’ Sweeney in Sweeney Todd to Brian Stokes Mitchell’s Fred in Kiss Me, Kate. Foard’s new home is now with The Addams Family.
“I arrive at the theatre an hour before curtain and go to the green room, where we have a video screen of the stage,” said Foard during a recent matinee. “Once the performance begins, I watch the monitor and check for differences in choreography and blocking. Physically, I perform the show with the performers while watching it on the screen.”
Unlike a typical understudy in a Broadway musical, who also appears as a minor role in the show or in the chorus, Foard is called a standby — a role that demands an actor to literally stand by — in case a leading performer needs to miss a show or leave mid-performance.
“It’s a tricky thing to take on,” added Foard. “You have to do it all on your own. You’re subject to watch the rehearsal…but you’re rarely physically on your feet…so it requires a lot of homework you need to do privately.”
That homework came in handy out of town last fall in Chicago, where The Addams Family had its world premiere.
“It was Thanksgiving weekend and Nathan came down with bronchitis,” said Foard. “I had no rehearsal and we were in previews. All the rehearsal time had been afforded to the actual cast, so when it was announced that Nathan was going to have to miss a show, we all went into emergency mode.”
He added, “I worked with our musical director, choreographer and director to get me as physically prepared as I could be in a rehearsal studio so that I could do the next three performances.”
As for his initial reaction when he was told he was going on for the first time as Gomez? “Shock. It was so early on in the process and you can’t fault Nathan for being ill. I got into this laser focus. You say to yourself: ‘[I] have to do it’ — because the only other option is to cancel the performance.”
It also helps to get support from the show’s leading lady, Bebe Neuwirth. “Bebe was fantastic. She was there to rehearse scenes and choreography.”
And while this chameleon, who calls himself “the Swiss army knife of Broadway,” has made a career of standing by for some of Broadway’s finest, he says he hopes to continue to shed layers, looking forward to new experiences on The Great White Way.
“Of course it’s nice to be thought of as a dependable back-up. But I’m anxious to have a role outright and not have to split focus.”
Merwin Foard Happy To Be “The Guy Who Isn’t Nathan Lane”
Foard (left) starred as Lancelot in a regional production of Camelot with Terrence Mann (right) as Arthur. Mann, who originated the role of Javert in Les Misérables on Broadway encouraged Foard to audition for the role.
Broadway’s #1 Backup Plan
Written by Bryan Reesman
Mar 23, 2010
Merwin Foard keeps going on Broadway by making sure the Broadway show goes on.
He has had one of the most enduring and consistent Broadway careers of the last three decades, yet Merwin Foard may not be the most recognizable face on the Great White Way. The reason is simple: While Foard has performed his fair share of supporting roles and ensemble work, he is now regularly a standby or understudy for leading parts. He’s the one waiting in wings in case the lead happens to fall ill or cannot perform for any reason, occasionally balancing that with ensemble parts. His fourteenth and latest Broadway gig is as both Nathan Lane and Terence Mann’s understudy for The Addams Family, which recently opened in New York after an out-of-town run in Chicago. Foard has become Broadway’s seasoned back-up man, and he has fashioned a career from this unusual position.
Rebecca and Merwin Foard
Throughout the last decade Foard has landed a mixture of ensemble, understudy and replacement supporting roles in shows like The Little Mermaid, Assassins, Sweeney Todd and Kiss Me, Kate. As he will readily attest, it’s a fun life. Prior to The Addams Family invading the Great White Way, Foard spoke to Stage Directions about his history, the twists and turns of his highly unusual career path, juggling professional work with family time (he is married with two daughters, aged 11 and 16) and how he has sustained and evolved his craft over three decades.
Stage Directions: You’ve been an ensemble player for many shows, and you are the main understudy on Broadway lately.
Merwin Foard: I’m like the main second guy on Broadway. This is the third show I’ve been a standby for which I’m not in the ensemble. I’m a peripheral person on a contract, but if the star is down I’ll step in for them. Before Addams Family was the Sweeney Todd revival where all the actors played instruments, and before that was the Kiss Me, Kate revival, where I stood by for Brian Stokes Mitchell and Ron Holgate. Nathan Lane and Terrence Mann, who I standby for in Addams Family, are my 24th and 25th actors who I have either stood by for or understudied on Broadway.
Ultimately, what is that experience like?
Rachel de Benedet Takes The Stage as Morticia
Rachel de Benedet, understudy for Morticia
Some Broadway shows go an entire run without ever having to make use of the understudies. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case for the Addams Family Musical in Chicago. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Nathan Lane took ill and was replaced (superbly, I hear) by his understudy Merwin Foard (Nathan Lane Out Sick Thanksgiving Weekend). On the weekend of the new year, Bebe Neuwirth apparently suffered from tendonitis, giving her understudy, Rachel de Benedet, the chance to show off her Morticia. And show off she did … a few comments I’ve seen floating around …
…”Rachel de Benedet was a terrific Morticia. (She) and Nathan Lane had really good chemistry, for her being an understudy…”
…”(de Benedet) was absolutely stunning as Morticia and her voice was clear and gorgeous…”
…”I can’t believe Bebe Neuwirth was sick. The understudy was great though.”
Ms. de Benedet is no stranger to Chicago. In September of ‘08 she could be seen performing with Rachel York and Jeff Daniels in the Goodman Theatre’s world premiere musical Turn of the Century, which was directed by Tommy Tune, with the book penned by none other than Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
Most recently, Rachel co-starred with Norbert Leo Butz, Aaron Tveit, Tom Wopat, Kerry Butler and many more in the world premiere of Catch Me If You Can in Seattle last summer. It will be interesting to see what happens when/if that show comes to Broadway in the Fall.
Congratulations to Rachel on her most successful “fill-in”. And we wish Ms. Neuwirth a very speedy recovery!
Nathan Lane Out Sick Thanksgiving Weekend
Bad news for Nathan Lane fans over the Thanksgiving weekend – apparently Mr. Lane took ill and missed both Saturday performances and the Sunday matinee. Understudy Merwin Foard went on in the role of Gomez, and according to one fan:
Merwin Foard, Understudy for Gomez
By the end of the first song people were starting to forget about Nathan and at the end of the show, Merwin Foard (understudy) received a thunderous standing ovation. The entire cast was fantastic, funny and the songs were great. Not a show does one man make.
Many fans on the musical’s facebook page expressed disappointment at missing Lane, but according to the Chicago Tribune:
Eileen LeCario, Broadway in Chicago’s vice-president, said that customers were offered a variety of options, including seeing the show without Lane, rescheduling for a selection of dates later in the run, or receiving a refund. She said that very few people chose to get their money back.
A call to the theater today (Tuesday) confirmed that Mr. Lane was quite sick, but there had been no word that he would NOT be back for tonight’s show.
We wish Lane and the entire cast of Addams Family GOOD HEALTH throughout the holiday season!
