FLASHBACK FRIDAY: In 2012, a documentary film was made about the hard work and credit Broadway gives to the rising stars performing in the place of your favorite Broadway stars. They are THE STANDBYS.
THE STANDBYS follows the experience of actors and the pressures of going on for a demanding leading role at a moment’s notice on Broadway. Basically you get paid to play a waiting game. Basically, you learn that one key role and sit around the Theater and be ready at a moment’s notice if the main star is out. In addition for when you do go on, you also get paid for the groans and boos that the audiences usually makes when they find out the lead is out. However, the standbys still blow you away at the end. You never know what can happen.
It mainly focuses on Merwin Foard (at the time doing The Addams Family Musical standing by for Tony winner Nathan Lane as “Gomez”), Ben Crawford (at the time standing by and later fulltime replacing Tony nominee Brian D’Arcy James in the title role in Shrek the Musical), and Al?na Watters (fresh off of standing by at the time in the recent revival of West Side Story on Broadway) sharing their experiences of what it’s like to go on at a moment’s notice when the main performer is out.
You can download the full film THE STANDBYS on iTunes.
How awesome are standbys on Broadway?! Who has been the best standby performance you’ve ever experienced?
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE AND DVD GO TO: THESTANDBYS.COM or iTunes TO ORDER! “The Standbys” is a story of the actors you don’t see. Those performers who are so ta…
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