NEW YORK — The theatrical magic keeping Broadway is alive during the latest coronavirus outbreakThey were the unheralded performers who are always ready to fill in for any emergency. Carla Stickler, a former performer but who returned to rescue after leaving show business. “Wicked.”
Stickler, who began a new career in Chicago as a software engineer three years ago, cancelled her winter vacation and returned home to play the role of Elphaba the green-skinned Elphaba during a time when the cast was sick. Stickler was a wicked witch but her performance was admirable.
“It was like riding a bike,”She said. “I got out there and I was like, ‘Oh, I remember this. This is really special, and I’m just going to try to enjoy every second of it.'”
Her effort is only extreme An example of Broadway’s understudiesTo keep shows open, standbys, fill-ins, and substitutes often play multiple roles, sometimes with very little rehearsal.
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It was a huge stressor for companies, with many shows being kept open by the talented people listed further in the Playbill. Hugh JackmanBefore he was diagnosed with COVID-19, he took a moment to pay respects to the many understudies who helped him recover. “The Music Man”It was open for as long it took.
“It’s been such a really exciting moment to see understudies and standbys and swings get this kind of recognition for the hard work that they do,” Stickler says. “I think they sometimes get overlooked. And so it’s been really emotional to see the outpouring of love for all what they do.”
Stickler wasn’t the only performer who was called into service. Eight of the twelve Broadway actors were called into service during the holiday season. “Come From Away” were substitutes, including two — Pearl Sun and Holly Ann Butler — who had left the show, as well as Marika Aubrey who was drafted from the national tour.
“Everybody kind of had to come together — the music department, hair, wardrobe, stage management, lighting, sound. Everybody to make this baby work,”Josh Breckenridge, show’s dance Captain, manages all 12 roles. He also stands by for five of six male roles that involve multiple parts.
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“It really took a village and it was a beautiful village and it delivered. So I’m very proud of us for nailing it. And the audiences were wonderful and with us every second. It really was a beautiful triumph.”
Breckenridge has appeared on Broadway with “The Scottsboro Boys” “The Ritz”As well as being toured with “The Book of Mormon,”Broadway hopes that the latest horror show will inspire structural changes such as more vacation fill-ins and standbys.
“I hope that producers out there notice and start to hire more coverage so that we can avoid moments like this and be ready and not have to cancel on audiences,”He said. “We’re literally the reason for the phrase ‘the show must go on,’ right?”
Stickler was one of the reasons. “Wicked”She could travel on this holiday season. On December 27, while on vacation in Michigan, she was driving with her dog and husband. She received an urgent call from Oz asking for her to return home. They needed her expertise because the cast was stretched.
She had last performed the role on Broadway in 2015 but had been a swing — someone who covers a show’s ensemble roles — up until 2019. She was a Broadway veteran for ten years. “Wicked”Starred in a national tour.
“Elphaba is just kind of something that lives in my body, and I think a lot of other understudies will say the same thing,”She said. “You build up those neural pathways and they’re super strong, and all you have to do is kind of recall them.”
While her husband drove, she flew to New York in the middle of a treacherous flight day, trying to avoid cancellations. She went to the show on Saturday night, and continued rehearsals over the following days. She performed Elphaba the Saturday night, and the Sunday matinee.
“I think everybody is really doing the best they can,”She said. “I do think the fact that the show has been able to stay open is a testament to how devoted the actors are to the show and how great and talented the group of people that they have hired over the years are.”
Broadway’s casts and backstage workers are all vaccinated. They wear masks while not on stage and get tested every day. However, it is still possible for breakthrough infections to spread. There are many productions that include “Aladdin,” “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen” “The Lion King” “Six,”Performances suspended due to breakthrough cases
Stickler is staying put this week, just in case “Wicked”She is needed. She will then fly home to Chicago but is open to returning if necessary.
“I’ve gone and done a lot of things last minute for the show in my life, and I would not put it past myself to do it again. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I love the show,”She said.
“I swear I’m going to be able to do this role on my grave. She’s so ingrained in my body. If I turn 100, I’ll do it at my 100th birthday party.”
