Understudies

Their roles as understudies on Broadway was the focal point for this panel of actors -- Tony Carlin ("Lend Me A Tenor"), Bryan Fenkart ("Memphis"), Corinne Melançon ("Mamma Mia"), Jay Russell ("Our Town") and Paul A. Schaefer ("The Phantom of the Opera") -- as they discussed the first time they went on as an understudy; what kind of preparation is involved for their roles; the differences of understudies, swings and stand-bys; whether or not they continue to audition for other roles; how they handle stepping into a role mid-performance and covering for a "name" performer; and how much of their own voice is given to a character when they perform the role. Howard Sherman moderates.