The Power of the Understudy

>> THIS WEEK THERE ARE 14 SHOWS ON STAGE AT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THEATERS. >> JOINING US NOW IN STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT OUR LOCAL THEATER SEAT IS WTC ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL. THANKS FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR US TODAY? >> WELL, JENNIFER, WITHOUT 35 COMMUNITY AND EQUITY THEATERS AND MORE THAN A DOZEN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER PROGRAMS PRODUCING SHOWS FOR MARCO ISLAND. THE SARASOTA. THEATER IS A BIG PART OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE. SO WE'VE BEEN TAKING YOU BEHIND THE CURTAIN TO EXPLORE WHAT GOES INTO MAKING A PLAY OR MUSICAL. NOW, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WE VISITED THE SET OF THE LITTLE MERMAID TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ART OF COSTUME DESIGN AND THE MECHANICS OF QUICK COSTUME CHANGES. WE WENT TO LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH TO SHOW YOU HOW SET TO SIGN CAN REALLY SHOWCASE DANCERS AND ACCENTUATE THEIR ENTRANCES. AND WE TOOK YOU TO REHEARSALS OF FROZEN IN CHICAGO TO WATCH CHOREOGRAPHERS PUT TOGETHER ICONIC DANCE NUMBERS LIKE LOVE IS AN OPEN DOOR AND ALL THAT JAZZ. TODAY WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THEATER. UNDERSTUDIES. NOW NO ONE ATTENDING A SHOW WANTS TO HEAR THAT THE LEADER INACCURATE PLAYING A PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS OUT TO ILLNESS OR INJURY. BUT IT HAPPENS AND THEATER COMPANY'S PLAN FOR THAT CONTINGENCY. BROADWAY PALM DINNER THEATRE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS 9 UNDER STUDY AND 2 SWINGS FOR THE WIZARD OF OZ, INCLUDING FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE SOPHOMORE RYLAN DEC. SHE'S THE UNDERSTUDY THAT WOBBLES WHO PLACED OR THINK? RYAN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO TELL US WHAT GOES INTO MAKING AN UNDERSTUDY AND WHY SHE'S WILLING TO PUT IN THE TIME AND EFFORT TO LEARN DOROTHY'S LINE SONGS AND DANCES KNOWING SHE MAY NEVER SEE THE STAGE IN THAT ROLE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. >> I GOT A MESSAGE TO OUR CASTING DIRECTOR AND HE ASKED IF I WANTED TO COME BACK TO OZ BECAUSE I DID THE MOST RECENT PRODUCTION OF OZ HERE, WHICH WAS IN 2022, I THINK AND IT'S YEAH, I JUST ASK YOU TO SEND IN SOME MATERIALS FOR UNDERSEA DOROTHY. I DID. AND THEN YOU LET ME KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE MY CONTRACT. AND THAT'S HOW I GOT INTO IT. >> THE INSANITY, THE CALLS IN A MOMENT OF PANIC STARTS THE INSTANT THE CAST RECEIVES TO TEXT NOTIFYING THEM. SOMEONE CAN'T GO ON. >> IT'S LIKE. >> A HUGE LIKE PANIC MOMENTS LIKE THERE'S LIKE AN HOUR WHERE LIKE WILL GET A TAX WHERE IT'S LIKE, HEY, I THINK LIKE THIS PERSON'S OUT AND IT'S LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, REALLY, YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD. OH, MY GOSH. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? >> WHEN THE LEAD GOES DOWN. >> THE SUCCESS OF THE SHOW FALL SQUARELY ON THE UNDERSTUDY SHOULDERS. >> EVERY CAST MEMBER FROM THE SCARECROW TIN MAN IN LINE TO THE MUNCHKINS AND THE CITIZENS OF OZ TAKE THEIR VERBAL AND VISUAL CUES FROM DOROTHY. THAT'S EQUALLY TRUE OF THE CONDUCTOR AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE ORCHESTRA. >> I WANTED TO BE AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE FOR THE REST OF THEM. IF I DO HAVE TO GO ON. >> SEAMLESS MEANS IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY TO MEG WOBBLES IS THE JOB OF THE UNDERSTUDY NOT JUST TO PERFORM THE ROLE SHE HAS TO PERFORM THE ROLE EXACTLY AS AN WHERE WOBBLES DOES ANY DEVIATION, ANY DEVIATION AT ALL AND HOW SHE DELIVERS HER LINES, HOW SHE MOVES IN RELATION TO HER CASTMATES AND HOW SHE SINGS EACH OF THE MUSICAL'S ICONIC NUMBERS COULD THROW EVERYONE OFF FOR HER COSTARS TO ON SABLE MEMBERS TO THE ORCHESTRA TO TOTO. I WANT TO BE US. >> CLOSE TO WHAT SHE'S DOING IS POSSIBLE. AND LIKE NOT ONLY FOR SAFETY REASONS, BUT JUST TO KEEP THE SHOW CONSISTENT. I WANT TO THROW LIKE AN ODD BALL LIKE A DELIVERY OF A LINE OR SOMETHING AT THEM LIKE I WANTED TO BE AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE FOR THE REST OF THEM. IF I DO HAVE TO GO ON STILL. >> IT IS A FACT THAT SOMETHING BAD HAS TO HAPPEN FOR RYLAN TO EVER PERFORM AS DOROTHY ON STAGE. >> PERSONALLY, I FIND THE JOY IN IT EVEN BEING CONSIDERED TO WORK ON DURING SOMEBODY AS AMAZING AS MEG AND BEING ABLE TO PRACTICE AND STILL LEARN A PRINCIPAL TRACK WITHOUT THE RISK AND THE PRESSURE OF DOING IT 8 TIMES A WEEK, 50 TIMES. SO IT'S A UNIQUE ROLE. IT'S MORE LIKE AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF ANYTHING. >> YET SOME UNDERSTUDIES HAVE GONE ON TO ENJOY GREAT CAREERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. SHIRLEY MACLAINE REPLACE CAROL HANEY IN THE PAJAMA GAME AND WENT ON TO STAR IN THE MATCHMAKER. CAN CAN AND SWEET CHARITY. BERNADETTE PETERS, THE DAINTY JANE UNDERSTUDY IN GYPSY ACHIEVE SUCCESS ON STAGE AND IN FILM WINNING TONY AWARDS FOR SONG AND DANCE. AND ANNIE, GET YOUR GUN RYLAN'S GOALS OR LESS LOFTY. SHE STARTS HER SOPHOMORE YEAR AT FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE NEXT MONTH. >> WE EXCELLENT SEASON. COMING UP. THEY'RE DOING SISTER ACT, A DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. THE DOLLHOUSE CLAY AND WAIT UNTIL DARK. SO I'LL BE AUDITIONING FOR THAT SEASON AND SEE WHAT COMES OF IT DURING MY SUMMERS, I HOPE TO BE HERE OR AT THE SISTER THEATER ARE WORKING FOR ANYWHERE. THAT WILL TAKE ME ANDS JUST. BOOSTING THAT MY CRAFT AND BUILDING A RESUME. >> STILL RYLAN WOULD RELISH THE CHANCE TO SING OVER THE RAINBOW JUST ONCE FOR A LIVE AUDIENCE. >> I DID GET TO SEE IT ONCE WITH THE ORCHESTRA DURING OUR ATTACK BECAUSE THEY WERE ALSO BUSY ON STAGE. AND I WAS JUST SITTING HERE WAITING TO GO ON. SO THEY PULLED ME OVER AND HAVE YOU SEEN THAT THE ORCHESTRA'S THEY COULD GET THE TIMING OF THE SONG AND STUFF AND IT IS JUST REALLY A MAGICAL SONG. DOROTHY, SUCH A MAGICAL CHARACTER AND ALL OF THE SHOW IS JUST WONDERFUL. MAGNIFICENT, SO MAGICAL. IT'S SO LIGHT HEARTED IN FUN, BUT ALSO LIKE PUNCHY AND SPUNKY AT THE SAME TIME, THE WIZARD OF OZ IS ON THE MAIN STAGE ARE PROBABLY PALM DINNER THEATRE THROUGH AUGUST. 8TH. >> AND EVEN IF SHE DOESN'T APPEAR IN THE ROLE OF DOROTHY, YOU'LL SEE RYLAN IN THE ENSEMBLE SHE'S A MUNCHKIN, A SNOWFLAKE XI'AN AND ONE OF THE FLYING MONKEYS. FOR WDSU NEWS, TOM HOME.