My Dramatic First Understudy Experience in the West End! | Story Time | Georgie Ashford
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- S U B S C R I B E: goo.gl/RZSBdt
Hi guys! Today's video is a chatty little number all about my very first time going on as an understudy in a West End Show! The show was Legally Blonde and it is still one of my favourite musicals EVER! I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane :) xx
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Thanks so much for the support! Absolutely no idea what I'm doing but that's the fun isn't it!
Lots of Love, Georgie xxx
can you tell the story of the first time you played elle?
I don't think she got the chance to play Elle except for in a dress rehearsal.
Oh my god when you mentioned the shoe i started to panic for you 😂 I have so much respect for understudies and swings in shows, they're like theatre superheroes!
Fearn and Tucker’s Angel Forever the amount they get paid doesn’t come into it? How does that matter? Being an understudy is hard because of people like you hating on them.
Fearn and Tucker’s Angel Forever Just to remind you that actresses such as Lea Selonga and Patti LuPone started as understudies...
Fearn and Tucker’s Angel Forever no. It means they need someone just as good as the lead to live up to the person who is playing the role! If someone goes to the show expecting to see a cast member they know is AMAZING and they’re not on, they’re gonna want to see someone just as good. If someone wasn’t good enough, they wouldn’t end up in the show in the first place.
Fearn and Tucker’s Angel Forever but… every single one of those people you mentioned is amazing? Standbys, understudies and swings can, and often do, save the show. There are so many people who have gone from being an alternate/standby/understudy to lead role! To name just two (since you like them) is Alice Fearn - standby Elphaba to principle - and Sophie Evans - alternate Dorothy to principle. At the end of the day, just because they are not lead does not mean they are not as good.
Fearn and Tucker’s Angel Forever really? You think that the show should be cancelled if the lead isn’t on? When I flew out to NY and saw Come From Away, Jenn Collela wasn’t on and I saw Julie Reiber instead. She was absolutely amazing and I’m so pleased I got to see her. Do you think that I should have flown all the way out there and spent my money on travel, accommodation etc and paid for the theatre ticket just to have the show cancelled? And fyi, some of my favourite actresses have been standbys and covers, and I always look forward to and appreciate when they’re on.
As you were saying this I looked in my legalyblonde programme and realised I saw you in this cast😂🤗 xxx
I genuinely shed a little tear listening to this story, hahahahah! I can just imagine what a big moment that was, terrifying but exhilarating! I love LB, must have been a great show to be a part of! x
Thank you! It was amazing! Terrifying but amazing haha! xx
This video made me smile. I love Legally Blonde, its a wonderful show.
I'd love you to make a video about your experience in A Chorus Line. Seeing you play Diana the first time was amazing. I also saw your last (planned!!) show too and cried my eyes out during What I Did For Love.
Ahh yes excellent idea! I loved that show so much too! That song made me cry so much! x
I'd love to hear more stories like this. I'm a third year musical theatre major and it is soooooo great to hear the inside deets. Also it must have just been INSANE to figure everything out in such a short time frame! AMAZING
This is why understudies, alternatives and swings are the backbone of theatre. Well done you!
Thank you!
So so much respect for understudies. I’m in awe of your talent. That sounds so hard😭😂💜
loooove this!! I've played Margot too (obviously on a much smaller scale hahah) but everything about the feeling before it starts is so very relatable!! It is such a fun role!! xx
I really don’t know who was more scared, you or Mum and I? Very special day xxxx
Haha I think it was maybe equal? xxx
What a coincidence you have the same last name as the og Broadway Margot! 😂
OMG! That's made my day!
Great video Georgie! So lovely to see a CZcamsr grow since they first started! Speaking about the savoy, so sad to see dream girls leave in January 😓
Thank you! That's so kind! I know I'm so gutted! My friend Tosh is in it so I must catch it again before it goes :( xx
This is like every bad pre-show dream I’ve ever had 😂😫 it sounds like you did a smashing job though. Xx
I absolutely love your videos!! I'm going to arts ed this summer for a summer school! Can't wait! xxc
Thank you! Oh amazing! Hope you enjoy xxx
Perhaps it's something to do with Legally Blonde, lol. My 12 year old granddaughter attended a 3 day workshop on the musical. There was to be a mini performance of the show, for parents and friends in the evening of the last day. When the workshop started there were only 8 students turned up, so everyone got multiple parts, and scenes were quickly altered to make costume changes possible etc. Day 1 was fine, my granddaughter learned her lines and songs and came home happy. Day 2, two of the students didn't turn up, so more changes, and my granddaughter was given the part of Elle to learn, but still had to do her original bits as well. She was up late that night learning all the new stuff, and , since it is one of her favourite shows, she already knew most of the songs pretty well, felt fairly confident she'd be okay. Day 3 one more girl failed to show up, more alterations to the scrip, and parts cut. Then came the performance.......my granddaughter did pretty well with her parts. Elle went very well....it was in her original role that she forgot her lines completely at one point. She was mortified, but I don't think anyone minded. I thought the cast of 5 did a pretty good job. 😏😁
Oh my goodness!!! Definitely something to do with legally blonde 😂😂
You're an absolutely amazing young lady...such courage !!
Georgie I honestly love you 😘 Your videos are insane ❤️ You inspire me so much to live my dreams! Ages ago I went to see Oklahoma in the Royal Albert Hall and I actually remember seeing you, of course you were amazing !!!! ✌️
Oh thank you so much!! That’s so lovely of you! No way! Haha such a small world! 💕😘🙌🏻
Saw legally blonde in London twice, it was so great! Sadly I can't say if this was while you were in it but I do remember that it really came across like everyone on stage had an absolute blast, and it was so much fun! We campaigned for years to do it at our college until we finally did and I got to play the shopkeeper and the judge and had the time of my life :) (bit sad though that I didn't get to play a Delta Nu ngl :D )
Thank you for the video! Its amazing to hear your legally blonde story and also to hear about the mini panic backstage haha
Thanks for watching! Haha I'm glad you enjoyed :) x
I learned from primary school it’s always important to learn the understudy stuff.
The lead was ill and the day before the production I had to learn it all.
This is primary school, scarred for life, always learn it
Oh wow!!!
Loved the video! 💖 That's so amazing that you managed to pull it together so well!! Xx
Thank you! Xx 💕
Also, I would love to see more videos about your experience in legally blonde 😊
I know this is a old video but theres a podcast that im addicted to listening to called dear me love me and Tee Boyich whos one of the girls on the podcast. I absolutely love hearing her story of her making her Broadway debut in mean girls as Janis which wasnt a role that she covered at all. She was hired to cover Cady, Gretchen and female adults. Both Barrett and her understudy were sick so Tee had a total of 3 hours to learn the Janis track with 90 mins of onstage rehearsal before the show and was wearing the understudy's costume. I love hearing stories like this :)
I panicked so much for you listening to you tell this story, so glad it wasn't too bad in the end! :D
I'm watching this again and laughing so much that i legit teared up🤣🤣
Fun story, thanks for sharing! Your parents must have just about burst with pride when they saw you. I checked my notes soon after finding your channel, and though I missed you completely in Legally Blonde I did actually see you as u/s Bebe in Chorus Line once ;)
Thank you for watching! Oh really! Such a small world! :) xx
I never watched it at the West End, but I fell in love with the show, after watching the show "The Next Elle Woods", from Broadway. Watched the show on uploads on You Tube
Do you audition to be an understudy or are understudies cast from the final few in the main choice for the lead?
Beatrice Hooper I know that for some auditions, and I’m sure if you’re understudying a huge role like Elle, your agent will get sent through a brief saying they want to cast an ensemble girl/Elle Woods understudy, so in the audition you would essentially audition for both parts x
You audition for the main role as well the ensemble role just to prove you can actually play the lead.
Beatrice Hooper I think it’s one of the final few. In “the search for the next Elle woods” the director asked Cassie (one of the girls) if she wanted to be a swing or understudy, and she said no. That could have been her chance, but if you don’t accept it, then you’re out. Idk how it really goes
Love that show. So Much Better is in my party jam (Laura Bell Bundy & Sheriden Smith version).
Could you please make a video about your experience of the full dress rehearsal you had as Elle, before the production closed?
I can indeed :)
Thanks for the video - I am loving it as always x 😊 it really great to know what it was like for you ❤️
Glad you enjoyed :) xxx
Omg this sounds so amazing! Did you ever get the chance to play Elle? x
Sadly not as we closed early! I played her in a full dress run though which was incredible! x
Legally blonde is literally my fave musical! I want to be Elle Woods! 😍🙌🏻
Same!!! xxx
I would of loved to see you as Elle! 😁
Imagine how proud the parents were !!
Love this video! I adore Legally Blonde! Xx
I remember being understudy once and having to step in when the actor suddenly had to go away for a few weeks (I hadn't done any rehearsals for it so just had to hope it would go ok). The only problem was the character I was playing (not as understudy) was in scenes directly before and after, so we had no time for my costume to change. We managed by the saying "many hands make light work" lol. I was a young teen, so looking back now I wonder if the grown men who had to quickly strip and dress me felt kinda awkward haha
When you described the 5 and the shoe, I felt like it was my first show in 5 minuets, I was literally sweating on my bed, Lmfao.
Haha! It was rather stressful!
I love this ❤️❤️
You should do a video on how to learn and remember your lines! It sounds like you are really good at it lol
Haha good idea!
i would love to see a whole legally blonde video
I love your top in this video 💕
Thank you! 💕
Did you ever play Elle?
Oooofffff you have the same Starbucks cup as me
It’s a 1,182 big family 😀😀 yay
😀 yaaay!
im playing margot atm