Swing Awakening: Broadway's Hidden Gems and What Chapman's Missing
- Francesca Hill
- Apr 12, 2022
- 3 min read
You hear about big Broadway productions and its Broadway stars. But when you flip through the Who's Who section of your Playbill, do you pay attention to the understudies and swings?
While understudies are a well-known part of the industry, the importance of swings is often overlooked.
You may not realize, but swings are crucial to running a show.
I spoke with Theatre Studies major Shayla Jamieson about swings, and what she believes is missing from Chapman’s theatre department.
With a performance and directing emphasis, Shayla also serves as a house and stage manager for CoPA.
A Curious Swing: What is it?
According to The New York Times, a swing is a type of understudy that fills in when necessary during a live production.
While an understudy is usually trained for and assigned to one role within the performance (often lead characters), a swing takes on a wider variety of roles. They can be available for up to a dozen parts in a musical, all with different voices, choreography, and lines.
“Swings are definitely underappreciated. Swings are responsible for knowing the show inside and out, and must be ready to take on any number of roles at a moment’s notice," says Shayla
Being a swing is considered one of the most challenging gigs in theatre.
In December 2021, after swing Kathy Voytko stepped in last minute for Broadway’s production of The Music Man, actor Hugh Jackman praised swings.
"The courage, the brilliance, the dedication, the talent. The swings, the understudies, they are the bedrock of Broadway..." said Jackman.
Shayla expressed the same sentiment.
“Swings deserve much more respect, and those that look down on swings clearly don’t know what it takes to be a successful swing.”
While not always recognized for their hard work, swings have become increasingly crucial in keeping Broadway alive through the pandemic.
Swing it On, Covid
In December 2021, when the Omicron variant started wreaking havoc, entire casts of swings stepped in.
“December was insane. There was a week when it was all swings on stage. We call that an all-skate.” said Moulin Rouge swing Tilly Ek.
If it weren't for swings, many shows would've closed for good.
The lack of appreciation continued when Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin came under fire for her comments about the role of understudies and swings.
During an interview with Hollywood Reporter in response to performance cancellations in December 2021, she said, “My educated guess is the newer shows maybe have understudies that aren’t as efficient in delivering roles as the lead is.”
Her lack of respect for some of the hardest-working actors in the industry led to calls for her resignation, especially as St. Martin makes over $500,000 a year compared to the community of actors who have lost significant income and health insurance coverage during the pandemic.
While she apologized for her comments, swings still deserve more recognition.
Swing Training: Or Chapman’s Lack Thereof…
When I asked Shayla if she thinks Chapman's training prepares students to be future swings, I was surprised to discover that Chapman actually does not utilize understudies or swings.
But Shayla wishes this wasn't the case.
Shayla believes many Chapman performers are capable of becoming swings, but she doesn't think Chapman does a particularly good job at training their students for swing work.
Prior to Chapman, Shayla did a lot of musical theatre where swings would be cast and frequently utilized. But at Chapman, she rarely hears any discussion of swing work.
As swings become more crucial to shows, perhaps Chapman will adapt its training to prepare actors for swing life.
Learn more about swings here.
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