‘Anything Goes’ misses two lead performers at Ahmanson Theatre
MORE: Oscars 2014: Idina Menzel sings Oscar-winning ‘Let It Go’ from ‘Frozen’
Idina Menzel replaced by ‘Adele Dazeem’ in ‘If/Then’ playbill joke
Adele Dazeem (Idina Menzel) saluted at ‘The Book of Mormon’ (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Orlando Bloom, Joe Morton brighten TchaikovskyFest at Disney Hall
REVIEW: Tchaikovsky on a grand scale (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Barry Manilow’s ‘Harmony’ musical can sing but needs work (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Carlos Almaraz’s time is coming, nearly 30 years after death (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Hollywood’s Theatre Row sees exits stage right, left as scene changes
INTERACTIVE: Hollywood’s Theatre Row (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
More: Grammys 2014: Lang Lang performs ‘One’ with Metallica (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Christopher Plummer, a man of letters, says ‘A Word or Two’ (Doriane Raiman / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: A poet embedded among troops lives to tell ‘An Iliad’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: New MOCA director Philippe Vergne is a museum veteran
New MOCA director Philippe Vergne plans an artist-enabling museum (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: A ‘Beautiful’ tapestry of Carole King’s life (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: L.A. Phil, Dudamel reinvigorate Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Lively ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ make us believers again
MORE: Baddie role in ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ hooked John Sanders (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Totem’ a thrilling salute to human growth (Christina House / For the Times)
REVIEW: Time has overtaken ‘The Sunshine Boys’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘Chicago’ storms into the Hollywood Bowl (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘Marriage of Figaro’ a wedding of many talents (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: With ‘Tosca,’ Los Angeles Opera goes for grand (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: The collateral damage of genius in Boris Eifman’s ‘Rodin’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘The Royale’ punches well but has character issues (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: L.A. Dance Festival returns to boost homegrown dance (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Sensual energy crackles in Alvin Ailey dance program (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Aaron Copland as a hinge (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: ‘American Buffalo’ at Geffen a refreshing dose of Mamet (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Flashes of lightning in Trisha Brown’s ‘Astral Converted’ (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: A new Cinderella at Los Angeles Opera makes an impression (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Ethical quandaries buzz in ‘The Nether’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: L.A. Opera’s ‘Flying Dutchman’ back in action (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: For David Henry Hwang’s ‘Chinglish,’ a case of bad timing in China (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Clive Davis’ next role: Broadway producer of a new ‘My Fair Lady’ (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: The usually inventive BBC Concert Orchestra goes retro (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra violinist has a date with a Stradivarius (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Elevator Repair Service’s ‘Gatz’ a rewarding marathon | Elevator Repair Service takes on the great ‘Gatz’ | Marathon plays stand the test of time (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Trey McIntyre Project dances are both slight and potent | Trey McIntyre Project brings ‘Ways of Seeing’ to Segerstrom (Luis Cinco / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Esa-Pekka Salonen and an electrifying L.A. Philharmonic | Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to L.A. with murder in mind (Matthew Lloyd / For The Times)
REVIEW: Esa-Pekka Salonen and an electrifying L.A. Philharmonic | Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to L.A. with murder in mind (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: How David Lang’s ‘love fail’ succeeds sublimely (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Bolshoi’s ‘Lake’ is sometimes choppy, sometimes smooth | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Glorya Kaufman gives USC millions to build a dance school (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Benjamin Millepied gets moving in Los Angeles | Photos | Review (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Barbra Streisand puts the Hollywood Bowl under her spell (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Desire and sexual politics whirl among ‘Them’ (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Two ways to capture magic of ‘The Tempest’ | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Barbara Cook rejuvenates song standards (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Lynn Harrell at Disney Hall (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Some bright spots in a lesser ‘Madame Butterfly’ | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Opera’s ever-inquisitive Eric Owens is in high demand (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Critic’s Notebook: The joys and challenges of the L.A. small-theater scene (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Christopher Hawthorne’s On the Boulevards Project (Luis Cinco / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: George Takei builds on legacy with ‘Allegiance’ at the Old Globe (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Emily Mann a natural to direct ‘Streetcar’ and ‘The Convert’ (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: Lackluster Expo Line reflects Metro’s weak grasp of design (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: James Corden, ‘One Man’ and a plethora of talent (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Llyn Foulkes’ art of raw emotion (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Mickalene Thomas, up close and very personal (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: “Follies” is a source of heartache and razzmatazz (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Will downtown L.A.’s Grand Park succeed? | Photos (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Artist Xavier Veilhan casts Richard Neutra’s VDL House in a new light (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
REVIEW: A blazing “Red” with Alfred Molina as Mark Rothko (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Lynn Nottage wants “Vera Stark” to be a conversation starter (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: In the Studio: Ben Jackel uses broad ax strokes (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Review: “War Horse” at Ahmanson Theatre is a marvel of stagecraft | Photos (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
More: A pop choreographer with a busy schedule (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
More: Hammer biennial lends artists a helping hand (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
More: Plácido Domingo leads an uptempo life (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
More: In the moment with Cate Blanchett (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
More: Yuja Wang turns heads at the Hollywood Bowl with a purple gown Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Jesse Tyler Ferguson takes on ‘The Producers’ at the Bowl | Review | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Review: LACMA’s new hunk ‘Levitated Mass’ has some substance | Critic’s Notebook: Art on an architectural scale at LACMA (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Review: LACMA’s new hunk ‘Levitated Mass’ has some substance | Critic’s Notebook: Art on an architectural scale at LACMA (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Antic ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ a scenic spectacle | More photos (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
More: Q&A: Sanaa Lathan (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
More: Los Angeles Opera takes fresh look at Verdi’s ‘The Two Foscari’ | Review (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Itzhak Perlman closes Hollywood Bowl classical season (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Review: L.A. Opera’s ‘Don Giovanni’ upholds tradition expertly | Photos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Kristin Chenoweth warms up for California concerts (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
More: Composer Andrew Norman’s imagination has taken residence (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
More: It’s no easy act for Felicity Huffman (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
More: Sophie B. Hawkins channels Janis Joplin’s spirit in ‘Room 105’ (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Review: Israel Philharmonic, rising above differences (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: John Hurt plays back ‘interrupted pause’ of ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ | Review (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
More: Teatro ZinZanni sets up a tent and fills it with elegant chaos (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Performance review: A down-to-Earth ‘Dirtday!’ (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
More: Mark Z. Danielewski: The writer as needle and thread (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
More: Gustavo Dudamel’s captivating theatrics serve the music | More photos (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
MORE: Doing the numbers on LACMA’s Tim Burton show (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Anything goes in live theater. And that includes injuries, illnesses and all sorts of physical mishaps that come with performing in high-energy, high-impact productions eight times a week.
This week, anything apparently did go when two of the lead performers of the Roundabout Theatre’s touring production of “Anything Goes” were forced to withdraw from Wednesday evening’s performance at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Rachel York, who stars as nightclub performer Reno Sweeney, came down with a stomach virus the day before and was replaced by understudy Mackenzie Warren. But the mishap that befell Erich Bergen, who plays the toe-tapping Billy Crocker, came suddenly and proved to be a literal showstopper.
People close to the production said the Wednesday performance was going smoothly until about 15 minutes in, when Bergen sustained a leg injury that left him unable to make one of his entrances. The show was halted, and the curtain came down.
The audience at the Ahmanson was informed via loudspeaker that there would be a pause in the show, according to one attendee, Harvey Kern. The announcer later said that the show would resume in 10 minutes. Aaron Umsted filled in the role of Billy for the rest of the performance.
Bergen slipped onstage and made “unfortunate contact with a steel beam on the set,” he said in a statement. “The doctor says it’s an injured tendon, nothing terribly serious.”
Umsted is one of two understudies who covers for the role of Billy Crocker. The other, Jeremy Benton, performed the role on Thursday evening.
Umsted, normally a member of the show’s ensemble, said he had 10 minutes to change costume and microphones on Wednesday before the show resumed.
“I don’t know if it was a dream or a nightmare. Maybe the former,” said the 26-year-old actor in an interview.
Bergen said he “will be back onstage shortly.” It remains unclear exactly when that will be; a company manager for the tour could not be reached for comment.
York returned to the show on Thursday.
Warren, the actress who filled in for York, said the unplanned absence of two lead actors on the same night “was like the ‘Twilight Zone.’” Coincidentally, she and Umsted were drama classmates at the University of Oklahoma.
Rehearsals for understudies take place on a regular basis for large stage productions such as “Anything Goes.”
Warren said understudy rehearsals took place two to three times per week at the beginning of the “Anything Goes” tour and now take place about every other week.
Understudies are trained to take over a role at a moment’s notice when a principal cast member is unable to perform. Most understudies also cover multiple roles in a single production. Umsted covers for the parts of Lord Evelyn Oakleigh and Luke, in addition to Billy.
“I do each role in my hotel room at least once a week, so that there’s no panic or freaking out,” said Umsted. “It’s about repetition and drilling it into your body and mind.”
The stomach virus that struck York has also affected other cast members of the touring musical, according to people close to the production.
“Anything Goes,” which features music by Cole Porter, is scheduled to run at the Ahmanson through Jan. 6. The tour continues through August to such cities as San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington and Toronto.
As for Wednesday’s performance, audience member Kern reports that Umsted did not disappoint: “He was rewarded with thunderous applause at the end of the show.”
ALSO:
A Cole Porter quiz: Anything Goes
‘Anything Goes’ just wants to have fun
Review: ‘Anything Goes’ is ‘the top’ at the Ahmanson Theatre
More to Read
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
David Ng is a former Company Town reporter for the Los Angeles Times.