They seem to be getting more and more common. I was at what I think was the first Elphaba switch on June 13, 2004. Idina started out great, but was clearly struggling during the flying portion of DG and lowered most of the notes. Interestingly, the first Glinda switch had happened the night before and when I heard about it I wondered what it would be like to experience that. Be careful what you wish for. My stomach plummeted when I heard the announcement and I was fully prepared to hate Eden because I was in my "I hate any Elphaba who isn't Idina" frame of mind, but she immediately won me over and blew me away. Eden also had much better chemistry with Laura and Kristoffer than Idina did.

I so love to hear nice things said about Eden...never experienced a midshow switch but wanted to say I am glad you liked Eden...

I managed to see one with Ashleigh Gray going on for Sabrina Carter from the Lion Cub scene on 5th October in London, as quite a few others on here did too. It was strange (And a little disappointing) but an interesting event to have witnessed. For me the strangest thing wasn't the people in the audience who didn't notice, but rather the people who did notice, but thought it was part of the show, i.e. at some point during the first act they always switched to another Elphaba to show her getting older or something.

There's been a couple of times watching the show when i've been wondering if a mid-show switch might actually happen due to an unwell sounding Elphaba, but that's the only time it's actually happened. Have there been many mid show Glinda switches? I can think of very few.

There was a Kristin/Laura switch the night before the Idina/Eden switch. I know there have others too, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

I wasn't there so I could be wrong, but I recall Alli switching mid-performance the night before Nicole Parker's last...

Yeah, Laura Woyasz went on for her; I remember that.

I finally saw one! Last night in Philadelphia, Marcie started the show (she sounded great, BTW) and she ran off after Popular and Carrie came on during the Lion Cub scene/

Yes. About 3 years ago in Providence. Victoria sounded a little sick (only noticeable at the end of TWAI) and Coleen came on in Dancing Through Life.

I'm another person who saw the Sabrina Carter/Ashleigh Gray switch. It was weird; I'd always wanted to see one since I'd thought it would be interesting, but I definitely don't want to see one again, it was weird. And although I love Ashleigh, I was a little disappointed, since I'd gone specifically for Sabrina and will probably not see her again now Probably the worst part, for me, of mid-show switches is watching the first Elphaba struggling before they finally go off.

I haven't unless someone in the ensemble switched out and I did not notice.

Does anyone know of any other instances where the understudy has gone off and been replaced by the standby? I imagine it must be rare enough, given the few scheduled performances understudies have, so rotten luck for Sabrina.

I'm pretty sure that was the only time? It's so rare for the understudy to go on when the standby's actually there, and mid-show switches are pretty rare too, so put them both together... and that makes one very rare show, lol.

Didn't Maria Eberline say that it happened to her?

Me too! I was so shocked when that happened and instantly felt stupid because I was sitting in the 2nd row and I didn't even notice the switch..

I have, but not in Wicked. When I saw The Little Shop of Horrors, one of the three women who sort of tell the story was replaced in the middle of the show. I didn't really care, since they aren't main characters, and I probably wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't announced it.

Not sure of dates right now, but I'm certain there was a show in Melbourne (Patrice's first maybe?) where Amanda (principle) started off, switched off and was replaced by Jemma (standby), who also wasn't well, and was then replaced by Patrice (understudy) just before Defying Gravity.

I was at the Alexia/Ashleigh switch. The very first one when it was Ashleighs first show as standby.

That's what happened with the Victoria/Coleen switch on tour. It was Coleen's first performance as standby as well.

I was at that show. It was August 16th 2008, and Amanda was never on. Jemma was clearly very unwell in that performance, and just before Defying Gravity started Patrice came running on - it was her first show ever as Elphaba.

Also a few others I've witnessed:

September 28th, 2008 Erin stepped in for Lucy just after Popular. Lucy definietly wasn’t herself during this performance.

Another mid show changed was February 22nd 2009 – Jemma stepped in for Amanda in Act 2 – this was actually announced before the 2nd act started.

One other mid show switch show I saw was on August 1st 2009, where Jemma played Elphaba right up until “As Long as Your Mine” – then Zoe Gertz stepped into the role from then on. I couldn’t really tell if Jemma wasn’t well – her first act was fantastic!

I have never seen a midshow switch with the leads before but have seen them done with ensemble members. I should have seen one when Kerry was extremely sick in Act 1 but continued in Act 2 and finished the show.

I was there. I wasn't in a good mood. She got another chance though, so it's all ok. And I've seen her since!!

I haven't seen one yet nor do I have any desire to...it would really throw the balance of the show off for me.

Elphaba switches seem to happen relatively often, but how many Glinda switches have there been?

Not very many, I don't think? I've heard of a few on Broadway, but there definitely hasn't been any in London. Not sure about the other productions.

I remember reading about a mid-show Glinda switch happening in Chicago a couple of years ago, possibly involving Erin Mackey though I can't remember for sure. So that's at least 3 productions: Broadway, Chicago & Australia.

Is an announcement made when this happens?

I've only seen a Chistery midshow switch (he hurt himself on the rolling clock towers, I think only Katie Clarke saw it at the time), and they announced it before act 2 began.

Yup, they announce it just before Act 2 begins - if I remember correctly it's something along the lines of 'due to the indisposition of *insert first Elphaba here*, for the remainder of the show the role of Elphaba will be performed by *insert second Elphaba here*'. Though I don't know what they do if the switch happens in Act 2? I can't imagine they'd announce it in the middle of the show, they do so much to make the switch seamless.

Yes, that would be odd. I wonder what they would do if the switch happened during the 2nd act? Would they announce it before the curtain call? Or after the show?

Has anybody ever seen this happen during a 2nd act?

Has anyone ever noticed that they seem to happen in the same spot for Elphaba. She'll switch during DTL or after DG during intermission. It's because that is when it's easiest for them I guess. And I think we see more Elphie switches because she has a harder time with the role with all of the singing.

I've heard of it happening at the OSD entrance, too.

And after Popular too.

I’ve seen two.

The first was the infamous Teal Wicks “last” show before she was out of the show for two months in San Francisco. Vicki Noon performed act two.

The second was a Morrible switch. Patty Duke did her scene in “Dancing Through Life” and Fiama Fricano came over during the Lion Cub classroom scene. It was rather musing to suddenly see a Morrilble that was about a foot taller . At the top of act two, they announced that Fiama had taken over “as of the second classroom scene”.

I've never witnessed one, but I know of a few that have happened:

Broadway-Saycon going on for a "white" Elphaba (Anthony Galde talked about it at Behind the Emerald Curtain, but he never said if it was Shoshana, Eden, Ana, or Julia).

San Francisco OR LA (I don't remember which one)-Angel going on for Vicki after train scene

and this isn't really a mid-show switch, but one time in Chicago, Stacie was out for almost the whole show, but came back at the finale. Dioni Michelle Collins (Weird, she was a Morrible u/s, and Stacie had 2 Glinda u/s's at the time).

Wait, what? Did Dioni play GLINDA?

I think that was a rumor on BWW.

Yes, definitely just a rumor. It never happened.

Yeah, that would be quite bizarre...but I do love Dioni, I'd enjoy her as Glinda if she had the voice (does she?) - she has always struck me as having amazing comedic timing as Morrible.

Apparently she DID go on near the end of act 2, there was a review floating around out there ( don't think it was on BWW though), that stated from MOTWH through the finale she stepped in as G(a)linda...

The Elphie switch I saw happened between Popular and the lion cub/classroom scene. Kerry ran off after Popular (like Elphie always does) and Julie entered as Elphaba in the classroom.

Again, completely false. Someone made it up.
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/i...c=9327&st=0

Also, another Chicago mid-show switch that I heard about from a friend who was at the show.
During intermission Stacie called out and Kate Loprest did Act 2.

Midshow Glinda switch finally happened in London today at the matinee. Dianne for Act One, Sarah for Act Two.

^ Hah, the timing of that is kinda ironic! Just shortly after this thread springs up...

^ I know, and I only mentioned like, a page ago that London had never had a Glinda switch... I think I was tempting fate there!

Bahaha. Didn't someone make a quip about a switch during Act 2? Like, "Elphie, you've gotten so tall!" or something? I faintly recall hearing that.

LBB to Eden in the scene after Wonderful: "Elphie, you look so different!"

Oh yes Was that the one you saw?

Yep. Crazy show. Kristin, Norbert, and Joel were out and Idina was out for Act 2.

It's funny, In the Sabrina/Ashleigh show, Dianne had to throw the wand off twice. It was the first time I'd seen it happen and I was sitting there thinking "I've come back so many times it had to happen eventually, I wonder if..."

Clearly, it's my fault.