Feature of the Week: The Standbys December 7 - 13

Aléna Watters in The Standbys

BIG NEWS!  The Standbys is coming to theaters December 7 - 13!

Peek backstage as three aspiring actors prepare for the chance of a lifetime….to take over the lead in a Broadway show as a standby.  Every year thousands of aspiring actors audition for Broadway each year, waiting for their big break into the spotlight, few ever make it on stage.  Some of the lucky hopefuls get the chance to work as standbys or understudies. 

Being ready to give a fantastic performance at a moment’s notice….will your big chance come to play the lead role on Broadway? 

Witness the never-before-heard stories of famous actors who began their careers as standbys and understudies.

Bebe Neuwirth, who started acting as an understudy comments, “It’s a very complicated job to be an understudy…you have to be ready to give a fantastic performance at a moment’s notice.”   

The Standbys chronicles the lives of the three actors, Ben Crawford, Merwin Foard and Aléna Watters, as they wait for their big break.  Watch what happens when these three Broadway hopefuls finally get their call to go on stage…..

No one wants to be an understudy or a standby forever.  Imagine every day you prepare, working tirelessly for a role that you probably will not ever get to play.  Waiting in the wings, backstage, watching the lead perform the role, a role you know that you are destined to play.  But will your chance come? 

Ben Crawford as Shrek

Challenging and frustrating, these roles can help an actor land a lead role on Broadway.  Many famous actors in todays top Broadway shows, movies and on popular television series began as standbys and understudies.  

Did you know that Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele of “Glee” were standbys before they hit it big? These are just some of the many performers who launched their careers as understudies, swings, and standbys:

FAMOUS STANDBYS:

Bernadette Peters: Tony award winner and one of the most well known Broadway actresses, she began her career as a standby in the 1967 play, “The Girls in the Freudian Slip” and has been in more than 20 plays and 30 movies.

Bebe Neuwirth: is best known for her roles in “Frasier” and “Cheers,” but Bebe started her career as a standby in “Sweet Charity.”  The Tony Award winner also went on to star in “Chicago” and “The Addams Family” on Broadway.

Taye Diggs: best known for his roles in movies such as “How Stella Got Her Grove” and the Broadway hit “Rent” began his career as an understudy in “Carousel.”

Lea Michele: its hard to believe that an understudy for the character Gavroche in “Les Miserable” could evolve into the lead in Broadway’s “Spring Awakening” and the role of Rachel on “Glee.” 

Matthew Morrison: before he hit it big in his role as Will Schuester on Fox’s “Glee,” Matthew Morrison was an understudy on Broadway, which led to his roles in “Hairspray” and “South Pacific.”

Trivia?  Understudies perform on stage regularly, standbys only perform when a lead actor can’t and spend most of their time back stage waiting.


Check out the official trailer:

DigiNext Reschedules 'The Standbys' to Friday, December 7

Due to the impact of hurricane Sandy, the screenings of The Standbys with a LIVE Q&A session with filmmakers originally set for Friday, November 9 through Thursday, November 15 have been rescheduled.
 
The new screening dates are Friday, December 7 through Thursday, December 13.
 
Advance ticket purchases will be available soon at www.digiplexdest.com as well as at www.diginextfilms.com or www.thestandbys.com

 

 Peek backstage as three aspiring actors prepare for the chance of a lifetime….to take over the lead in a Broadway show as a standby.  Every year thousands of aspiring actors audition for Broadway each year, waiting for their big break into the spotlight, few ever make it on stage.  Some of the lucky hopefuls get the chance to work as standbys or understudies.

Being ready to give a fantastic performance at a moment’s notice….will your big chance come to play the lead role on Broadway? 

Witness the never-before-heard stories of famous actors who began their careers as standbys and understudies.

Bebe Neuwirth, who started acting as an understudy comments, “It’s a very complicated job to be an understudy…you have to be ready to give a fantastic performance at a moment’s notice.”

The Standbys chronicles the lives of the three actors, Ben Crawford, Merwin Foard and Alena Walters, as they wait for their big break.  Watch what happens when these three Broadway hopefuls finally get their call to go on stage…..

No one wants to be an understudy or a standby forever.  Imagine every day you prepare, working tirelessly for a role that you probably will not ever get to play.  Waiting in the wings, backstage, watching the lead perform the role, a role you know that you are destined to play.  But will your chance come? 

Challenging and frustrating, these roles can help an actor land a lead role on Broadway.  Many famous actors in todays top Broadway shows, movies and on popular television series began as standbys and understudies.

Did you know that Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele of “Glee” were standbys before they hit it big? These are just some of the many performers who launched their careers as understudies, swings, and standbys:

FAMOUS STANDBYS:

Bernadette Peters: Tony award winner and one of the most well known Broadway actresses, she began her career as a standby in the 1967 play, “The Girls in the Freudian Slip” and has been in more than 20 plays and 30 movies.

Bebe Neuwirth: is best known for her roles in “Frasier” and “Cheers,” but Bebe started her career as a standby in “Sweet Charity.”  The Tony Award winner also went on to star in “Chicago” and “The Addams Family” on Broadway.

Taye Diggs: best known for his roles in movies such as “How Stella Got Her Grove” and the Broadway hit “Rent” began his career as an understudy in “Carousel.”

Lea Michele: its hard to believe that an understudy for the character Gavroche in “Les Miserable” could evolve into the lead in Broadway’s “Spring Awakening” and the role of Rachel on “Glee.” 

Matthew Morrison: before he hit it big in his role as Will Schuester on Fox’s “Glee,” Matthew Morrison was an understudy on Broadway, which led to his roles in “Hairspray” and “South Pacific.”

Trivia: Do Understudies perform on stage regularly or do they only perform when a lead actor can’t and spend most of their time back stage waiting?

Chloe and Keith's Wedding Coming to Your Local Digiplex on October 10/19/12

Think your wedding was crazy?  Think again.  Unless you fell into a pool during your vows you have nothing on Chloe and Keith!  One disaster after another happens to Chloe and Keith while their wedding videographers and guests with flip cameras capture it all for the world to see!  Watch it all unfold as well as the story of Jordan, the clumsy best man and Sarah, a bridesmaid who also happens to be Jordan’s ex-girlfriend.  You are cordially invited to Chloe and Keith’s Wedding starting on Friday, October 19 through Thursday, October 25th 2012 at your local Digiplex.

DigiNext Series Starting on 09/21/12 at your local Digiplex Theater

At Digiplex Destinations, reinventing cinema means bringing entertainment to a whole new level-whether through the inspiring spectacle of a live opera or magic experience of a digitally remastered Hollywood classic like Singin’ in the Rain or Lawrence of Arabia. 

Now we are pleased to announce the launch of DigiNext, a curated series of independent films fresh from festivals around the world and now at your local Digiplex Destination. The selected films include edgy comedies, provocative dramas and insightful documentaries that bring something unique to your local cinema- Movies that Change You.

Here is the list of features for our first series:

 

09/21/12 Cut Poison Burn 

 The story centers on the Navarros, a family struggling to keep their young son alive. The war between the Navarro Family and the FDA is perhaps this country’s greatest evidence as to why there should be medical freedom. As the personal meets the political, we see how the FDA holds a vise-like grip on treatment options. Heart-wrenching and informative, the film ultimately expresses the hope that we can create a new paradigm of prevention, medical freedom and acceptance of highly-tailored therapies to usher in a more enlightened era.

10/19/12 The Standbys

Every night on Broadway, dozens of the best performers aren’t on stage. They are backstage, standing by, ready to go on at a moment’s notice. The unique and challenging lives of Broadway’s Understudies and Standbys are revealed in this evocative and original behind-the-scenes documentary.

11/09/12 Chloe and Keith’s Wedding

Chloe & Keith’s Wedding is a heartfelt and hilarious, indie romantic-comedy that captures all of the fun, frolicking and hijinks of one of the craziest weddings ever. Completely scripted, the film cleverly captures the story of Jordan, the clumsy best man, and Sarah, a bridesmaid who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend as told through the “found footage” shot by the wedding videographers and the guests themselves using video flip cameras. This hilarious and touching indie film is truly groundbreaking as it was the first to use a viral video to solely market the film.

01/25/12 Standing Silent

Phil Jacobs, editor of the Washington Jewish Post, has begun writing and publishing a series of articles about sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community. He has found what he believes to be clear evidence that several respected rabbis have been able to avoid arrest and recrimination due to the control they wield over the community. Fear blankets the orthodox community, creating an impenetrable wall of silence impossible to break through.

02/22/12 Taiwan Oyster

Shot on location in Taiwan, The Taiwan Oyster tells the story of Darin and Simon, two American ex-‐patriots who steal the corpse of a fallen countryman and embark on a quixotic road trip through the Taiwanese countryside in search of a suitable burial place for a person they barely knew. Taiwan in the year 2000, only thirteen years after the lifting of Marshall Law rule and still an unruly place referred to by many as the “Wild, Wild East,” provides a perfect setting for The Taiwan Oyster. 

Check out our website for trailers and more information.