[Ads-l] swing, a musical theatre term

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The role of "swing" is important enough that a 2015 book is focused on
it. "swing" can be used as a noun and a verb. It is a very demanding
position especially if the swing has to play two characters in a
split-track.

Year: 2015
Title: Broadway Swings: Covering the Ensemble in Musical Theatre
Authors: J. Austin Eyer and Lyndy Franklin Smith
Publisher: Bloomsbury, London
Section: Some Terms to Know

[Begin excerpt]
Split-Track   Term used when one Swing is covering two or more tracks
in a given performance. The Swing will switch back and forth between
the two tracks so that the most important elements of each track are
covered for the performance. (The remaining, uncovered, elements of
each track would then be "cut” from that particular performance.)

Stand-by   Another form of Understudy. The Stand-by usually
understudies one to two major Principal roles and is not a member of

Swing   Actor responsible for understudying the Ensemble of a show.
The number of people they might be covering varies from show to show
[End excerpt]

[Begin excerpt]
The first time I was hired as a Swing, my counterpart had swung for
Lion King, my Dance Captain had swung Hairspray, and my Stage Manager
had [been a] Dance Captain many times throughout her career.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 5:55 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> In the archives for _Back Stage_ (on ProQuest), this sense of "swing" goes
> back to the '70s at least.
>
> Back Stage, Apr. 21, 1972, p. 17, col. 4
> AEA wanted but did NOT get... upped minimums and better coverage
> (understudies, swing, etc.) for long runs (10 weeks or longer).
>
> Back Stage, Sep. 8, 1972, p. 21, col. 3
> Some of the shows are in their 2nd continuous year, and many run 6 to 9
> months, with no vacation, no understudies, no standbys, no cover, no swing.
>
> Back Stage, Apr. 22, 1977, p. 19, col. 1
> "Hair" Equity PI & Open Call... All must move well. 22 parts with 2 "swing"
> roles.
>
> Back Stage, Jan. 13, 1978, p. 41, col. 2
> Available roles: Female Singer/Dancer: to act as female "swing" &
> understudy the role of Liat.
>
> Back Stage, Dec. 14, 1979, p. 29, col. 3
> In upcoming Equity contracts, more attention will have to be paid to
> understudies, standbys, covers and swings... Shouldn't each understudy,
> swing, cover or standby have her/his own costume and wig?
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 5:26 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I recall first hearing about "swings" during "Hamilton"-mania c. 2015-6,
> > though I'm sure it was a Broadway term of art long before that. When
> > "Hamilton" started playing in multiple cities, they even had "universal
> > swings" who could be dispatched to different productions.
> >
> > https://www.marketplace.org/2017/10/26/playing-every-role-hamilton/
> >
> > More on the Covid-era importance of swings and understudies in this NYT
> > piece last year:
> >
> >
> > https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/theater/understudies-broadway-cancellations.html
> >
> > --bgz
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 5:08 PM George Thompson <george.thompson at nyu.edu>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> From a recent issue of The Guardian (London), profiling professional
> >> mermaids:
> >> [headline]  The real-life mermaids turning fantasy into reality on
> >> Britain’s shores
> >>
> >> [Previous to taking up mermaiding, one had been an actress and singer, but
> >> had developed vocal problems:]
> >> She was the show’s swing, a musical theatre term for a performer who can
> >> take on any role in the production at short notice.
> >> (Sun 16 Oct 2022 10.00 BST)
> >>
> >> I don't see this in the OED, swing,  noun, #2
> >>
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org