[Ads-l] swing, a musical theatre term

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The term "swing" (substitute/understudy) may have evolved from "swing
girl" which H. L. Mencken mentioned in his 1948 supplementary book
about language. Mencken cited a newspaper article from 1947.

Year: 1948
Book: The American Language: An Inquiry into the Development of
English in the United States
Supplement 2
Author: H. L. Mencken
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf
Quote Page 695

[Begin excerpt with footnote]
In recent years there has appeared the swing-girl, who, when shows
play seven nights a week, relieves other girls on their nights off. 1

1 Lee Mortimer in the New York Mirror, Feb, 1947.
[End excerpt with footnote]

Garson

On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 6:18 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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
> > >>
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org