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      The Standbys

      2012 1h 16m Drama List
      80% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 83% 250+ Ratings Audience Score Three undiscovered Broadway understudies and standbys get the chance of a lifetime when a star cannot perform. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (5) Critics Reviews
      John DeFore Hollywood Reporter Enjoyable doc celebrates theater pros who rarely see the spotlight. Mar 3, 2014 Full Review Neil Genzlinger New York Times Ms. Riggs gives each actor a story arc of sorts, and all three are personable guides to this backstage world, explaining the process and terminology and talking openly about their lives and jobs. Feb 20, 2014 Full Review Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News Either Riggs needed to dig deeper or she should have included a wider range of personalities. Rated: 2/5 Feb 20, 2014 Full Review Simi Horwitz Film Journal International For those who are familiar with this universe, Standbys is a worthwhile refresher course; for those who aren't, it's an eye-opener. Feb 20, 2014 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (2) audience reviews
      Audience Member This film was great, and it was really interesting to get to look into the lives and careers of the people on Broadway who aren't always in the spotlight. They deserve to be seen and have their stories told, and as someone who doesn't know a lot about Broadway, I learned so much from this film. I would definitely recommend it whether or not you are a Broadway fan! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a nice film. It is engaging, well filmed, in parts emotional, in parts suspenseful, interesting, and informative. One learns about the roller-coaster and often psychologically stressful lives of three standby, understudy, and/or swing actors in their own words and with commentaries from others in the world of stage performances (including other standbys). We who enjoy such entertainment really never think about these people who have to be often even better prepared and certainly more flexible than those whom they stand in for. The pace of the documentary and the interleaving of segments is generally good, although additional editing could probably make some of the segments even more compelling and turn this into an even better film. I was really impressed by the personal and stage qualities of the featured actors and how they forthrightly discuss their feelings and the motivations for their choices. The subtext of deep desire and resilience being keys to success at whatever level runs as a thread throughout the film. Thanks to Stephanie Riggs for making a high quality documentary that honors the unsung heros of stage acting. And thanks to the Tallgrass Film Festival for featuring the film at the close of their 2012 event. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Three undiscovered Broadway understudies and standbys get the chance of a lifetime when a star cannot perform.
      Director
      Stephanie Riggs
      Producer
      Steven C. Beer, Lily Fan, John Pinckard
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Mar 17, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 16m
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