It is not unusual for a theatrical production to hire an alternate for a leading role.  Unlike an understudy, who is typically a member of the ensemble, an alternate is cast to play one specific part.  They can either be solely on stand-by or — particularly for a musical — contracted for set performances such as Wednesday and Saturday matinees.  

Animal Wisdom is a very personal piece written by Heather Christian in which she originally played  “Heather”.  It is more like a live performance of a concept album than a traditional musical, with the star singing the lead on every song.  For their revival, Signature Theatre at Pershing Square was lucky enough to find two very different women with powerhouse voices — Kenita Miller and Emma Duncan as the alternate —to take on the central character now known as “H”.  The company’s persistent focus on which performances either did or did not feature Miller struck me as disrespectful not just to Duncan, but to everyone else in the cast and to the work itself.  

I have seen a number of fabulous alternates over the years.  (Hello, Javier Muñoz as Hamilton!)  What I had never seen is an alternate overtly treated like an also-ran.  So incensed was I, I spent over $100 on a ticket to see the “H Alternate”.  Ms. Duncan is a recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award which supports outstanding emerging artists.  (Some past winners whose names you may recognize are Leslie Odom Jr, Oscar Isaac, Paul Tazewell, and Patrick Page.)   But rather than saying that it was she fulfilling the role of “H” at the May 23rd matinee, my ticket only said Kenita Miller wasn’t.  Unsurprisingly, over 30% of the house was empty, even though it was a wet and unseasonably cold day.  

The part of H, the “cantor” of this musical ritual, is extremely demanding.  Composer Christian describes it as “an olympian feat of radical empathy.” Not only must whomever embodies H cover multiple song styles but do so at points while singing at a 45° angle, while being spun around a small circle, and for one song, while wringing tunefulness from a hanging condenser mic.  

Though similar in timbre to Christian’s, Duncan’s voice seemingly binds with your central nervous system.  Pouring from her waifish body comes a tone that is a little Joni, a little Janice, a little Xtina and a lot “oh, my goodness!”  If some Miller fans were waiting until the Tony nominee took the stage in the evening, at least they had background for their choice.  But if the clumsy marketing had anyone thinking they would get a lesser experience at 2PM than at 7PM, that’s a tragic loss of Signature’s own making.

This post is not a feature.  I did not interview the playwright about what she thought of the two takes on her persona, or the marketing director to ask why Ms. Miller was made the center of the Animal Wisdom promotional campaign rather than the substance, or Ms. Duncan to ascertain whether she was even a little bit ticked off by the consistent emphasis on her counterpart’s appearances.  This is a rant about an inequity that I can (for once) change. So, I encourage you to support a magical performance with your humming, your bell ringing, or just your sweet selves.  Find a seat on your favorite ticketing site for a Friday at 4PM or Saturday matinee of Animal Wisdom.  And don’t be put off when printed upon it are the words “Kenita Miller will not be performing.”  You are in radiant, nurturing, and capable hands, even if her name is in invisible ink.

Tagged: Animal wisdom, Cathy Hammer, Emma Duncan, Heather Christian, Kenita Miller, Pershing Square, Princess Grace Award, Signature Theatre