The Understudy

After an audition,
When an actor gets the news:
“You’ll be an understudy;”
I’d think he might have the blues.

The work is overwhelming,
Just to memorize each line;
But he may never get the call
To hit the stage and shine.

Yet every night he goes to work
And wonders, if by chance,
Like someone on the sidelines
He’ll at last be asked to dance.

I don’t know the statistics
Of how often there’s a need
To summon understudies
To take over for the lead.

But that’s what happened last night
When I went to see a show.
At first it was a let-down,
Quite a disappointing blow.

But then the understudy
Took his place upon the stage,
And from the get-go he should know
The crowd he did engage.

He had the total package –
The looks, the voice, the chops;
And as the audience warmed up,
He pulled out all the stops.

With much enthusiasm
We drowned him in applause.
The other actors, too, were great,
But he got more because

He’d finally had his moment.
It probably did seem
That he was in the middle of
A most delightful dream.

I hope he gets another shot,
‘Cause what I did observe
Was that the leading role
This understudy did deserve!

(for William Michals in "South Pacific")