@alwaysamom - thanks for your concern. D was in *Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson/i during most of the episode, with my wife in the audience. Such a weird, random event in an otherwise really nice college town. Wife and d had no idea this was going on.
At FSU we have understudies for major roles and swings who cover several tracks. There is usually an understudy rehearsal prior to opening.
-Michele
Ball State has understudies; my D has understudied several roles there. Don’t know about swings.
In four years of Pace and Rider, we’ve seen shows with understudies and without, some with swings, and a couple that were double-cast, although I haven’t seen double-casting recently. My boys have done swing/understudy roles and it’s been a good experience for them. Being a swing is especially challenging – many tracks to learn. It’s actually a fabulous professional skill.
In general, Tisch New Studio double casts lead roles and sometimes also has an understudy. I believe It’s understood that if either of the leads cannot perform, the understudy takes over vs. the double.
True story: I was visiting colleges with my son three years ago, enjoying a break on a “swamp boat tour” while checking out Tulane with him. Phone rings and it’s my then HS freshman daughter whom I could barely make out on the crackling phone saying somewhat hysterically that the senior girl who had the lead in the school musical, due to open just over two weeks later “just got a callback to Juilliard” on the day of the second performance. “She can’t do the show and they’re putting me in the lead.” (My D had been the second lead - a much smaller and less demanding part.)
Big show, lots of tapping, lots of standards, no understudies or swings. Somehow the show went on, D played the second lead on Friday night and the lead on Sat & Sun. She pulled it off, but it was a nail-biter.
The next year there were understudies, but it’s a lot to ask busy (non-arts school) HS students who aren’t aiming to do this to come every night to rehearsal and not get the glory of doing the part onstage. (Different for BFA students - such great experience). Lots of grousing. Last year they changed it to double casts for both plays and musicals. Much better system, as not only do more kids get a chance at good parts, but there is always one of the two performers there for missed rehearsals.
And, in the circle of life scheme of things, the then-senior didn’t get into Juilliard (drama) and in fact despite much talent didn’t get into any of the MT programs she applied to either. She was all set to go to a LAC when a waitlist cleared and she’s very happily now a junior at NYU Tisch drama. And now my girl is the senior, waiting to hear, and also in the last couple of weeks of rehearsal for the school musical.
I think it’s crazy that BFA programs don’t utilize swings/understudies as so often that is the job that their students will be doing – if they’re lucky! Not doing so denies the other students that all-important experience.
@MomCares, good to bring up the diversity and range in casting opportunities at Northwestern! 
As far as the no understudies–This show was a MainStage show that had to be canceled. I was just sharing that there are shows with no understudies. But I certainly don’t know the percentage.
And yes, for sure, there are some professional shows that don’t have understudies, usually because, as with Soozie’s extremely talented D, they have small, unique specialty casts.
But for sure most shows have swings and understudies, and I do feel it’s a great learning opportunity. I wonder why it’s sometimes not possible for colleges though–how would it impact budget in college to have understudies and/or swing? They could even share costumes if necessary (casting for body type). Anyone else have insight on this? It’s cool hearing about the different colleges.
All programs have strengths and weaknesses. Simply not having understudies would not, in my opinion, be a deal breaker.
It’s sounding like from this long list that it is the exception, rather than the rule, that college programs don’t have some form of understudy. At Baldwin Wallace there is a mix of double casting for some shows, and swings for others. My D was a swing for the spring show last year, and it was great experience!
@rampions gave a high school anecdote and so I’ll give mine. In tenth grade, my D was Dorothy in the high school production of Wizard of Oz. A middle school student was her understudy and they gave the understudy a matinee performance which was nice for her. Also, my D could not attend rehearsals on Fridays and so there was always a stand in on those days and so this understudy was also able to learn the part well in context.
The bigger story was in eleventh grade, which for my D, was her final year of high school and she was rehearsing the role of Ado Annie in Oklahoma all winter for the April production (this was her college audition season). Her best friend (who did not go on to study theater in college) was her understudy, but also otherwise in the ensemble. My D’s boyfriend had the role of Will Parker (the love interest of Ado Annie). In the middle of March, a week after D’s final college audition, she was in a serious car accident resulting in a long hospital stay and serious injuries and she was out of everything for the rest of the year. Her best friend therefore played Ado Annie (though they knew this for about four weeks prior to the performance). My D’s first day out of a hospital bed was opening night and we attended. Not a great way to end her high school theater career.
When my S was in HS, he went on as Roger in a production of Rent at a different HS (a number of his friends were in the cast of the neighboring HS). He rehearsed with the cast for 4 hours and went on with the script in hand or nearby. Luckily he was familiar (enough) with the show to wing it (if you ignore cue lines :-)). No one in their cast had under studies and there was no ensemble to speak of. The show went out for families and friends; I imagine it would be quite annoying if that situation had occurred at the college level. Like @kategrizz mentioned, BW will often double cast and uses under studies and swings. One of the swings in Dog Fight last year went on as a few different characters throughout the run. Hardest working members of the ensemble!
@soozievt - now that’s an overload of the most unwelcome kind of drama. Bittersweet to emerge from the hospital on that day, too. But also joyful, I’m sure, to be back home. We had drama of a far different and more benign kind - what I remember most was her then 14-year-old mini panic of “OMG, between the two roles I have to kiss three different boys!” That would be much less of an issue now!
OU does not double cast but they do have U/S for lead roles and swings for others. My D was thrilled to be cast this, her freshman year, as an U/S in one of their fall musicals. They didn’t fhave to use her in that capacity so she sang happily with the ensemble. However, it was a great experience that also gave her the added bonus of bonding with the upper classman girl cast in the role she undestudied.
I do not think the college admissions for MT programs have “understudies” per say, but they do have “waitlists” and “alternates”, which is somewhat similar.
@broadwaybabyyy - if you read this thread it is about casting in college shows after you are in the program, not about auditioning for admission.