Introverts for Salesforce: It’s Okay Be an Understudy! Get ready for the Big Time!

“I’m The Greatest Star”! Yes, you know it’s true about yourself but the difficult part is convincing other people of this fact.

Unless you’re one of the few where the stars align and you land your Salesforce job a month after joining Talent Stacker (what???).

For the rest of us, we study, get our certifications, volunteer, prepare (as mentioned in my last article https://bit.ly/3SnY43c), and wait in the wings.

We pay your dues. And then, one fateful night, the big star breaks their leg (why does everyone wishes that?) and we get discovered.

That happened – without the leg breaking – to someone I know

Anette Michelle Sanders had a decade of experience working in theatre but still needed a day job – as most actors do. Working on the staff of The Music Center here in Los Angeles, she was suddenly asked to understudy two roles for the then-rehearsing production of Neil Simon’s “The Dinner Party” starring Rita Wilson, John Ritter, Henry Winkler (“Ayyyy”), Frances Conroy (omg), and Edward Herman (“Gilmore Girls”!!!). Never thinking she’d go on, she found out Rita left after the first preview, so Anette dropped everything and went on that second night playing John Ritter’s ex.

She killed it and was asked to stay for the whole run. And she’s gone on to have a great career, because had talent and she was prepared.

A similar story is unfolding right now on Broadway in real time.

I’m talking about Julie Benko. A truly funny girl.

If you don’t know “Funny Girl”, then Google it or better, see Barbra Streisand’s turn in the movie version.

The show was recently revived on Broadway starring Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice. Julie Benko, who had a decade herself doing national tours and understudy roles, was hired as Beanie’s standby.

Julie wasn’t standing by for long. Bernie unfortunately got massacred by the critics and began missing shows, then got Covid, and so Julie began to go on —- a lot. And because she was prepared (could act, sing, and be funny), she began to get a lot of attention.

Beanie knew the producers wanted to replace her with Lea Michelle of “Glee” (whole other drama!) so she quit, which left Julie Benko to take over full-time until Lea’s run. Julie even got her name on the Broadway marquee (I don’t know if that’s ever happened before).

And it gets better! Although Julie is back to being the standby, she’s just gotten hired to star in her very own Broadway debut show called “Harmony” written by Barry Manilow.

Looks like she’s made it.

For now, I’m fine being the standby or the understudy, knowing I’ll get my chance to step on that stage and be a Salesforce superstar.

Thanks for indulging my theatre nerdiness!

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash