With no understudies, what do you do when someone gets hurt? FOX is going to find out tonight during its live 3-hour performance.
Brennin Hunt, Roger in the musical, rolled his ankle during Saturday's live performance and dress rehearsal. He was taken to a local hospital and his status for Sunday's live broadcast on Fox is currently unknown.
The show will go on as planned, or at least that is what producers are saying at this time. Supposedly, if he cannot move as well as before the incident, Hunt will still be on stage as Roger in some capacity.
I remember taking 76 high school seniors to see Rent just off Broadway. It's a physically demanding play, set, and action that goes at multiple speeds.
Besides Hunt, the cast of Rent includes Vanessa Hudgens, Tinashe, Kiersey Clemons and Valentina. Just like Hunt, they as well have no understudies. How will the rest of the cast react to some possible changes in action, choreography, etc.?
According to HollywoodReporter.com, Fox is going to use some taped parts from Saturday's dress rehearsal during Sunday's live broadcast. This is not a new practice or Plan B as it has always been part of the preparation for the live broadcast, may there be an injury, problems with a set, or uncooperative weather.
"Actually, I think on Grease we lost sound for eight seconds and we switched. I think we had to switch to the back up for eight seconds, and no one noticed," Rent live director Alex Rudzinski told reporters.
Hunt apparently rolled his ankle with 15 minutes remaining and during the final commercial break in Saturday's Live and TAPED dress rehearsal when the injury occurred. The HollywoodReporter.com reports that producers shifted the stage direction for the final act having Hunt sitting on a table center stage with his foot propped up on a chair missing his right shoe as his ankle was swelling.
Will you tune in tonight to see Rent?
Picture below shows the original Broadway cast and the Larson family joining the cast on set of RENT airing this Sunday, Jan. 27 (8:00-11:00 PM ET LIVE/PT TAPE-DELAYED) on FOX.