It was a dream come true for Big Island actor Aidan Wharton when he got the call to join the cast of the acclaimed musical "Girl From The North Country" on Broadway this December. Wharton would be one of the show’s “swings,” what he describes as the substitute teachers of the theater world. Swings don’t go on stage every night, but they learn several different parts in the ensemble and principal cast. They need to be prepared to fill in at a moment’s notice.
Swings have always been the backbone of Broadway, but they’ve played an outsized role this season as omicron has torn through the performing community – something that Wharton learned firsthand. He spoke with The Conversation about his surprise debut, learning he would play a principal character just hours before the show started.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Jan. 21, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
