"The Standbys" is a story of the actors you don't see. Those performers who are so talented that huge Broadway productions trust them to stand by backstage as understudies for the lead to carry an entire show. This documentary film follows three amazingly gifted but undiscovered performers backstage on Broadway through their dramatic ups and downs, struggles and triumphs, onstage performances and private lives. All of them fighting against long odds with the hope that one day all of their hard work will finally earn them a moment in the spotlight to prove what they're capable of.