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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2020 22:51:37 GMT
Stage door has been banned for now due to Coronavirus
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Post by danb on Mar 13, 2020 12:57:37 GMT
That’s nothing! I played every part bar Zack in A Chorus Line at the Altrincham Garrick when I was with the Piecrust Players. Margaret Jones’ guacamole had poisoned all but her husband (who clearly knew better) at the opening night shindig, so rather than cancelling we did it as a two hander. I lost half a stone and ended up in hospital for a week but it was well reviewed in the Hale Barns midweek Guardian.
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Post by deej4life on Apr 28, 2020 15:09:42 GMT
Seeing as we are all bored, how about we have a bit of a discussion?
Tell us about your top 3 Elphabas that you have seen and what you loved about their portrayal!
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Post by LaLuPone on Apr 28, 2020 16:39:42 GMT
My top 3:
3. Amy Ross: She’s probably my favourite Elphaba in terms of acting. I just loved her portrayal and really connected to her Elphaba, I know quite a few others did too. She just had that special something and I loved her voice on every song too, she didn’t need tons of riffs!
2. Jackie Burns: seeing Jackie on Broadway was just a dream come true. I went in the second week of her 2017-18 broadway run so I got a performance that was both fresh and exciting whilst also polished and layered. She has an amazing Menzel-type voice and is probably one of the best Elphabas the show has ever seen.
1. Rachel Tucker: the undisputed queen of green for me. I’ll always be sad that I only saw her once but I’m still grateful as hell that I did at least see her, her Elphaba is just perfect and her voice, her riffs, her characterisation, her everything is just unmatched.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2020 18:58:55 GMT
Well I’ve only seen 3 but I think I have a clear order of preference
1. Amy Ross (x3)
Her acting choices were sublime, i related to her portrayal so much, and her run on tour was probably my peak of being a Wicked fan. I didn’t really see the show that often but when I did see it, she was always fantastic. She was also genuinely the kindest person offstage and was always generous with her time. And she is probably the most consistent vocalist we’ve had - her mix is excellent,
2. Laura Pick (x1)
I was initially so disappointed to be missing out on seeing Nikki B, but Laura was absolutely amazing. She reminded me of Amy in so many ways in terms of acting, she had the same sort of sensitive and sweet approach to the character and then in act 2 she turns into such a bitch, bitter and angry at everyone that has wronged her. I also can’t imagine how stressful the circumstances she took over in were, but I didn’t see any stress or worries in her performance at all. Also she has probably the clearest and cleanest belt I’ve heard on that stage, while not being massive on riffs she made up for in absolute clarity, and it was lovely to hear the show sung to score for a change.
3. Alice Fearn (x3)
Alice I will always have a soft spot for. She was my first Elphaba. The night I first went happened to be her 300th show, and the RIFFS she did. Christ almighty. She shook me to the core. It took guts to make such bold choices but she did so well. I didn’t really connect with her acting at all though. She was far too angry and aggressive for me, i much prefer the contrasts between acts that my other two have. Alice didn’t really have that contrast. But, her final performance will always stick in my mind as a spectacular night.
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Post by deej4life on Apr 29, 2020 9:33:11 GMT
My own top 3 (in no particular order)
Nikki Davis-Jones: Nikki was my first Elphaba, all the way back in 2013. To say she gave me my love for Wicked would be an understatement. I was in awe of how incredible her portrayal of Elphaba was. I remember immediately falling in love with her Elphaba and the vulnerability she displayed. To this day, she performed the best No Good Deed I have ever seen in my 40+ times seeing Wicked. She was the full package of acting and vocals.
Amy Ross: Amy re-ignited the love I had for Wicked and brought many new layers to the role of Elphaba. The best way I could describe her performance is 'acting masterclass.' By far the most nuanced characterisation of Elphaba I have seen. Her transformation in Act 1, culminating to Defying Gravity was a spectacle. The intensity of her acting was by far her stand out quality, and her vocals were just as stellar. This woman deserves to lead on the West End!
Jackie Burns: Jackie was the first Elphaba I had ever watched a clip on online back in 2013. I remember so vividly commenting on how amazing the combination of acting and vocals were. I never expected to have the chance to see her, but when she returned to Broadway I knew I had to go see her. I must say that Jackie really gave the infamous 'Broadway standard.' Her vocals were out of this world, with such power and flexibility. Her acting was phenomenal and so different to other Elphabas I had seen. Truly one of the greats!
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Post by theatre241 on Apr 29, 2020 11:47:59 GMT
Who's going to be the next Elphaba in London, any predictions?
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Post by daisy24601 on Apr 29, 2020 12:11:23 GMT
My guess would be Laura Pick will take over full time.
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Post by vickyg on Apr 29, 2020 12:11:43 GMT
I have joint favourites, Rachel Tucker and Ashleigh Grey but I'm not sure who I would pick in third position, maybe Nikki Bentley as I loved her voice but only saw her in a no-fly show so it's not a level playing field. Several that I have only seen on youtube but loved including of course, Stephanie J Block, but also Julia Murney and Caissie Levy.
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Post by SuttonPeron on Apr 29, 2020 17:00:12 GMT
I saw Nikki Bentley on her first week and she was amazing. A total powerhouse with a beautiful and unique voice. Her “tell them how I” riff made my jump on my seat. Also, the nicest person at stagedoor.
I have only seen Wicked once (It has never been produced in my country); but judging from what I’ve seen on Instagram and YouTube, Jessica Vosk has to be my second favorite Elphie. She makes it sound effortless, her riffs are insane, and her portrayal of the character is what I imagine of Elphaba. Hannah Corneau’s voice has everything a good mezzo belt should be. She had to deal with being “Jessica Vosk’s succesor” and she did a terrific job making the role her own.
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Post by daisy24601 on Apr 29, 2020 19:30:06 GMT
I've seen four Elphabas, one I don't really remember and one I don't rate (and don't remember well enough either) so I'll mention the other two. 1. Willemijn Verkaik (surprised?  ) She is the perfect Elphaba for me. I'm not surprised she did it so long. She has the right voice, (I think Elphaba should be deep but soft vocally, in contrast to Glinda's high and strong) and she puts her own touch on the songs without riffing too much. I like her acting choices. By the time I saw her she'd been doing it long enough to know how to say the lines to make them the most funny. I'm still blown away by how she doesn't take a breathe in that big section in The Wizard and I. I think her Popular hair toss bit is way funnier than just falling off the bed. Love her whispering "I'm wicked" in No Good Deed. No one else can compare. 2. Alice Fearn She has a great voice and she was enjoyable to watch. A bit too shouty and aggressive for me but I think she's up there with the best. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2020 19:40:04 GMT
There’s a question!
1. Rachel Tucker
Easily my favourite. She can sing it as well as anyone else but acts the hell out of it. I’ve seen many in the role but Rachel plays the part angry and it really works - Elphaba with a chip on her shoulder works much better than the whole timid-but-nice way others play it.
2. Kerry Ellis
She was my first, and one of the best. I think she gets a hard time from some people but she’s flawless as a performer. Yes she’s more vocalist than actress, but she knew how to play Elphaba just right.
3. Ashleigh Gray
There was a moment a year or so I ago I got to see Emma one month, Alice the next and then Ashleigh the next in London... and she was brilliant in the role. In fairness Alice comes in a close 3rd too (I believe I saw her first ever performance and you’d never know it) but there was just something special with Ashleigh compared to the other two that I saw in quick succession. She just seemed to go for it, which is what I think you need to do as we follow Elohaba’s story.
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Post by singularsensation10 on Apr 29, 2020 20:18:53 GMT
Idina was my first and will always have that soft spot for me. The sheer size of her voice (that’s the only way I can describe it) is enough to hit the core when you hear it live - I appreciate she doesn’t sound great on recordings but holy Jesus when you’re hearing it live it’s unbelievable. I also think once she got to London she knew Elphaba inside out so it was such a comfortable performance - she didn’t feel she had to prove anything like so many Elphabas I have seen since come across.
My other favourite is Cassidy Janson - such a layered actress and a quirky unique voice, a timbre you don’t hear often with Elphabas but really works. Loved her.
Notable favourites of mine are also Christine Dwyer, Louise Dearman and Hayley Gallivan.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2020 15:18:30 GMT
I'm not really sure there would have been many significant cast changes this summer. The only people I could potentially see leaving from the lead cast are Helen, Andy and Simeon, mainly due to looking at their Spotlight pages and them saying "until July 2020" which it doesn't say for other cast members such as Laura.
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Post by daisy24601 on May 13, 2020 11:15:40 GMT
Nice collaboration on For Good. I love that they got so many previous cast members.
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Post by singularsensation10 on May 14, 2020 11:41:04 GMT
Nice collaboration on For Good. I love that they got so many previous cast members. Lovely video! I missed CJ and Sarah Earnshaw a bit though! And no Chloe Taylor / Nikki Davis Jones either? |
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2020 19:53:34 GMT
I bought a ticket for a Q&A with Nikki Bentley on Zoom tonight, and it was well worth it, it was a lovely hour of chat and questions, and she's looking so well which is lovely. She also mentioned that she would want to possibly return to Wicked in future, which I really hope she will do as the circumstances that were going on during her run as lead weren't ideal.
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Post by SuttonPeron on May 23, 2020 10:31:59 GMT
I bought a ticket for a Q&A with Nikki Bentley on Zoom tonight, and it was well worth it, it was a lovely hour of chat and questions, and she's looking so well which is lovely. She also mentioned that she would want to possibly return to Wicked in future, which I really hope she will do as the circumstances that were going on during her run as lead weren't ideal. Time for me to start saving up money 😂... My bet is she will return for the 15th anniversary. |
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2020 10:39:50 GMT
I bought a ticket for a Q&A with Nikki Bentley on Zoom tonight, and it was well worth it, it was a lovely hour of chat and questions, and she's looking so well which is lovely. She also mentioned that she would want to possibly return to Wicked in future, which I really hope she will do as the circumstances that were going on during her run as lead weren't ideal. Time for me to start saving up money 😂... My bet is she will return for the 15th anniversary. They apparently really want Alice Fearn and Sophie Evans back for the actual 15th anniversary period, but I’d bet anything that Nikki will come back in January 2022 like Willemijn did for the 10th after she left early. |
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Post by SuttonPeron on May 23, 2020 10:42:40 GMT
Time for me to start saving up money 😂... My bet is she will return for the 15th anniversary. They apparently really want Alice Fearn and Sophie Evans back for the actual 15th anniversary period, but I’d bet anything that Nikki will come back in January 2022 like Willemijn did for the 10th after she left early. Then I’d have to save to see Alice and Sophie’s last and Nikki’s first 😆. Wicked does know how to make me pay. |
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Post by sb on May 23, 2020 11:03:00 GMT
Where is it reported that Alice & Sophie will return?
I could just about stomach a return to Alice if it’s only for a limited period. I would personally prefer they do a Broadway 10th anniversary stunt and cast someone new to the role ... but I realise the chances of that happening are SLIM!
Sophie is a major no for me. I felt she never hit the mark as Glinda, bringing her back for the 15th would be a disappointment in my opinion. I would rather see Helen stay on in a KRJ style extension.
I wouldn’t be too sure we could see Nikki return. Of course it all depends on the circumstances around her exit, which none of us will ever know, but no matter how much Wicked say they would work with her again, doesn’t mean it will ever happen. She left half way through a contract and had poor attendance during the part she did honour.
There’s plenty of situations in the real world where employees don’t have a perfect employment record and leave, by law they can apply to come back at any point, but doesn’t mean they will be re-employed.
There’s always the option of picking other candidates above them. It’s just pure speculation on my part, and it has happened before, but I just think it’s more complex than Nikki has said she wants to return so it will happen.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2020 12:05:59 GMT
Where is it reported that Alice & Sophie will return? It was heavily rumoured on Twitter, I know it could be a load of rubbish but both of them do seem eager to return at some point, and because they were probably the most popular pairing in recent years with the fanbase as a whole, I could see the producers wanting to bring them back for the anniversary. I would rather see Helen stay on in a KRJ style extension. I would prefer this too to be honest, but I don't want Helen to become bored by staying too long. Her Glinda is as perfect as any could be in my opinion and I don't want to see her lose any of the sparkle that makes her so good, which I've unfortunately seen too many times onstage through others staying on for ages and losing enthusiasm. |
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Post by theatre241 on May 23, 2020 13:47:28 GMT
Sorry for this stupid question but when is the 15th anniversary in London ?
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2020 14:10:07 GMT
Sorry for this stupid question but when is the 15th anniversary in London ? 27th September 2021 |
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Post by daisy24601 on May 23, 2020 18:31:03 GMT
Where is it reported that Alice & Sophie will return? I could just about stomach a return to Alice if it’s only for a limited period. I would personally prefer they do a Broadway 10th anniversary stunt and cast someone new to the role ... but I realise the chances of that happening are SLIM!Sophie is a major no for me. I felt she never hit the mark as Glinda, bringing her back for the 15th would be a disappointment in my opinion. I would rather see Helen stay on in a KRJ style extension. I wouldn’t be too sure we could see Nikki return. Of course it all depends on the circumstances around her exit, which none of us will ever know, but no matter how much Wicked say they would work with her again, doesn’t mean it will ever happen. She left half way through a contract and had poor attendance during the part she did honour. There’s plenty of situations in the real world where employees don’t have a perfect employment record and leave, by law they can apply to come back at any point, but doesn’t mean they will be re-employed. There’s always the option of picking other candidates above them. It’s just pure speculation on my part, and it has happened before, but I just think it’s more complex than Nikki has said she wants to return so it will happen. Who was that? |
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