The Ongoing Wicked Discussion Thread

[amp09]

A much more settled second act including the girls behind me. Someone must’ve told them to shut it during the interval. Really impressed by this new cast bar Fiyero - weak vocals, poor delivery and overacted! Lucy played it pretty much by the book - no ridiculous riffing, just good solid vocals and a strong connection with Helen. Morrible was a hoot! Certainly feels much less stale than previous visits over the last few years but could do with a rejuvenation/reimagining

[fiyero]

I had a great evening and am looking forward to seeing them all once they’ve settled in (back in 8 weeks).
The audience was excitable but not as bad as I feared.

[aingidh]

I’m in next Wednesday and I am very excited! I could feel myself zoning out a little at points during the last cast’s last show, so my hope is that this cast will refresh the show for me. Had a cheeky listen to a Lucie DG audio that’s cropped up on Twitter and she sounds out of this world, so I’m very very excited to see her alongside Helen who was already my favourite Glinda.

[musicbox]

I managed to get a very cheap seat at around 4pm today for tonight's show (£35 for row O in the stalls, compared to the row behind which was £80!)

I thought Lucie did brilliantly, but honestly the crowd really annoyed me throughout. I don't want to sound like a Karen who doesn't allow people to have fun, but I found it really annoying that I could barely hear Defying Gravity for deafening screams and Lucie started what sounded like an incredible belt in No Good Dead, but half way through the audience drowned it out so much that it was not audible and you could only see her lips moving - so annoying!

The highlight of the night for me was actually Helen Woolf, her voice is absolutely incredible and she plays the part brilliantly. I agree with the above poster about Fiyero though - he was shockingly bad! I was literally cringing throughout Dancing Through Life. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to nerves though as I can imagine how terrifying it must be to debut in such a huge show.

Overall it was a really great night, but I just wish the audience would wait until the song is over before losing their mind!

[Being Alive]

Such a super night.

Whilst not 100% yet (no one expected her to be it's her first time doing it in front of 1000+ people), Lucie looks to be on track to be one of the best we've had in london. Vocally very secure as we expected, but I really noticed her acting today which has been lacking for me previous times I've seen her. She's just gonna get better and better.
Helen is a dream as Glinda (which we knew) and it's so good having a vocally solid Glinda who is also super funny.

Ryan is a bit wet as Fiyero and his accent is doing a round the world tour, but I've certainly seen worse.

Gary Wilmot good, but not great. Will warm up in the coming weeks.

Sophie Louise Dann best Morrible we've ever had. Got every laugh possible, got every sinister moment, and was high camp all the way through.

It's gonna be a good year - excited to see it again soon!

[richey]

Bloomin eck, the recordings are appearing on YouTube already!

[filendile]

Did Sophie’s Morrible remind anyone else of Bernadette Peters? I loved her.

I thought Fiyero was stronger in act 2 and As Long As You’re Mine wasn’t bad. Helen was one of the best Glinda’s I’ve seen, up there with Louise Dearman and Sarah Earnshaw. The screaming in No Good Deed was frustrating.

[wicked]

I mean, it's Lucie Jones, isn't it? Incredible - can't wait to see her again to actually hear her sing the end of the songs..!

Love Helen, she looked so so comfortable up there, and Sophie was fabulous. Carina and Nicholas are still great.

Feel awful saying it but I didn't enjoy Ryan as Fiyero, I didn't believe his chemistry with either Elphaba or Glinda. I'm hoping it's just nerves and he'll warm up.

Also, did anyone else have dreadful trouble with the sound in the stalls? I was in Row J on the right side (if you're looking at the stage) and there were times I couldn't hear a word - I barely made out Dancing Through Life and if it wasn't for me knowing half the dialogue by heart I would have definitely missed half the plot. The speaker booming out in my direct line made the band sound like they were on a CD and completely drowned everything else out. I'll stick to the front row dayseats in future!

[wicked]

Also - I did enjoy the obvious friends and family in the audience cheering on their loved ones. "This is my monkey servant, Chistery" "WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

[musicbox]

Feb 1, 2022 23:55:33 GMT wicked said:

I mean, it's Lucie Jones, isn't it? Incredible - can't wait to see her again to actually hear her sing the end of the songs..!

Love Helen, she looked so so comfortable up there, and Sophie was fabulous. Carina and Nicholas are still great.

Feel awful saying it but I didn't enjoy Ryan as Fiyero, I didn't believe his chemistry with either Elphaba or Glinda. I'm hoping it's just nerves and he'll warm up.

Also, did anyone else have dreadful trouble with the sound in the stalls? I was in Row J on the right side (if you're looking at the stage) and there were times I couldn't hear a word - I barely made out Dancing Through Life and if it wasn't for me knowing half the dialogue by heart I would have definitely missed half the plot. The speaker booming out in my direct line made the band sound like they were on a CD and completely drowned everything else out. I'll stick to the front row dayseats in future!

Yeah I also had sound issues in row O of the stalls, there were times where the dialogue wasn't very clear and vocals were being drowned out by the orchestra.

I'm pretty sure that even a meteor shower would struggle to drown out Helen Woolf's voice though, so powerful!

[aingidh]

Helen as Glinda has been criminally underrated until now, my hope is that now that more people are seeing the show due to the appeal of Lucie/new cast as a whole, she’ll get the appreciation she really deserves.

[WireHangers]

It’s insane that Lucie has been auditioning for Elphaba for years and years and now that she’s finally playing the role she’s getting fantastic reviews. What were the casting people thinking?!

[isabel]

Feb 2, 2022 0:28:53 GMT WireHangers said:

It’s insane that Lucie has been auditioning for Elphaba for years and years and now that she’s finally playing the role she’s getting fantastic reviews. What were the casting people thinking?!

Maybe they thought she was too young previously ?

[inthenose]

Jan 28, 2022 21:07:02 GMT inthenose said:

Jan 28, 2022 11:22:04 GMT isabel said:

Was meant to be at Wicked Tuesday night. Sadly had to cancel as a family member has tested Positive for Covid, & I don’t want to risk it ....

So I shall be checking in on here for the reviews of Lucie

Checking on here for reviews?!

Almost everyone already loves this performer as shown with all the posts in previous pages, they already love the show - and they are paying to go to her very first performance. A performance full of screaming, cheering fans of the show/the performer who are specifically there to see her.

It will be unanimous raves from every single person who posts, saying she is their new favourite and one of the best to have ever done it. It will be how the show is in amazing shape, how the atmosphere was electric and how they are rebooking to see it again, because she is just going to get better and better. It will have surpassed even their high expectations.

The first "unofficial audio" clips will be on YouTube/Tumblr etc within an hour of curtain down.

[ladidah]

Fiyero seems to be the only sticking point - a friend went last week and said he really stood out as sounding weak.

[danb]

Feb 2, 2022 0:11:44 GMT aingidh said:

Helen as Glinda has been criminally underrated until now, my hope is that now that more people are seeing the show due to the appeal of Lucie/new cast as a whole, she’ll get the appreciation she really deserves.

I must admit, I was really taken with Helens voice even in her bits of DG. Lucie just sounded effortlessly gorgeous.

[tsxmitw]

I was there last night. In my view, Lucie needs some improvement. She reminds me of Louise Dearman and Emma Hatton - excellent voices in other roles but for some reason large parts of the Wicked score just don’t sit comfortably in their voice - to my ears at least. I thought there were some slightly uncomfortable moments last night - a few flat, strained belts and notes cut short. But equally lots of lovely softer moments. she will improve and of course it’s only her first show. Helen was a delight

[LaLuPone]

Feb 2, 2022 7:50:14 GMT ladidah said:

Fiyero seems to be the only sticking point - a friend went last week and said he really stood out as sounding weak.

That would have been a different Fiyero though!

[aingidh]

Would've most likely been Alistair Brammer who I actually thought was one of their stronger Fiyeros from recent times. David Witts on the other hand... no comment.

[Jane Parfitt]

Grace Chapman, first cover Nessarose, on today!

[survivingwanderlust]

Apologies for my previous linked post, here is our write up of the 1st Feb performance:

“I think I’ve found the place where I belong!” - Lucie Jones (as Elphaba)

1st February 2022, remember the day. The day Lucie Jones flew, the day she found where she belongs, the day Elphaba got the voice she has been waiting ten years for.

A true story of perseverance, of a determination to never settle for being ‘good enough’ and never taking any of her knock backs as anything other than a motivational springboard to be better. Lucie Jones has come so far in the ten years since her first audition for Wicked. So many would have been disheartened, but it is a testament to the casting crew of Wicked who clearly have a huge amount of respect for auditionees in giving constructive feedback. It is then down to the individual to use that feedback to focus their energy on continually improving their skills. Lucie Jones’ has done just that and her humility has helped to get her here. She has been wowing audiences in Les Mis, Waitress and selling out her own concerts yet cannot contain her childlike excitement at seeing her photo outside the Apollo Victoria, she is an incredibly endearing human and a true sensation.

For tonight’s show, we saw debuts for several of the other principals and a return for another. Ryan Reid (Fyero), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madam Morrible), Gary Wilmot (The Wizard) all performed for the first time while Helen Woolf (Glinda) returned to the role after her maternity leave.

There was an incredible buzz around the theatre leading up to performance. The only time we have seen anything like this was when we saw Amber Riley in her first performance in Dreamgirls - tonight was something extra though.

As Helen Woolf descended in the opening scene the audience erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause. Sophie Evans’ Glinda has been outstanding and to follow that was going to be very difficult but Helen Woolf showed her experience and gave a sparkling display of vocals and great comedic value.

Ryan Reid looked like a towering figure of a man in the publicity shots leading up to this performance but he was remarkably light on his feet and showed beautiful shape in his dance numbers. He clearly has the vocals to go with this dance ability but the sound mixing possibly let him down tonight meaning that he sounded like he was holding something back. The best is still to come from the new Fyero and it’ll not take long to come out!

Gary Wilmot and Sophie-Louise Dann were excellent in their roles and you would never have known this was their first performance, both were flawless and they supported the leads perfectly. Honourable mention to Nicholas McLean who continued his role as Boq, he plays the part brilliantly and his vocals have really come on since we saw the show in November!

The night, in our opinion however; belonged to Lucie Jones. Following on from the amazing Laura Pick is a mammoth task but anyone who has been following Lucie over the past few years would have been in no doubt that this was only going one way.

The moment Elphaba made her entrance carrying her suitcase you could see how much this meant to her. The audience let her know they felt the same and greeted her with applause before she had even sung a note. No amount of green makeup could hide the smile and at times the giddiness that shone throughout the night. It wasn’t all plain sailing however, a delay on the show’s quickest change meant Glinda was singing from the wings for 15 seconds of One Short Day but Lucie took it in her stride and did not miss a beat. She hit all of the big notes through the show, in fact she hit every single note. The performance was beyond exceptional and to hear Lucie Jones’ unique dulcet tones gives a whole new sound to Elphaba and it’s everything!

We had fabulous seats Q25 & 26 in the stalls which is the first row in the rear section meaning you have extra legroom (not that us two shorties needed it!) but the distance from the row in-front makes it virtually impossible to have your view obstructed. These do come at a cost however but it was a special occasion!

The theatre is Wicked through and through, glowing green, you can spot it from a distance. Inside is equally ‘greenified’ and there are several bars and plenty of merchandise stands so queues are not bad. The merchandise is great, and we picked up the Grimmerie; a fantastic history and behind the scenes of the musical, and also got a program.

Upon leaving the theatre we found a mass of people waiting by the stage door - this was unprecedented for a musical, there must have been 2-300 people all waiting to see the stars as they made their way out. We were lucky enough to get a moment with Lucie who kindly signed our program and took a photo. As always was so kind and upbeat with her fans. The glow she still has when she is around her fans is amazing considering how long she has been doing this, she is a credit to herself and the industry - a true superstar.

Wicked is one of our favourite musicals and we highly recommend seeing this cast - obviously you can never be totally sure who will be on each night but always check in advance of cast holidays, these are shown at the bottom the cast page on the official website.

[musicbox]

I decided on a whim to go back to Wicked again on my own tonight hoping to hear the show better without the excessive screaming, and I did...

But I'm starting to feel like I attract this to myself recently as despite having a really close seat (Row E in the stalls, restricted but not really if you know what's going on), I was absolutely surrounded by inconsiderate people. The two people sat next to me were sharing a dairy milk bar together, constantly rustling, before the one nearest to me started licking all of fingers during The Wizard and I which honestly made me feel sick.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there was a group of three people in the row in front who were constantly getting up to go to the toilet, separately and at 10 minute intervals throughout the first act. They were in the middle of the row as well so everyone was having to get up to let them out - I was honestly furious! I'm not sure if someone complained, but all three were confronted by a steward just before the second act began and never returned to their seat, so thankfully the second act was interruption free.

Now to the positive stuff - Lucie was absolutely brilliant tonight! She pretty much sticks to the score verbatim vocally and doesn't riff or add her own inflections, but her voice is so clear and powerful that there was goosebumps moments one after another. I really enjoy that she's toned down the 'anger' that Laura and Alice brought to the role as well, her Elphaba is much more funny and relaxed.

A bit of a random aside as well, but I have to shout out how amazing all of the staff at the Apollo Victoria are as well! I suffer pretty badly from anxiety, so sometimes feel very nervous when going to a show alone, but every staff member was so friendly and welcoming - They're a credit to the theatre!

[ladidah]

I am always stuck with those people too! I have people eating a full packed lunch, a kid kicking my seat or someone on their phone.

[HereForTheatre]

It will be interesting to see if once she settles in she does start being a little more adventurous with the score and adding little bits of her own riffing and such in there, to start off with she probably just wants to play it safe and to the book until she's settled in and more confident.

[aingidh]

Feb 3, 2022 9:39:16 GMT HereForTheatre said:

It will be interesting to see if once she settles in she does start being a little more adventurous with the score and adding little bits of her own riffing and such in there, to start off with she probably just wants to play it safe and to the book until she's settled in and more confident.

This is what I was thinking. Nikki and most recently Laura were similar where they stuck to the score at the start of their runs but added their own spin on it later down the line.