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Post by Michael on Apr 30, 2016 11:41:33 GMT
Basically the same, but the wording has been changed and it now states that video and audio recordings are unlawful and that phones must be turned off because they distract the actors on stage and one's fellow audience members. Hey, What did you think of the show after a few months away?! I'm back tonight (*ahem* Natalie Andreou *ahem*), so I'll post my thoughts either tonight or tomorrow on the way to Heathrow.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2016 15:18:52 GMT
Carina Gillespie is on as Glinda for both shows today alongside Natalie Andreou as Elphaba.
Steph Parry took over as Madame Morrible mid way through Act 1 of the matinee today, we can assume she will be on as Morrible for the evening show also (30th April, 2016)
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Post by Michael on Apr 30, 2016 15:21:12 GMT
Carina Gillespie is on as Glinda for both shows today alongside Natalie Andreou as Elphaba. Steph Parry took over as Madame Morrible mid way through Act 1 of the matinee today, we can assume she will be on as Morrible for the evening show also (30th April, 2016) I will report back. Never thought I'd see another double standby show, especially with these two ladies. Seen Carina already on tour and she was fabulous.
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Post by welsh_tenor on Apr 30, 2016 16:02:34 GMT
Steph Parry took over as Madame Morrible mid way through Act 1 of the matinee today, we can assume she will be on as Morrible for the evening show also (30th April, 2016) Interesting... It's probably easier to get Steph on as Morrible mid-show than pull Kerry out of the ensemble to switch. But as 1st u/s doesn't Kerry get 1st dibs on the part if it needs covering? So therefore would be Morrible this evening?
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Post by Michael on Apr 30, 2016 16:53:48 GMT
Interesting... It's probably easier to get Steph on as Morrible mid-show than pull Kerry out of the ensemble to switch. But as 1st u/s doesn't Kerry get 1st dibs on the part if it needs covering? So therefore would be Morrible this evening? Steph Parry was on the Midwife track yesterday, and Kerry Enright was either Pfannee or Shen-Shen. I never know witch which is which. So both had an ensemble role. I guess it was the same today, so no idea why Steph Parry was put on as Morrible. Maybe Kerry was busy on stage when the decision was made and Steph was just around and available and could switch costumes quicker, who knows.
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Post by welsh_tenor on Apr 30, 2016 17:31:00 GMT
Interesting... It's probably easier to get Steph on as Morrible mid-show than pull Kerry out of the ensemble to switch. But as 1st u/s doesn't Kerry get 1st dibs on the part if it needs covering? So therefore would be Morrible this evening? Steph Parry was on the Midwife track yesterday, and Kerry Enright was either Pfannee or Shen-Shen. I never know witch which is which. So both had an ensemble role. I guess it was the same today, so no idea why Steph Parry was put on as Morrible. Maybe Kerry was busy on stage when the decision was made and Steph was just around and available and could switch costumes quicker, who knows. Yeah Kerry is Shen-Shen (my favourite ensemble member!) and I would have thought it easier to get Steph ready as midwife, as Kerry is in pretty much all of act one ensemble scenes whereas not sure Steph's track is as busy in the first half! Looking forward to your Elphie/Glinda review.....
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Post by Michael on Apr 30, 2016 17:46:04 GMT
Carina Gillespie is on as Glinda for both shows today alongside Natalie Andreou as Elphaba. Steph Parry took over as Madame Morrible mid way through Act 1 of the matinee today, we can assume she will be on as Morrible for the evening show also (30th April, 2016) I will report back. A picture paints a thousand words...
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Post by wicked on Apr 30, 2016 23:11:59 GMT
I'd imagine that in terms of a 1st cover having "dibs" on a part, that mainly only applies to scheduled holiday/few hours notice. Someone said they switched at the train station scene- so Liza must have been quite ill to not just get through to the interval. In that case, it would have been very rushed and I guess whoever is easiest to get ready goes on, "dibs" go out of the window! Steph tweeted that she was in the middle of an online shop so can't have been very busy with her track (if on at all) while Kerry was probably in full costume in the ensemble and then they would need another swing to replace Kerry and blah too much faff!
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Post by Michael on May 1, 2016 5:51:33 GMT
The reason might have been much simpler: Kerry Enright wasn't even on yesterday Evening, so I presume she was also off for the Matinee.
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Post by Michael on May 1, 2016 7:40:11 GMT
Hey, What did you think of the show after a few months away?! Looking forward to your Elphie/Glinda review..... Here we go, posting this from the X26 bus to Heathrow. I wasn't away from Wicked that long. Last time I saw the show in London was cast change (September IIRC, so that's seven months), but I did see Wicked three times on Broadway in-between. Still, entering the AV on Friday felt somehow like coming home, given how often I've been to that theatre, so I hope you can imagine how surprised I was when I entered the auditorium expecting to see the red seats, and instead saw a completely refurbished theatre. But the old seats were somewhat uncomfy, so that's a real improvement. However, the leg room in row A got somewhat smaller. So you can't stretch your legs anymore before the show and during the interval, as people will step on them. Steph Parry: I felt she rushed a bit too quickly through her lines and played Morrible too caricatual. Maybe it gets better over time, weren't yesterday her first two Morrible shows? Boq and Dillamond: what shall I say? Neither particularly good nor bad. Katie Rowley-Jones: not bad, but way too old for Nessa. Elphaba's line "that's my younger sister Nessarose" made me cringe. Mark Curry: Really liked his Wizard. Audible American accent (at last for my non native speaking ears) and a good singing voice. Oliver Savile: made it to the top 3 of my Fiyeros, great take on the role. Savannah Stevenson: just OK as Glinda, and nothing that justified the extension of her contract. However, after seeing the show on Broadway, I'm now spoilt by the American maniac (in a good way) Glindas, Carrie St. Louis and even more so Kara Lindsay. I think gho's lacklustre is a good description. What do we have to do to get such a Glinda over here? Carina Gillespie: I've already seen her on tour where I loved her Glinda. I never thought I might see her again, as not even she would make me sit through another Emma Hatton show, so you can imagine how happy I was after reading aidoon123's post yesterday. Her Glinda reminds me very much of a young Ivy Lynn (who you might know from Heaven on Earth, Liaisons and Bombshell). Better, fresher and funnier than Savannah. Still not Broadway level, but very good for our West End standard. Natalie Andreou: she never fails to amaze me. What a powerful voice, gave me goosebumps. She adds so many details to her portrayal that it's a joy to watch her. If you can somehow manage to see one of her shows, you should definitely go. You'll be in for a treat. In fact, I'll be back in London at the end of June when Emma is on vacation to see Natalie A 2 or 3 more times. Overall, a very strong cast - if it weren't for the three witches. The producers should immediately bump up the two standbys to lead. Both Natalie A and Carina are so much better and stronger than the actual leads.
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Post by tommy123 on May 1, 2016 11:12:28 GMT
As Liza had a Morrible switch, it got me thinking - have any other characters had a mid show switch? I know various Elphaba's have had them but have any of the others? Don't think I've ever heard of a Glinda switch either!
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Post by basdfg on May 1, 2016 12:14:09 GMT
Do they announce a switch to the audience or just hope people wouldn't notice.
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Post by Michael on May 1, 2016 12:23:47 GMT
Do they announce a switch to the audience or just hope people wouldn't notice. I once had an Elphaba switch in the interval, and they played an announcement that, due to the indisposition of Ms Willemijn Verkaik, the role of Elphaba will be played by Ms Ashleigh Gray for the remainder of the show. They did also update the TV screens above the box office to show that Ashleigh was on as Elphaba.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2016 13:38:26 GMT
Thank you for the shout out Michael, I was glad I could improve upon your day with the good news! Now that you've brought the matter up, may I ask what it was like to see the witch-switch between Willemijn and Ashleigh, and what you thought of Ashleigh's Elphaba?
I saw her six times on tour, and unfortunately for four of those she was quite ill so I feel like I have a more negative bias, what are your opinions on her both in vocals and acting, I would love to hear the thoughts from someone who's seen such a wide variety of Elphaba's!
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Post by Michael on May 1, 2016 19:59:24 GMT
Thank you for the shout out Michael, I was glad I could improve upon your day with the good news! Now that you've brought the matter up, may I ask what it was like to see the witch-switch between Willemijn and Ashleigh, and what you thought of Ashleigh's Elphaba? I saw her six times on tour, and unfortunately for four of those she was quite ill so I feel like I have a more negative bias, what are your opinions on her both in vocals and acting, I would love to hear the thoughts from someone who's seen such a wide variety of Elphaba's! I was super fortunate. I've heard nothing but praises for Ashleigh's Elphaba, but until then I had never seen her before. Back then, Emma Hatton was s/b Elphaba but she was on temporary leave (I forgot why) and they had fetched Ashleigh back as emergency standby. I never thought I'd ever get to see her, and Willemijn was perfectly fine in the first act, no vocal problems and nothing. Apparently, Willemijn had severe back problems (which are also responsible for her leaving the company prematurely as she had to undergo surgery). I was completely surprised but more than happy when I heard the announcement and even uttered a "Yes!". I absolutely adored her Elphaba. While she tries to "hide" her Scottish accent, I do love it when it shines through, and her vocals are to die for. She gave everything, and No Good Deed was out of this world. Maybe she thought it'd be the last time she'd ever play Elphaba, who knows. And she's drop-dead gorgeous Fast forward a bit: When the producers announced that Ashleigh would take over as tour Elphaba, I knew I had to squeeze another one or two tour stops in, as I had originally planned to only do the Edinburgh and Salford stops in the second half. I ended up also booking Liverpool and Bristol, so Liverpool was my first time seeing a full Ashleigh show. And she was great. Amazing vocals, a few riffs here and there, her accent and all. Unfortunately, she started having vocal problems in the second half of her run, so I only saw her once in Bristol, where I still enjoyed her Elphaba, but she wasn't as strong as earlier and held back quite a bit. At least she managed to get through the entire run (with Jacqueline Hughes being an unofficial alternate Elphaba) and to also do at least the third-last and last show of the tour. So out of twelve shows, I saw her nine times (Jacqueline Hughes twice and Zoe George once). Usually, I'm all for fresh blood and giving new actresses a chance at playing Elphaba, but I'd be extremely happy if I saw Ashleigh going green again. I think you might have enjoyed her Elphaba much more if you had seen her earlier in her run. Ashleigh is runner-up in my favourite Elphie list, after Willemijn and before Natalie A. Jenny DiNoia would be on the fourth place.
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Post by welsh_tenor on May 1, 2016 22:04:26 GMT
Ashleigh is runner-up in my favourite Elphie list, after Willemijn and before Natalie A. Jenny DiNoia would be on the fourth place. Oooo for me it would be: 1) Willemijn 2) Nikki Davis-Jones 3) Jen Dinoia
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 9:18:46 GMT
Thanks for the review of Ashleigh, Michael! She is an amazing Elphaba, it's a pity I didn't see her at her best, but I saw her for both closing shows in Liverpool and her voice was amazing then! Since we've started it off my top 3 (of the whole 4 Elphaba's I have seen thus far, LOL) are... 1) Nikki Davis-Jones (X3): literally the definition of perfection in the role, she had stunning vocals especially during the crazy Christmas season and I saw her during the added shows, you couldn't tell! Her acting was even more flawless, she IS Elphaba for me! 2) Jacqueline Hughes (X4): she is just a powerhouse, I fell in love with Jackie the second she began belting in TWAI, her voice was pristine, you wouldn't believe it was her fifth ever show as Elphaba when I first saw her in Liverpool, her following shows (Salford) just added riffs into the mix with her crazy belting. Witnessed the closing day "Fiyero" riff, which is probably the best thing I have ever heard, save Nikki's 2nd BMD riff! 3) Ashleigh Gray (X6): Ashleigh was a powerhouse when I saw her on the closing day in Liverpool, she had a gorgeous belt and added in her jaw-dropping 2nd BMD riff, her acting was also amazing! In Salford, Ashleigh's acting remained at an amazing standard but due to how ill she was, her vocals did let me down, but her last show was amazing and I finally got to hear her three-part BMD, which she did at pretty much every show except when I was in attendance so it was great to finally hear it! I adore Ashleigh, she is so stunning and I commend her for closing out the tour! May as well add this since I only have one more Elphaba under my belt... 4) Emma Hatton (X2): Had a nice voice in the three big songs, one moment that stood out was "I'm not that girl", her low note was gorgeous. Unfortunately, she couldn't act at all, I mean at all at all. Very one dimensional. I remember vividly, cringing during Popular at how ridiculously bad her "toss toss *laugh*" was (Savannah didn't help either, but that's for a different review Emma really didn't do anything for me, so I will be avoiding London until she is gone (hopefully dragging Savannah with her, they've both been around far too long)
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Post by wicked on May 2, 2016 20:01:22 GMT
ooh for me it'd be:
Rachel Tucker- my first Elphaba and just in my opinion the best there ever was- just fasjfak perfect
then Natalie McQueen- been wanting to see her for so long and then purely by chance she was on when I went for my birthday! The first time I'd been to see the London production since Rachel, and I have to be honest, I didn't understand the critques about the new ensemble because for me the show felt very fresh! Natalie was just absolutely wonderful, every note hit beautifully and some just made me melt (pun intended). She made me laugh a lot, and worked very well with Carina's Glinda, and I enjoyed her sassy/sarcastic take on the role
Caroline Bowman would be my 3rd, as she has a special place in my heart as being my Broadway Elphie! She was also wonderful.
but to be honest- I've never seen a poor or average Elphaba!
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Post by shady23 on May 2, 2016 21:54:41 GMT
Well if we have to have this discussion again I will vote for Rachel Tucker as my favourite Elphaba followed by Kerry Ellis (2009 version!). My favourite in recent times is Jacqui Hughes although I really wish I had got to see Jenny more than once. Went to her first show and it was incredible.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 1:06:25 GMT
Take a moment to congratulate Rachel and both the Broadway and US Touring Companies of Wicked for winning three awards at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards!
Favourite Long-Running Show: Wicked Favourite Tour: Wicked Favourite Replacement (Female): Rachel Tucker
It has won Favourite Long-Running Show 11 times since opening (not including it's Favourite New Broadway Musical win in 2004!
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 6:29:42 GMT
I am so glad Wicked is going so strong and still reeling in awards like this year after year, the critics who slated the show upon its opening must feel pretty stupid right now!
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Post by HereForTheatre on May 6, 2016 8:48:47 GMT
WOS just tweeted about "many leading ladies" being revealed next week in casting news, so i;m wondering if this is the announcements of the Tour and London Wicked (main) casts?
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Post by welsh_tenor on May 6, 2016 9:08:23 GMT
WOS just tweeted about "many leading ladies" being revealed next week in casting news, so i;m wondering if this is the announcements of the Tour and London Wicked (main) casts? They've just tweeted casting announcements for My Fair Lady anniversary concert featuring a leading cast so looks like the first tweet was teasing this!
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Post by HereForTheatre on May 6, 2016 9:21:31 GMT
WOS just tweeted about "many leading ladies" being revealed next week in casting news, so i;m wondering if this is the announcements of the Tour and London Wicked (main) casts? They've just tweeted casting announcements for My Fair Lady anniversary concert featuring a leading cast so looks like the first tweet was teasing this! Oh haha i read it as"next week" not "next tweet" oops!
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 9:49:41 GMT
WOS just tweeted about "many leading ladies" being revealed next week in casting news, so i;m wondering if this is the announcements of the Tour and London Wicked (main) casts? Someone on another thread said his friend had a source that told him there would be a cast announcement for the tour today. I hope it's true. I can't take the waiting anymore. I've been waiting for a cast announcement ever since the tour was announced in November
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 9:57:42 GMT
My 3 favourite Elphabas, I've never seen live. But based on audios and videos, my favourites are Rachel Tucker, Kerry Ellis and Jemma Rix. If just one of them came back to the role in London, I'd be so happy.
So far I've seen 3 Elphabas live: 1) Natalie Andreou: She was my first live Elphie. She as amazing. Great voice, great acting. She's no Rachel Tucker, but she's still very good. 2) Laura Emmitt: wow! She was awesome. So fierce. She doesn't hold back at all. She really gives it her all. I'd be surprised if she didn't get the lead some day. Still hoping for her to be the lead on the tour. 3) Emma Hatton: Better than I expected. Good, but nothing special. I had heard some of her audios and didn't really like her. But she was better live. But still, I wouldn't have given her the lead.
My biggest dream is for Rachel Tucker to return for the 10th anniversary. And hopefully Jemma Rix will play the role in London someday. I also hope for Laura Emmitt to either be promoted to standby at the cast change, or get the lead on the tour.
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Post by raiseitup on May 6, 2016 15:34:37 GMT
ANGELS
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 15:45:59 GMT
This is, quite literally, the ultimate reunion!
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Post by welsh_tenor on May 6, 2016 15:46:44 GMT
Epic!! What a great addition to the #OutOfOz series!
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Post by Steffi on May 6, 2016 17:27:32 GMT
That is beautiful! :-)
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