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Post by LaLuPone on Aug 22, 2017 1:39:27 GMT
I watched a full amazing-quality bootleg of Donna and Alli back in 2015, from when Donna was Standby on Broadway, Alli is the funniest Glinda I've ever seen she literally gets a giggle for every line. And as for Donna, she was incredible. I loved her voice, her portrayal, her everything. I wondered how the lead she was covering for could be any better than her! And then I saw Jackie Burns this year and was like oh, that's how 😍 I think the above video is from the same bootleg? It's been doing the rounds for years, but like you said it's such an amazing quality! I'm sure when it first came out it was widely reported to have been filmed on Jackies last show (which, sadly, she never made!) 👍🏼 [ Yeah it probably is from the same bootleg then, I heard it was Jackie's first-last too.
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Post by singularsensation10 on Aug 22, 2017 11:34:16 GMT
I saw Alli twice on Broadway - she was a phenomenal Glinda, and paired so well with Nicole Parker (who was also one of the best Elphabi I've seen).
I've seen a lot of discussion about whether Wicked works better with an English or an American accent but as a linguist and someone that has studied accents quite in depth it has absolutely nothing to do with accent and everything to do with culture. Despite speaking the same language (almost) we have very little culturally in common with the US. So parts of the show work very differently in both settings. I don't agree with the comments that Wicked is an American show because Oz is a fictional place, however I do see why people would say this.
No idea what made me segue from talking about Alli Mauzey to that but felt it needed saying? Haha
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Post by tsxmitw on Aug 22, 2017 12:04:28 GMT
Does anyone know who is doing the matinees this week, Laura or Alice?
Thanks
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Post by shady23 on Aug 22, 2017 12:08:31 GMT
Alice is off Thursday evening. Sophie is off for the extra Thursday matinee.
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Post by tsxmitw on Aug 22, 2017 13:05:00 GMT
Alice is off Thursday evening. Sophie is off for the extra Thursday matinee. Thanks
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Post by Negamuse on Aug 23, 2017 23:52:11 GMT
I've seen a lot of discussion about whether Wicked works better with an English or an American accent but as a linguist and someone that has studied accents quite in depth it has absolutely nothing to do with accent and everything to do with culture. Despite speaking the same language (almost) we have very little culturally in common with the US. So parts of the show work very differently in both settings. I don't agree with the comments that Wicked is an American show because Oz is a fictional place, however I do see why people would say this. Wicked steals enough from ALL the various incarnations of Oz it's less from any one place than the source materials were. Though there are a few rhymes here and there that work better in the American accent and most of the ones that spring to mind are in Galinda's lyrics ("bare it / popularity", and "finale / ballihoo" off the top of my head. But they don't sound especially clunky in an English accent.) Maybe that's part of why I feel like the role that typifies the American vs English thing is Galinda, I think. Elphaba is her own thing, but Galinda was played as a particular "type" right from the beginning that was definitely American, and the really successful London Galindas that everyone agrees on have been the ones that have, to my mind, diverted the most from that and really pushed hard into a kind of English characterization. I never saw Gina Beck on Broadway, it'd be interesting to see how she changed it up for that audience, if at all, same with the others that have travelled.
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Post by shady23 on Aug 24, 2017 5:54:51 GMT
I don't think she did Broadway, she did the American tour.
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Post by poster J on Aug 24, 2017 8:41:04 GMT
I never saw Gina Beck on Broadway, it'd be interesting to see how she changed it up for that audience, if at all, same with the others that have travelled. Rachel switched to an American accent, though in the Northern Irish still came through the same way it did in London! Some of the lines were done a bit differently, but her Elphaba was essentially not much different to how she played it in London, though even then each performance was different to a certain extent so it's difficult to compare. I think Kerry did an American accent on Broadway as well.
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Post by welsh_tenor on Aug 24, 2017 9:55:11 GMT
Gina did an American accent too, there were audios of her on YouTube at the time!
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Post by shady23 on Aug 24, 2017 11:07:37 GMT
Rachel still had her American accent when she came back to London but it soon went.
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Post by LaLuPone on Aug 24, 2017 11:10:35 GMT
I thought she still sounded a bit American by her last week to be honest, and my friend who saw the show in October knowing nothing of Rachel or Wicked actually thought she was American.
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Post by poster J on Aug 24, 2017 11:55:40 GMT
I disagree, I thought Rachel had become properly English-with-a-significant-twang-of-Northern Irish again by the end, seemed exactly like her Elphaba sounded first time around to me! Some of her acting choices had changed, but the voice was the same.
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Post by tr252 on Aug 24, 2017 20:32:23 GMT
I have to say, from the audios that are floating around, Laura Pick has a wonderfully clear voice. The Wizard and I sounds gorgeous.
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Post by deej4life on Aug 26, 2017 17:01:02 GMT
I'm about to bring up a mildly controversial topic for sure, but I am curious as to what others think. Do you think riffs are necessary for Elphaba in her three big numbers? (The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity & No Good Deed).
Personally, I really enjoy The Wizard and I more plain, while the riffs are nice, just a solid belt and nice extended end note does the trick for me. Defying Gravity is one where a riff or two is nice, but I have heard some very powerful renditions with little to no riffs and enjoyed them immensely! As for No Good Deed, this is the song I need a riff or two in. The end note is very anti-climactic if "sung to score" as such, I need a nice riff here to really round out the song.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 17:06:02 GMT
Well it depends on what you are really asking... are you meaning it as necessary or preferred? Because that is two completely different topics.
Personally speaking, I don't think it is at all necessary. Do I enjoy a riff, yes of course, and some Elphaba's have natural riffs that just work in the score that feel natural. But some really do try too hard and end up going out of the score for the sake of adding a riff, and it ends up sounding disjointed. Sometimes, a fair few of the previous leading ladies have done it to the determent of the score.
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Post by tsxmitw on Aug 26, 2017 17:07:32 GMT
I'm about to bring up a mildly controversial topic for sure, but I am curious as to what others think. Do you think riffs are necessary for Elphaba in her three big numbers? (The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity & No Good Deed). Personally, I really enjoy The Wizard and I more plain, while the riffs are nice, just a solid belt and nice extended end note does the trick for me. Defying Gravity is one where a riff or two is nice, but I have heard some very powerful renditions with little to no riffs and enjoyed them immensely! As for No Good Deed, this is the song I need a riff or two in. The end note is very anti-climactic if "sung to score" as such, I need a nice riff here to really round out the song. They are rarely necessary and I can't for the life of me understand why Wicked fans obsess over them so much. A couple of well-placed, well-sung, variations to the score are fine - Rachel Tucker got it right when she said they have to be done when the character moment feels right. I'd say a couple of riffs on an actresses last show are also acceptable. Willemijn Verkaik went over the top in her last run - her endings to the big songs sounded ridiculous.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 17:41:08 GMT
I'm torn on this, I think some riffs sound so good that they should be written permanently into the score, others work but only if certain performances do them and others should be outlawed immediately.
I love when Elphabi go to the F# on "things I'VE never felt" in The Wizard and I, Eden Espinosa originated it in 2003 and it sounds so much better than the far more clumsy way it's written (if an Elphaba can hit that note that is). I also think they should all extend the "look" on "look to the western sky" as hitting it short is a bit anti-climactic.
Rachel, Ashleigh, Kerry and Jenny especially all had their riffs that sounded amazing for them but not necessarily anyone else. Jenny's "tell them HOW I am defying gravity" riff was beautiful but I don't really think anyone else could have pulled it off, same with Rachel's melt riff (sorry Alice and Jenny).
Willemijn was a definite over-riffer, although it was fun the first time I heard it, her "want nothing else till I die" riff was BAD. It was emphasised strangely, didn't really fit in time and didn't add anything. Some people hate all riffs, I'd say that's an overreaction, but there are certainly good ones and bad ones.
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Post by Jackson on Aug 26, 2017 17:50:18 GMT
^ If I remember correctly, Jessica Vosk more or less extends her "look" in this audio: Can't listen to verify ATM, but hoping it's the right one. It sounds wonderful, and as you said, it'd most certainly be a positive change if it were written into the score as standard.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 26, 2017 18:10:45 GMT
I'm about to bring up a mildly controversial topic for sure, but I am curious as to what others think. Do you think riffs are necessary for Elphaba in her three big numbers? (The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity & No Good Deed). Oh god. Not the riff thing again
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 19:57:54 GMT
As it happens, I wanted to write about this subject today, as last night I returned for my third visit since my first foray into musical theatre in 2011.
I found the show was still as magical as it was three years ago, however the current cast are lacking something that is hard to put my finger on. Melanie La Barrie is a perfect Morrible, and Bradley Jaden was great, too (and he just so happens to fill Fieyro's jodhpurs very adequately). The leads however failed to whip up the same atmosphere in the auditorium that I've been accustomed to with Rachel/Louise and Willemijn/Gina. Jokes weren't landing and things felt a little awkward.
Sophie Evans has a voice for the Gods and uses it beautifully, and I loved her portrayal of Glinda. Alice Fearn, for me, was the largest disappointment unfortunately. She does have the vocal chops it seems, and whilst she does riff, she certainly doesn't do so as often as it gets berated about on here.
Personally, her riffs took me out of the moment and lost the emotion that I've seen and loved in the previous cast. I find it unnecessary to do so, especially during DG. I've not paid for a Jessie J concert.
Whilst it has once again stoked the fires in me to love this musical, I'm afraid this cast are ranked as my least favourite and I shall probably be waiting a further three years until we have a new Elphie. She's good at what she does, I can't fault her for that, but she's just not my cup of Twinings.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 21:04:21 GMT
I wish Alice would calm the vocals down just a touch, not for the sake of the score (though, that too!) but she is gonna damage her voice if she continues to go as full out with the yelling like she does. It feels like, based from what I have heard from audios (yes, only audios, but consistently she sounds the same) that she doesn't grasp the concept of having to do this role 8 times a week for a year. Because having seen her live before, she doesn't have a natural voice for this kind of score in my opinion. It works, but her voice doesn't fit the format of one that can do what she is doing. I'd hate her to damage her voice or get ill or anything, but to do that, she really needs to learn its OK to hold back a little bit more than she already is.
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Post by shady23 on Aug 26, 2017 21:09:41 GMT
* sits back and grabs the popcorn *
Plus, as riffs has come up again for the 846273th time, I like riffs if they are done well. Not just for the sake of it and certainly not just to get an excited squeal from a handful in the front row.
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Post by welsh_tenor on Aug 26, 2017 21:32:22 GMT
Having listened to audios of Alice and then seeing her live I was amazed, she had such power to her voice that was great to hear! The audios don't do her justice and you do need to see her live.
Take Emma Hatton for example, I found her shouty in audios and shouty live, I nearly left at the interval on one occasion!
For me the riffs need to add to the moment... I love a belter, I want to be pinned to my seat with power and Jen D and Jackie are two of my favourites - they change the score for the better "in the moment" and it just works! There's no need to riff the tits out of it for the sake of it, which all too often many Elphabi do!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 21:36:55 GMT
Having listened to audios of Alice and then seeing her live I was amazed, she had such power to her voice that was great to hear! The audios don't do her justice and you do need to see her live. Take Emma Hatton for example, I found her shouty in audios and shouty live, I nearly left at the interval on one occasion! For me the riffs need to add to the moment... I love a belter, I want to be pinned to my seat with power and Jen D and Jackie are two of my favourites - they change the score for the better "in the moment" and it just works! There's no need to riff the tits out of it for the sake of it, which all too often many Elphabi do! Oh I have no doubt she is even better live as with all of the actresses (pretty much!) who have played the role. I am merely commenting on what seems to be someone who has a great voice but goes so out there with the vocals in terms of riffs, growling at every performance, eventually it will catch up with her and her vocal cords, which I don't want to see happen.
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Post by welsh_tenor on Aug 26, 2017 21:38:11 GMT
Having listened to audios of Alice and then seeing her live I was amazed, she had such power to her voice that was great to hear! The audios don't do her justice and you do need to see her live. Take Emma Hatton for example, I found her shouty in audios and shouty live, I nearly left at the interval on one occasion! For me the riffs need to add to the moment... I love a belter, I want to be pinned to my seat with power and Jen D and Jackie are two of my favourites - they change the score for the better "in the moment" and it just works! There's no need to riff the tits out of it for the sake of it, which all too often many Elphabi do! Oh I have no doubt she is even better live as with all of the actresses (pretty much!) who have played the role. I am merely commenting on what seems to be someone who has a great voice but goes so out there with the vocals in terms of riffs, growling at every performance, eventually it will catch up with her and her vocal cords, which I don't want to see happen. Nothing sounded forced live though with Alice, it honestly sounded effortless!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 21:40:08 GMT
I'm seeing this new cast at some point in September, so hopefully I will be impressed haha. Mainly going for the new cast as a whole so will be exciting!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 21:48:24 GMT
Scrap that, I am seeing the new cast on September 5th.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2017 21:51:17 GMT
Having listened to audios of Alice and then seeing her live I was amazed, she had such power to her voice that was great to hear! The audios don't do her justice and you do need to see her live. Take Emma Hatton for example, I found her shouty in audios and shouty live, I nearly left at the interval on one occasion! For me the riffs need to add to the moment... I love a belter, I want to be pinned to my seat with power and Jen D and Jackie are two of my favourites - they change the score for the better "in the moment" and it just works! There's no need to riff the tits out of it for the sake of it, which all too often many Elphabi do! Totally. I was worried listening to audios beforehand, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she sounds considerably better live.
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Post by deej4life on Aug 27, 2017 9:52:11 GMT
I'm going to London in November so I will definitely put my two cents in regarding Alice and Sophie when I return!
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Post by daniel on Aug 27, 2017 10:41:11 GMT
I'm also there on September 5th - it's Media Night for the new cast so hopefully they'll all be on and in fine voice
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