|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 16, 2017 11:45:45 GMT
Haha that was quick for the news coming out... Tonight will be the Elphaba debut of Jessamy Stoddard! Apparently there is a matinee today as well... guessing it's half term? Yeah it seems so... forgetten about the 9-show half term week! Great for Jessamy to have a double show, it was same for Laura Emmitt's debut, I just happened to be at the matinee so saw her first one! Shame I don't live so close to London to do the same today....
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 16, 2017 11:29:35 GMT
Haha that was quick for the news coming out...
Tonight will be the Elphaba debut of Jessamy Stoddard!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 16, 2017 11:21:47 GMT
Alice has tweeted she's not on tonight- are we getting an Elphaba understudy debut? Ooooo that'll be interesting especially as someone said earlier than Willemijn isn't due to be back until Saturday! Ah standby everyone for a Code Green! 💚
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 14, 2017 10:15:49 GMT
There's been a couple of tweets this week where Wendy-Lee Purdy made her Morrible debut and Alex Jordan-Mills made his Fiyero debut!
Hats off to Kim Ismay and Bradley Jaden for going this long without missing a single show... that's some stamina since the tour rehearsals kicked off last June!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 23:22:01 GMT
martello736 thinking about stats... What has Rachel and Willemijn returning done to London's longest running Elphie?! Also the worlds longest?! Both definitely have to be 1 and 2 in the show count!?
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 23:10:39 GMT
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 14:57:07 GMT
Scenario 2 - Possibly likely Previous Standby Elphie & Glinda will return as leads (either Standbys from tour or London). Brand new Fieryo & Wizard. No change to Morrible, Boq or Nessa. Scenario 3 - most likely Previous Standby Elphie will return as lead (either a Standby from tour or London). Suzie will stay so too will Oliver but a new Wizard will join. No change to Morrible, Boq or Nessa. How about a previous lead Elphie from abroad? e.g. Jemma Rix, Danna Paola Ah see now you've thrown a whole new scenario into the mix lol! Yes I guess we could have another international Elphie ala Jen D...
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 14:33:40 GMT
Ok so I'm probably hedging my bets here and while I posted earlier saying I can see a whole new cast, I'm thinking there are three scenarios...
Scenario 1 - unlikely Brand new to role actors for the main leads of Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Morrible and the Wizard. No change to Boq or Nessa.
Scenario 2 - Possibly likely Previous Standby Elphie & Glinda will return as leads (either Standbys from tour or London). Brand new Fieryo & Wizard. No change to Morrible, Boq or Nessa.
Scenario 3 - most likely Previous Standby Elphie will return as lead (either a Standby from tour or London). Suzie will stay so too will Oliver but a new Wizard will join. No change to Morrible, Boq or Nessa.
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 11:10:55 GMT
I'm going out on a limb and saying that after the 10th anniversary year with big names returning, the next cast change will be a "Tuckman" style cast change, complete with new leads in all roles* - you heard it here first!
*maybe not Nessa as we have new blood there, it seems a tad unfair to only give the new girl 6 months!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 9:45:51 GMT
They have no reason to announce anything early. The tenth anniversary is over. They don't need to keep that "party" buzz up for a bit. The general public have no interest if the cast are staying or going in five months time. Ummmm excuse me... I'm trying to have some Welsh optimism here! 😂
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 13, 2017 8:28:48 GMT
How long till we hear about the new elphaba ? Based on the last few cast changes I'd say two or three months. I'm hoping they do it as quick as they announced Willemijn returning which was early in September not long after Rachel/Suzie started!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 12, 2017 17:21:42 GMT
At every show? Is going to Wicked your full time job? He's the official riff (and jazz hands) director for Wicked UK Nice to see he recorded the show again last night too... Some people never learn He doesn't record the shows silly.... someone else does and loads them to a channel he also has access to!!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 11, 2017 20:24:20 GMT
Is this is a big sing for Alice and Mad Hatter?! Just wondering why both roles need a formal alternate when clearly Kerry and Natalie have the ability to nail 8 shows a week based on previous roles?!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 9, 2017 21:15:36 GMT
2 maybe at a push but thinking this could be it Ah I reckon with July, August and September currently blank you could easily do 3 weeks at a venue and a week for load in/out!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 9, 2017 21:02:07 GMT
So glad it's coming to Europe! (Although technically Istanbul is half Europe, but only just). Now all they have to do is move a bit more North-West until they reach Belgium Room for another 3 venues do you reckon on the schedule?!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 9, 2017 16:57:58 GMT
I was unaware Zurich had been moved to Germany... Yes yes... thank you!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 9, 2017 16:57:36 GMT
Updated stops with new German venue! * Zurich 17th November to 31st December 2017 You sure about this? Haha! I'm hanging my head in shame... In my defence... the reason I put Germany was actually because I thought of you and how close to you the tour was getting... so I had Germany on my mind!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 9, 2017 16:38:50 GMT
Updated stops with new Swiss venue!
* Manilla 2nd February 2017 to 12th March 2017
* Shanghai 11th April 2017 to 29th April 2017
* Beijing 21st May 2017 to 2nd June 2017
* Guangzhou 18th June 2017 to 27th June 2017
* Istanbul 11th October to 5th November 2017
* Zurich 17th November to 31st December 2017
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 9, 2017 16:37:06 GMT
Flying into Zurich on 15th November 2017 till 31th Dec 2017!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 4, 2017 19:35:44 GMT
This 3rd group are the weakest by far!
I loved the opening number... someone on twitter described it as Danni Minogue's bondage dream.... I'd tend to agree!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Feb 1, 2017 6:43:41 GMT
She did tell me that she was friends with Rachel Tucker's husband through going to see the show so much... that to me sounds a bit bragish. I think if I remember correctly she also broke the news about Rachel returning to Broadway to play Elphie. Rachel gave an exclusive interview to the fan account.
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 30, 2017 23:09:43 GMT
It's when fifth cover midwife does the jazz hands you know you're at an "OMG" performance! I was looking at the US cast earlier and did you know on Broadway they actually list out the U/S midwives!?!? It made my day!! There are 3 understudies as well as the actual Midwife!!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 30, 2017 23:08:56 GMT
And I expect an influx of tweets of, "OMG OMG that riff, I'm dying" but still not as good as [insert name of favourite Elphie] here.
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 30, 2017 17:46:17 GMT
Is anyone going tonight to see the new cast members?!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 29, 2017 12:03:47 GMT
Bad behaviour at Wicked last night but not from the expected crazies... I was in row F of the Circle and the couple in front of me kept talking during every song and commenting on what was happening during the dialogue it was so distracting. The lady was talking very loudly and people from all rows kept turning around to look at them - it reached a point during One Short Day that I bent forward and whispered "can we stop the talking please? Shhhhh!" Loud lady turned around and stared at me but did stop thankfully.
In the interval the two people sitting next to us thanked me for doing it, she'd travelled down from Newcastle to see the show and it was their first time seeing it. They didn't want to tell the loud lady to stop talking but also didn't want to spoil the show!
After the interval the seats in front were empty right up until the show re-started when sadly loud woman came back and fell into her seat - three sheets to the wind with a large gin in her hand. There was one moment when she started talking again but that stopped quickly.
They'd clearly had a good night in London before the show.......
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 29, 2017 11:53:37 GMT
Great idea to have the meet-up, it was lovely to put some faces to names from here - it felt like catching up with old friends! Clearly the best bit was the arrival when everyone stood around looking people suspiciously...
We should definitely do it again for other theatre moments/openings/cast-changes when lots of members are usually at the same show!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 29, 2017 11:50:03 GMT
Well three of us who went to the show went to the pub afterward... only to walk in and find three of our members, not naming any names... sat in the same place we left them before the show, about three bottles of wine down, singing showtunes. 😂😂 Haha I love this!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 29, 2017 11:08:55 GMT
PS - did I miss something Katie said? I didn't think she spoke at all beyond saying thank you? Ah you could be right... it could be my slightly hungover brain trying to recall it all!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 29, 2017 10:57:02 GMT
Oh... the sound issue that was discussed a few pages ago... I sat in the dress circle (row F) and thought overall the show sounded great.
The only issue I heard was what people had previously mentioned, in the cat fight scene when they must switch microphones, from the start of that scene till Glinda pulls Elphie's hat off it sounded like Rachel was talking into a bucket! Very odd and needs sorting as it's so noticeable!
|
|
|
Post by welsh_tenor on Jan 29, 2017 10:45:49 GMT
Well what can I say that hasn't been said already... a great night out at the theatre, the atmosphere was electric and the crowd mostly behaved (I've got a great entry for the bad behaved thread...)
I've been to a few cast change shows and this was equally special, you could tell there was an excitement in the auditorium when I took my seat.
The ensemble were great and on fine form. Russ Walker was on as Dillamond but I just thought he sounded a bit young, and in the first classroom scene when Dilllamond cant pronounce Galinda he didn't really over prounounce it - just more a "Miss Glinda" rather than a "Miss G [insert lots of spitting] linda...
Not much to say about Mark Curry, he's a good wizard and hams it up a bit, not the strongest singer but not the worst wizard I've seen.
I've not changed my opinion on Anita Dobson - such poor casting, there's just no menace in her performance. If this was local am-dram and she was playing an evil queen in Panto she might get away with it. But on the West End playing supposedly one of the villains of the piece its just terrible. Interestingly in the speeches at the end, Michael McCabe said Anita Dobson had been on his list of Morribles since the show opened...... thank goodness Sue Kelvin is back next week and Kim Ismay is currently on the International Tour, showing that we can cast a real actress. I hope Kerry Enright returns to the show after maternity leave and gets a shot at full time Morrible!
Likewise Idriss Kargbo is totally wrong for Boq. I didn't take to him when I saw the 10th show and he's not gotten anymore believable... I still feel like he wants to chase Fiyero around the courtyard rather than Glinda. He's a great singer but in my eyes is mis-cast and I struggled to believe his character.
Ok so thats the not so greats.... Katie Rowley-Jones was fierce last night, a great final performance! It must be quite surreal now for her that she's leaving but I really enjoyed last night - WWOTE is still one of my favourite numbers!
Then there's Suzie and Rachel - wow! They have great chemistry between them and Suzie was hilarious all the way through. Definitely one of my favourite Glinda's and the audience lapped up the humour. You could tell it was an emotional performance though in the more tender moments, I expected tears during For Good, but seeing that carry into the finale, Suzie in the bubble actually sobbing clutching the grimmerie made even this hard-faced Welshman fill up!
There's not much more about Ms Tucker than I can add to what's already been said. If new Elphie's had to go to Elphie school then Tucker would be Head Shiztress! Her interpretation is another level and I loved the big songs last night, the majority of it sung to the score with the odd riff-tastic moments thrown in... but not crazy.. controlled and a demonstration of how to belt and use power! Ms Tucker goes into my top 3 three without doubt!
Michael McCabe spoke at the end which was a lovely touch to say goodbye especially to Rachel and Katie (interestingly Anita just got flowers and wasn't asked to speak whereas Katie and Rachel both did!)
Lovely to meet up with some of the theatre board crowd in the interval too, but that's for another thread!
|
|