537 posts
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Post by WireHangers on Jan 12, 2024 0:55:57 GMT
The orchestra were all over the place tonight. Started incredibly slow during No One Mourns the Wicked, there was a few awkward seconds where Sarah said her line and had to wait for the slow orchestra to catch up with her. Then they raced through the rest of the show to the point where Casey lost her place in Defying Gravity twice.
That aside. Very slick production. Sarah is good, misses a lot of the humour in act one but she fits the role more in act two when Glinda is more stoic.
Casey is tremendous, my god! She was an absolute joy to watch. I think she’s got a little more growing into the role to do but I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes lead Elphaba after this.
Carl is very, very good. Finds a lot of the humour in the role in a way I haven’t seen any of my previous three Fiyeros do - and his voice is like butter. It’s a shame the era of boy bands is gone as he’d have fitted into a boy band like a glove.
Strong supporting cast. Excellent ensemble. This truly is a really strong production. I’ve seen arguments that the show needs updating and/or restaging - and I disagree. I think it looks fab, I’d maybe update the odd piece of set and bring more modern stage magic into the fold but I think everything else looks brilliant. Except the dragon. I’ve seen amateur productions of Shrek with better dragons.
Something I did notice was Carl is in the ensemble for the opening number. Is that a usual thing or is it just for this tour to boost the numbers?
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Post by musicalfan on Jan 12, 2024 1:11:37 GMT
Something I did notice was Carl is in the ensemble for the opening number. Is that a usual thing or is it just for this tour to boost the numbers? No it’s in the west end production too - in the west end Fiyero will run forward to the cog on the left hand side. Boq is on the left hand side platform then Nessa and Dr dillamond are on the stairs on the other side. I’m not 100% we’re they are on tour but everyone in the cast bar Elphaba, Wizard and Morrible is on stage for no one mourns the wicked. Dr dillamond will be in the ensemble for March of the witch hunters but the other principals aren’t. Not sure if dillamond would do it on tour as he’s also wizard. |
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Post by solangelafitte on Jan 12, 2024 1:12:22 GMT
Something I did notice was Carl is in the ensemble for the opening number. Is that a usual thing or is it just for this tour to boost the numbers? That's the usual thing. It's how my friends and I used to figure out if we were getting Adam Garcia or Oliver Tompsett back in the day  The more reviews for the tour come in the more I'm excited to see it! |
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537 posts
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Post by WireHangers on Jan 12, 2024 1:26:14 GMT
Something I did notice was Carl is in the ensemble for the opening number. Is that a usual thing or is it just for this tour to boost the numbers? No it’s in the west end production too - in the west end Fiyero will run forward to the cog on the left hand side. Boq is on the left hand side platform then Nessa and Dr dillamond are on the stairs on the other side. I’m not 100% we’re they are on tour but everyone in the cast bar Elphaba, Wizard and Morrible is on stage for no one mourns the wicked. Dr dillamond will be in the ensemble for March of the witch hunters but the other principals aren’t. Not sure if dillamond would do it on tour as he’s also wizard. Ahhh! That’s really interesting! I had no clue. I’m only able to recognise Carl which is why I spotted him. I’ll need to try and spot the others next time I visit the show! |
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Post by aingidh on Jan 12, 2024 15:26:54 GMT
Went on a backstage tour of the Edinburgh Playhouse today (not invited or anything, just pre-bookable via ATG) and it was sooo cool seeing everything up close. Got to speak to some of the production team such as SMs and wigs which was very interesting, they were all happy to answer any of our questions. The DG lift platform looks so tiny in real life, I could not imagine being on it as it levitates.
Must admit I did chuckle when I saw a microwave in the orchestra pit with a Wicked asset tag on it. If you know you know!
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Post by danb on Jan 12, 2024 17:24:10 GMT
Went on a backstage tour of the Edinburgh Playhouse today (not invited or anything, just pre-bookable via ATG) and it was sooo cool seeing everything up close. Got to speak to some of the production team such as SMs and wigs which was very interesting, they were all happy to answer any of our questions. The DG lift platform looks so tiny in real life, I could not imagine being on it as it levitates. Must admit I did chuckle when I saw a microwave in the orchestra pit with a Wicked asset tag on it. If you know you know! Might book on to the Hippodrome tour when it comes to Bristol. I’d love to see the lift. (Was there any Nutella in the vicinity of said Microwave?). |
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Post by musicalfan on Jan 12, 2024 17:53:30 GMT
The DG lift platform looks so tiny in real life, I could not imagine being on it as it levitates. When I saw the show the other day the false skirt got caught and wasn't covering her feet so you could see she was on the platform. It wasn't to noticeable but as someone who has seen the show too many times it was so weird just seeing how's squeezed together her feet are on the platform. |
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Post by aingidh on Jan 12, 2024 18:49:47 GMT
Went on a backstage tour of the Edinburgh Playhouse today (not invited or anything, just pre-bookable via ATG) and it was sooo cool seeing everything up close. Got to speak to some of the production team such as SMs and wigs which was very interesting, they were all happy to answer any of our questions. The DG lift platform looks so tiny in real life, I could not imagine being on it as it levitates. Must admit I did chuckle when I saw a microwave in the orchestra pit with a Wicked asset tag on it. If you know you know! Might book on to the Hippodrome tour when it comes to Bristol. I’d love to see the lift. (Was there any Nutella in the vicinity of said Microwave?). Not near the microwave, but I did spot a jar of the stuff in one of the dressing rooms. The touring lift is interesting as it's portable unlike London's, I didn't quite realise what it was until one of the tech team pointed it out. Just picture a cherry picker on wheels with a curtained platform at the front. Wing space at some of these regional venues is so tight so a lot of the set pieces are raised up when not in use. Edinburgh has had a lot of no-fly shows, a lot of that has been down to the transition simply not being made quickly enough, the lift is in the wings side-on so it needs to be lowered down by automation and then rotated and lifted on during the blackout when the guards come on pre-DG. |
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Post by danb on Jan 12, 2024 23:41:15 GMT
Might book on to the Hippodrome tour when it comes to Bristol. I’d love to see the lift. (Was there any Nutella in the vicinity of said Microwave?). Not near the microwave, but I did spot a jar of the stuff in one of the dressing rooms. The touring lift is interesting as it's portable unlike London's, I didn't quite realise what it was until one of the tech team pointed it out. Just picture a cherry picker on wheels with a curtained platform at the front. Wing space at some of these regional venues is so tight so a lot of the set pieces are raised up when not in use. Edinburgh has had a lot of no-fly shows, a lot of that has been down to the transition simply not being made quickly enough, the lift is in the wings side-on so it needs to be lowered down by automation and then rotated and lifted on during the blackout when the guards come on pre-DG. What a palaver for a witch on a stick eh? 🤣 |
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487 posts
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Post by deej4life on Jan 14, 2024 19:17:30 GMT
Casey Al-Shaqsy was on as Elphaba Thursday and Friday night (11th & 12th January, 2024).
Glad to see she is getting plenty of shows, and that Laura is taking the rest when needed!
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Post by jacob on Jan 14, 2024 22:24:32 GMT
Went on a backstage tour of the Edinburgh Playhouse today (not invited or anything, just pre-bookable via ATG) and it was sooo cool seeing everything up close. Got to speak to some of the production team such as SMs and wigs which was very interesting, they were all happy to answer any of our questions. The DG lift platform looks so tiny in real life, I could not imagine being on it as it levitates. Must admit I did chuckle when I saw a microwave in the orchestra pit with a Wicked asset tag on it. If you know you know! Might book on to the Hippodrome tour when it comes to Bristol. I’d love to see the lift. (Was there any Nutella in the vicinity of said Microwave?). I’m not sure if the Hippodrome are doing tours anymore, is it worth calling up to ask? I did one a few years ago when Kinky Boots was there and it was honestly so great. we got told off for taking photos of the set (understandably) but we still walked onstage and up around the fly deck too. I did another tour at the Wales Millennium Centre when Wicked was there though, although they wouldn’t let us onstage at all. Saw the dragon being tested and the Elphaba act 2 dress up close which was fun, but as with these tours it’s very much about the theatre history instead and the venue operation |
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Post by aingidh on Jan 15, 2024 13:08:49 GMT
Might book on to the Hippodrome tour when it comes to Bristol. I’d love to see the lift. (Was there any Nutella in the vicinity of said Microwave?). I’m not sure if the Hippodrome are doing tours anymore, is it worth calling up to ask? I did one a few years ago when Kinky Boots was there and it was honestly so great. we got told off for taking photos of the set (understandably) but we still walked onstage and up around the fly deck too. I did another tour at the Wales Millennium Centre when Wicked was there though, although they wouldn’t let us onstage at all. Saw the dragon being tested and the Elphaba act 2 dress up close which was fun, but as with these tours it’s very much about the theatre history instead and the venue operation Edinburgh recently launched the tours as part of their creative learning and community engagement programme, unsure if Bristol has a similar thing. Our tour guide mentioned that the Wicked company were very keen to welcome people backstage so they may have changed their stance on them. The only condition is no photos anywhere backstage which is completely fair, we did get to take pics on stage with the auditorium in the background though. |
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Post by jacob on Jan 24, 2024 21:12:13 GMT
At the show now, no fly for the bubble in NOMTW and the popular bed unclipped where a stage hand had to run on to hold it down 😳allegedly they started late for the matinee too due to technical difficulties. Casey Al-Shaqsy Is on as Elphaba who I’m enjoying, hoping for some more ferocity though in act 2!
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Post by imstillhere on Jan 25, 2024 0:25:13 GMT
It was a no fly show this afternoon (In more ways than one!) Not only was there no bubble or defying gravity (These things happen!) but this new tour cast features a leading performance from SARAH O’CONNOR which inherently is not working. At best she feels strangely miscast, at worst she can’t land a joke, her characterization is tepid, the performance just isn’t reading on stage how it should be, it’s too understated, too dull, too awkward. They’ve hired an actor who does not have funny bones.
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487 posts
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Post by deej4life on Jan 25, 2024 1:30:39 GMT
Casey Al-Shaqsy was on as Elphaba for the evening show today (24th January, 2024).
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Post by jacob on Jan 25, 2024 1:56:46 GMT
It was a no fly show this afternoon (In more ways than one!) Not only was there no bubble or defying gravity (These things happen!) but this new tour cast features a leading performance from SARAH O’CONNOR which inherently is not working. At best she feels strangely miscast, at worst she can’t land a joke, her characterization is tepid, the performance just isn’t reading on stage how it should be, it’s too understated, too dull, too awkward. They’ve hired an actor who does not have funny bones. Sadly I agree, hits all the right notes vocally but her Glinda is incredibly wooden and just the epitome of a posh uni girl who maintains that character throughout the whole show. I miss Helen Woolf.. give us an exuberant Glinda who’s not afraid to camp it up! Glinda is supposed to be funny. Is this poor direction yet again or just her portrayal? Some of the comedic timing moments were missed annoyingly and I didn’t feel as if she showed much emotion when Elphaba melts either. Really a shame as there’s so much potential. Carl however was fab, it’s very refreshing to watch a Fiyero who can do the bare minimum of dancing AND singing 😮. |
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Post by WireHangers on Jan 25, 2024 16:37:27 GMT
It was a no fly show this afternoon (In more ways than one!) Not only was there no bubble or defying gravity (These things happen!) but this new tour cast features a leading performance from SARAH O’CONNOR which inherently is not working. At best she feels strangely miscast, at worst she can’t land a joke, her characterization is tepid, the performance just isn’t reading on stage how it should be, it’s too understated, too dull, too awkward. They’ve hired an actor who does not have funny bones. Sadly I agree, hits all the right notes vocally but her Glinda is incredibly wooden and just the epitome of a posh uni girl who maintains that character throughout the whole show. I miss Helen Woolf.. give us an exuberant Glinda who’s not afraid to camp it up! Glinda is supposed to be funny. Is this poor direction yet again or just her portrayal? Some of the comedic timing moments were missed annoyingly and I didn’t feel as if she showed much emotion when Elphaba melts either. Really a shame as there’s so much potential. Carl however was fab, it’s very refreshing to watch a Fiyero who can do the bare minimum of dancing AND singing 😮. I’m also in this camp. She was very painted by numbers. Doing what she thought she was supposed to do rather than giving her own version of the character. Some lines that are known funny Glinda lines were delivered incredibly deadpan when I saw the show a few weeks ago in Edinburgh. She sung the songs absolutely beautifully but I think that just proves she’s all technique and no soul. It’s somewhat less noticeable because the rest of the cast are absolutely top notch but in no production should Boq and Nessa be more memorable than Glinda. |
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Post by littlefan on Jan 26, 2024 20:30:31 GMT
Just wondering if anyone knows if there's a regular pattern to the alternate performing as Elphaba (i.e matinees, certain days) please? I'm keen to see Casey in Bristol as thought she was wonderful in Six on the tour.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 26, 2024 20:36:04 GMT
Only 4 votes n the poll?
Don’t forget after you’ve voted you can change your rating if you think the situation has changed. The beauty of TheatreBoard polls… you can change your mind!
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487 posts
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Post by deej4life on Jan 27, 2024 15:50:39 GMT
Megan Gardiner is on as Glinda for both shows today. Stephanie Lindo is on as Nessarose (27th January, 2024).
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Post by littlefan on Jan 27, 2024 16:13:04 GMT
Megan Gardiner is on as Glinda for both shows today. Stephanie Lindo is on as Nessarose (27th January, 2024). Megan is absolutely killing it this afternoon - she's hilarious and her voice is perfection. Feel very lucky to see her. Sarah posted on her Instagram to say she is out on compassionate leave today, so imagine it is likely Megan has a two show day. |
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487 posts
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Post by deej4life on Jan 28, 2024 15:19:22 GMT
Casey Al-Shaqsy was on as Elphaba for the evening show last night (27th January, 2024).
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487 posts
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Post by deej4life on Jan 28, 2024 19:00:53 GMT
Casey Al-Shaqsy was on as Elphaba today, Russell Dickson was on as Fiyero (28th January, 2024).
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Post by hannechalk on Jan 28, 2024 21:43:55 GMT
Sadly I agree, hits all the right notes vocally but her Glinda is incredibly wooden and just the epitome of a posh uni girl who maintains that character throughout the whole show. I miss Helen Woolf.. give us an exuberant Glinda who’s not afraid to camp it up! Glinda is supposed to be funny. Is this poor direction yet again or just her portrayal? Some of the comedic timing moments were missed annoyingly and I didn’t feel as if she showed much emotion when Elphaba melts either. Really a shame as there’s so much potential. Carl however was fab, it’s very refreshing to watch a Fiyero who can do the bare minimum of dancing AND singing 😮. I’m also in this camp. She was very painted by numbers. Doing what she thought she was supposed to do rather than giving her own version of the character. Some lines that are known funny Glinda lines were delivered incredibly deadpan when I saw the show a few weeks ago in Edinburgh. She sung the songs absolutely beautifully but I think that just proves she’s all technique and no soul. It’s somewhat less noticeable because the rest of the cast are absolutely top notch but in no production should Boq and Nessa be more memorable than Glinda. The reviewer from the Bristol Post seems to disagree. I'm surprised they didn't use 'OMFG! BEST! THING! EVA!'. |
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Post by WireHangers on Jan 29, 2024 0:35:04 GMT
I’m also in this camp. She was very painted by numbers. Doing what she thought she was supposed to do rather than giving her own version of the character. Some lines that are known funny Glinda lines were delivered incredibly deadpan when I saw the show a few weeks ago in Edinburgh. She sung the songs absolutely beautifully but I think that just proves she’s all technique and no soul. It’s somewhat less noticeable because the rest of the cast are absolutely top notch but in no production should Boq and Nessa be more memorable than Glinda. The reviewer from the Bristol Post seems to disagree. I'm surprised they didn't use 'OMFG! BEST! THING! EVA!'. I just read it. I love the reviewers energy but I think their love for Wicked basically wrote the review for them. |
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