Wicked - International Tour 2016-2017

Will write a full review of everyone on tour (Jackie, Natasha, Jodie, Carly, Elizabeth etc) after the closing show. This is a REALLY strong cast, so gutted we're losing them to Asia for at least the next year.

Cast board has changed and Jackie is back!

This cast are really going to be a huge miss. Tomorrow's show is going to be very sad but glad they get the opportunity to showcase their talents and this show to new lands.

Absolutely fantastic three shows, so glad I was able to see this cast. They're fresh and the show sounded great.

I'll do a full review but needless to say the international audience is in for a treat! The chemistry between Jackie, Carly & Bradley is great you wouldn't think this was only the first stop on the tour.

There was a suggestion at stage door today that China is next after Manilla, but still nothing confirmed and the company haven't been told what's after February 2017.

The whole tour is massive operation to plan with visas/logistics etc so continue to watch this space...

I recently took a trip to Bradford to see the new Wicked tour production, and it did not disappoint! I will only bring up a cast member more than once if there is something worthwhile to say about their performance in comparison to another show, otherwise my opinion is the same as previously mentioned.

18th August, 2016: My first show in Bradford. I was very excited to see the show and was delighted to find out that I would be seeing Jodie Steele as Elphaba and Elizabeth Futter as Glinda. I was sitting in the front row, and the view was amazing, there was not a moment missed.

Jodie Steele (Elphaba s/b): Holy. Crap. How was this only her third show as standby? Jodie absolutely nailed the part of Elphaba at this performance. From the moment she entered on stage Jodie was in command of everything around her and knew exactly where she was going with her character. Jodie's vocals were out of this world amazing, she has a belt very similar in power to Ashleigh Gray, which isn't the strongest but is still amazing to behold, what really kicked it up a notch were the riffs Jodie brought along with this, in 'Defying Gravity' Jodie really just nailed the part vocally, it was by far her strongest song of the night. Despite the amazing riffs that Jodie brought out, what really made me love her Elphaba was her strong acting ability, on par with that of Nikki Davis-Jones. It was truly an awe inspiring performance.

Elizabeth Futter (Glinda u/s): Elizabeth was very nervous about her debut, and at times it did come across in her performance, but nothing that really hindered her performance. Elizabeth had a few line flubs during 'No one mourns the Wicked' as well as other points in Act 1, which I chalked up to nerves. Elizabeth's bubble dress also kept falling apart during Act 2, with part of the neck falling off her dress. Elizabeth has a gorgeous soprano with a strong vibrato, it was very easy on the ears. Elizabeth gave a hilarious Popular, which had me crying with laughter, it was a very bizarre performance with loads of can-can kicks! I was surprised by how strong Elizabeth's belt was, she really nailed the end note during Popular! Overall, a very enjoyable and solid performance (p.s. Elizabeth is probably the nicest person you could ever meet)

Bradley Jaden (Fiyero): Bradley is very confusing for me to talk about, I don't know why, but I am still unsure as to how I feel about him. His Fiyero is very masculine, but also quite sincere and lovable. Bradley has an insane belt, nothing like I have ever heard from a Fiyero before, or any other male performer in musical theatre, his voice is so rich and fills the entire theatre. One nagging thing about Bradley for me, which seems petty, was his hair... I know, his hair! It was strange to see a Fiyero with hair longer than quite a few of the female ensemble members, it also looked quite greasy, so perhaps a cut or a thorough wash would be helpful!

Emily Shaw (Nessarose): Emily is such a sweet Nessarose, she really plays the blissful, almost naive girl in Act 1 and transitions quite well into the bitter Act 2 Nessa who has gone power mad. Unfortunately, this transition is hindered by the fact that Emily has no power behind her voice whatsoever. 'Wicked Witch of the East' fell flat as Emily's voice just didn't push the emotion of the song whatsoever. A great actress, but would be better suited to Glinda.

Iddon Jones (Boq): Iddon was alright. His Boq is very likable and decently acted, and to give credit where credit is due, he is the first person I have seen to do the "my heart, it feels like it's shrinking" section without making it look cheesy or very over done. He has a strong voice which is always nice. He could sometimes be quite annoying though, as he would put on this very campy high pitched voice, which wasn't natural.

Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible): I adored Kim! She really made Morrible a b*tch and I was totally drawn in by it. Kim's disdain for Glinda even from the first moment she lays eyes on her was honestly priceless. Every eye roll and grimace was perfectly done, without being overused. You could tell she wore the pants in the relationship with the Wizard during the Wizard's chamber scene. In her final scene with the Wizard she does this hilarious sneaking away thing as Glinda is telling the Wizard to leave Oz and it was just sheer brilliance!

Steven Pinder (The Wizard/Dr Dillamond): I had seen Steven before on the original UK/Ireland tour and I fell in love with his portrayal of The Wizard/Dr Dillamond and he did not disappoint this time around. Steven's Dillamond stayed much the same, very strong and regal and fatherly. Steven's Wizard did change slightly, his Wizard was a bit more controlling and manipulative than he previously was, it was very clear that he was equally on board with using Elphaba as Morrible was, even Morrible's disdain for Glinda came through Steven a bit more, as if she had mentioned Glinda to him in a negative light. Steven still plays the funniest Wizard I have seen, his "Wonderful" is laugh out loud worthy, he is really hammy with this!

19th August, 2016: My second show in Bradford. Initially the cast board was listed once again as having Jodie Steele and Elizabeth Futter on as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, so I was excited to see both again. During the performance, it became clear right away that it was Carly Anderson coming down in the bubble. As Elphaba ran onto stage, it took several seconds for me to register that it was neither Jackie or Jodie who ran on stage, but actually Natasha Ferguson, I was jaw dropped!

Natasha Ferguson (Elphaba u/s): Wow! Natasha just NAILED the part of Elphaba. I did not know what to expect from Natasha when she ran on stage, I had never really heard much about her Elphaba other than she was "really good" and I can confirm this statement wholeheartedly! Natasha is quite interesting in the role of Elphaba, she plays it very self assured and almost... entitled? But she made it work. Natasha could really play up the b*tch aspect of Elphaba, while still being charming and endearing. What shocked me most about Natasha was her voice. I don't know how she is only understudy with the belt she has! Having only seen a few Elphabas the closest thing I can compare the power of her belt to is Jackie Hughes. Natasha slayed the role vocally, with such a solid belt and plenty of riffs also! Whoever said Natasha didn't riff much... sit through this performance. Natasha gave the fiercest 'No Good Deed' I have witnessed, her acting in this scene was beyond what I could ever have expected from a performer so young. Natasha just rocked the stage at this performance!

Carly Anderson (Glinda): I am in love with Carly as Glinda. She honestly just nailed the humor that Glinda is meant to bring across, throughout the whole show she didn't fail a single line delivery and received great appreciation from the audience. Carly is also very likable in the role, she is very relatable and allows you to take her journey through the show seriously. Her 'Popular' was just a stroke of genius, it was like Carly had drank twelve pots of coffee and needed to expend this added energy through high kicks, jumps and screaming like a lunatic around the stage, she is the English Alli Mauzy! She has a beautiful soprano and a strong belt. Very proud to say she is my new favorite Glinda!

20th August (Matinee) 2016: The audience during this show was quite unpleasant. As the auditorium was filling up I saw my worst nightmare when it comes to live theatre, children! Loads of children were sat behind and beside me, obviously accompanied by their parents and other carers. A lesson I always learn at a show like this, is the adults with the children can be equally as annoying as the children themselves. The family seated directly behind me decided it would be wonderful to allow their daughter to speak through the entirety of 'No one mourns the Wicked' making annoying gasps and statements at every possible moment, Honestly, parents who bring their children to live theatre should be prepared to tell their brat... I mean, child, to quiet down as other patrons would sooner hear the performers rather than their little terrors. The boy seated beside me also thought the best time to munch really loudly on Pringles was 'I'm not that girl'.

Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba): Jackie was off for three shows prior to this performance due to being unwell (a bad reaction to her injections for going to Asia). It was quite apparent in her Act 2 that was still very unwell, coughing quite a bit and just looking generally run down. Vocally, I had forgotten how powerful Jackie's belt is, she really can belt out those money notes. Compared to her time on tour, her vocals had changed quite a bit, whether these were changes she made to cope with being lead, or just compromises she made for being ill I can not say, but she had dropped basically all of her riffs, even the "basic" ones (as we'll call them) that she would near always do previously, it didn't detract much from her performance though. As for her acting, I always was more keen on Jackie's vocals than her acting, but I did notice some improvements from the last tour. Jackie was quite shouty before, which she has toned down quite a bit. She is a very happy go lucky Elphaba throughout Act 1, an odd take on the role, but she makes it work for her. I still quite like her Elphaba but feel that she could do a lot more with the role as she has so much potential and could be one of the greats if she just dug a little deeper into the character.

20th August (Evening) 2016: Such an amazing audience at this performance! The energy in the auditorium could really be felt, and as such this energy passed onto the actors on stage, who gave probably their strongest performances of the week. The audience really went for it during Popular, even giving Jackie and Carly a massive cheer and clap during the "toss toss" section, which was very funny at this performance. During the 'Catfight' scene when Bradley swung in on the rope, Jackie couldn't help from grinning and was holding back laughter, which then caught onto all the guards who were trying their best not the burst out laughing, the audience loved it! Carly went above and beyond at this performance with her humor and really stole the show!

21st August 2016: The closing performance of Wicked at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford. The audience at this performance was very disappointing. I found it quite odd the show would end its run here on a matinee, and the lack of energy from the audience really brought down the whole energy of the performance for the closing day. Carly did her absolute best to get laughs out of the audience but she soon realised it was a lost cause. Jackie gave her strongest performance vocally, bringing back a few of her old riffs and growls but still holding back quite a bit, due to her being under the weather. All the cast gave really solid performances and signed off very well from their first and so far, only UK venue.

So happy to hear all good things about Natasha. I loved her take on the role and that was two years ago so imagine she's only gotten better over time!

But now that Bradford's done, this production has nothing to do with the UK at all?

Yes very probably! But I meant that they have no reason to promote the International Tour or keep people excited about it in the UK now that Bradford is done, I would assume anyway! I also don't know how many members of this board are from Asia, or if any are travelling there, but this production doesn't open again until 29th Sept in Singapore, hence the silence on this thread probably!



There might be more of a prominent physical presence of the show out in Asia as opposed to the social media over here.

The show has extended its Singapore run until 20 November now, so assume they're hoping to do the same for Hong Kong and Manila, so imagine it won't be going anywhere that hasn't been announced until March next year.

I nearly didn't book for Bradford initially because Wicked UK had made no announcements about the production and the Alhambra website looked a bit... dodgy!