The Ongoing Wicked Discussion Thread

What does that even mean?

Do these “social media managers” which seems to be what they’re called have actual real managers who supervise and sign this stuff off? It would appear not!

It'll be the other way round usually. "Actual real managers" will give this sort of statement to the social media team and tell them to post it across the channels immediately. No space for pushback and certainly not questioning the phrasing of the higher-ups.

Worrying! 

Grace chapman is returning to play Nessa today.

Amy Webb is on as Elphaba for the matinee today (15th February, 2023).

Troubling that this is a notable event...

Somehow I don't think she'll be in on Tuesday 😆

Here's the thing: this is obviously a demanding role (among other demanding roles), and there is a standby for a reason. There have also been frequent arguments that Elphaba should have an alternate. Lucie is also, by all reports, truly excellent in the role when she's on. All of these things are true statements.

What always surprises me, though, is the people who act like any musical theatre performer is above questioning or criticism in a situation like this one, where there are multiple people with very poor attendance. No, there is no shame at all in taking days off when needed, as is the case in any job. But, if we're going to say that, then we also have to be able to say that in no profession is it acceptable to only show up for work 50% of the time (in Amy's case) or (in Lucie's case) approximately 60-65% of the time. I can't think of a profession where not working a full week for nearly four months wouldn't be a subject of discipline. To expect musical theatre fans to blindly support no matter what and to accuse them of unkindness and throwing stones from glass houses is unreasonable. Acting is still a profession and, like any job, if you're unreliable in showing up to do it, people are going to start asking questions. And yes, sometimes, there are very real reasons for attendance issues, as were the cases with people like Nikki Bentley and Caissie Levy in this very role, but both of them bowed out rather than continue to have inconsistent attendance.

And in terms of audience experience, for all the arguments that most audience members don't care who is on, I have to disagree. In my experiences, there is almost always audible dissatisfaction when people open their programs/Playbills to discover an understudy insert. Less so when it's for a minor role, but when it's for an Elphaba or a Glinda in Wicked or a Christine in Phantom, people usually express some sort of disappointment that they're getting the understudy. Countless actors have talked themselves in interviews about the fact that they have to tell the story when they're on AND win the audience over.

In any case, congrats to Lucie on winning the whatsonstage award and on booking Les Mis. She's got an insane voice and is, by all accounts, a terrific actor. That can be true simultaneous with the truth that only working 60-65% of the time isn't okay.

She didn't perform the Wednesday matinee (Feb 15th), I was there and it was Amy Webb.  Unless that performance doesn't count towards Lucie's 8 shows of course, but I thought there were only 8 shows a week.

I've seen Wicked 4 times since Lucie took over and haven't managed to catch her on once.

It was school half term week so there may have been an additional matinee, and if that’s the case she did 8 shows out of 9 possible.

Think covid has seen it off with the move to using TodayTix for the dayseats and selling the front row tickets online.