Wicked: mexican production

[RW3]

Hopefully, this controversy doesn't affect Wicked's success Mexico. It has been successful in NYC, 1NT, 2NT, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, London, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and South Korea. It would really be a shame if the show doesn't do well.

[Fran_mex]

I think Wicked will be succesful here. In a metropolitan área of 20 million, this controversy will do no harm if the final result is a good product.

And about the translation, I have been thinking about for years...

I think some songs will be really easy (Popular, for example //Popular, tu vas a ser popular//) but I have no idea how to translate MOURNS in a correct way. Not to mention the problem with syllabes!

And the biggest problem: How to translate Wicked? I think we do not have a Word in spanish that means the same thing as wicked in the context of Wicked.

[justincharacter]

"I hope they prove me wrong. I doubt they will."

LOL, that was pretty good.

[kadu335]

How was "the wicked witch of the west" translated to spanish in The Wizard of Oz, Fran_mex??

We don't have as well a word in portuguese that have the exact same meaning as wicked, but our "the wicked witch of the west" translation (a bruxa malvada do oeste) would lead me to think of "Malvada" as a possible name for a Brazilian adaptation.

[Marlothom]

I love this thread - I've been absorbing all mexican/latin companies of some of my favorite shows on YouTube and now mildly obsessed w/ Ms. Marroquin. I wish I had seen her in In The Heights.

[sergio_27]

Gregory Maguire's book was published here as "Wicked: Memorias de una Bruja Mala", and I believe she is often referred as "la Bruja Mala del Oeste". I guess they will not use one single word to translate it, but different words depending on the phrase or the context.

Danna Paola just doesn't have the credibility of other stars. It would be like casting Demi Lovato or Selena Gomez. She will have to prove them all wrong.

[justincharacter]

Demi Lovato claimed that she "probably will end up doing Broadway soon". On Broadway.com, there was a poll asking what role should she take on, and most voters chose Elphaba. She has a set of lungs on her and probably can handle the score, but 8 times a week? Probably not.

[PositivelyEmerald]

No production has ever translated the title. It's stayed as wicked in every country. As for times when wicked is mentioned in songs I believe they'll most likely use the word for witch like they did in Germany. (Keiner weint um hexen)

[Starship]

Not a fan of Demi Lovato's voice, but she would probably belt the roof off of the Gershwin.

[fingerlakessinger]

Let's not even discuss that.

The standby/alternate for Danna though has potential to be amazing. She has a theatrical background correct?

[blaxx]

The standby/alternate for Danna though has potential to be amazing. She has a theatrical background correct?

If you consider a screeching banshee amazing.

I really don't get why she keeps getting these roles, one has to be deaf to appreciate that kind of voice.

Here she is singing Maggie in ACL's At The Ballet. Go to 5:15 to listen to those notes. Warning: Turn your volume down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SK6aeFTAbA

I don't know who the actress playing Bebe is, but she's obviously not impressed.

[blaxx]

It would be like casting Demi Lovato or Selena Gomez. She will have to prove them all wrong.

She's more of a Vanessa Hudgens.

[blaxx]

And the biggest problem: How to translate Wicked? I think we do not have a Word in spanish that means the same thing as wicked in the context of Wicked.

The only two syllable word I can think of is "mala".

[Fran_mex]

In the movie, it is la Malvada bruja del oeste, or la bruja mala del oeste.

However neither malvada (evil) nor mala (bad) are precise translations of wicked.

The name of the production is Wicked, of course ( actually it is «Wicked: el musical de Broadway»), I am talking about the world wicked in the songs and book.

Ana Cecilia has a big teather background, an she.has been really succesful here. Even if blaxx does not like her, mexican audiences have liked her, specially in Beauty and the Beast, where she played Belle for a really long time.

Regarding the sets and other physical aspects of the production, I think they will use the set of a prodiction that closed already. OCESA used the Las Vegas set for Mamma Mia, and hired the broadway set for Beauty and the Beast for the mexican production (which openned 3 months after the show closed on broadway). For Wicked, maybe they will use the SanFran set? Or the Australian set? In any case, OCESA usually does not build new sets.

[Marlothom]

They will probably just use "wicked" - it would be wise to have a dictionary type screen at the top of the show to get everyone on the same page.

I wish they would use the word "bruja" - in Peru, we use bruja for a "wicked witch" and ada (which is closer to fairy) for a good witch. I am particularly thinking of Mdm. Morable's monologue before Defying Gravity. It will be odd when she suddenly speaks English.

[blaxx]

Regarding the sets and other physical aspects of the production, I think they will use the set of a prodiction that closed already. OCESA used the Las Vegas set for Mamma Mia, and hired the broadway set for Beauty and the Beast for the mexican production (which openned 3 months after the show closed on broadway). For Wicked, maybe they will use the SanFran set? Or the Australian set? In any case, OCESA usually does not build new sets.

Their Facebook page shows the brand new set built in Calgary, Canada.

[Fran_mex]

thanks blaxx, I did not see that before. :)
Will check it later.

[fingerlakessinger]

Was it brand new? I assumed it was the pieces of one of the closed sit down productions being repaired and fixed up to be sent down to Mexico. I could be wrong though.

[blaxx]

Was it brand new? I assumed it was the pieces of one of the closed sit down productions being repaired and fixed up to be sent down to Mexico. I could be wrong though.

Oh, that could be true too. The plans looked like it was brand new, however.

[gabiiferact]

Hi there!
As far as I know an actress named Eden Pintos is going to be the understudy of Elphaba, she was also in ACL as a swing, I don´t know which roles she was doing. I would have loved to see her as principal for Elphaba, I really like. Here is a video if here singing Waiting for life to begin from Once on this Island
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlN9qc2X9vk

There was a video of Ana Cecilia Anzaldua singing Defying gravity, which some days after the press cast announce disappear ....I think she is very nasal and screams a lot and in the video she destroyed the song

[Fran_mex]

Hello gabiiferact, Welcome, I see you joined today :)

I never saw that video, however, I hope Ana Cecilia will do well with the proper direction and training specifically for the role. She will reharse for 2 months, lets see what is the final result after that.

I think the reharsing process is going to bring out the best of all the 3 leads (and the rest of the cast).

[Fran_mex]

Hello gabiiferact, Welcome, I see you joined today :)

I never saw that video, however, I hope Ana Cecilia will do well with the proper direction and training specifically for the role. She will reharse for 2 months, lets see what is the final result after that.

I think the reharsing process is going to bring out the best of all the 3 leads (and the rest of the cast).

[blaxx]

Do you know who the understudies are?

[Starship]

Eden Pintos is starring in Mexico's Mary Poppins right now as Ensemble/2nd cover for Mrs. Brill.

[SNAFU]

Blaxx they are in fact using Chicago's sit down pieces (I believe) refurbed, altered and fixed up to fit into the theatre there. Pretty much every Wicked set has been built in Calgary.
I believe the UK tour is the only new production they started from scratch because it had to be a lot smaller to fit in some of the planned venues.
South Korea's upcoming production will be again old and new custom fitted.

[blaxx]

Good info. SNAFU, thanks!

I wonder why they do it in Canada, is it cheaper?