Why the spastic Glindas?- Page 3

[Midoria]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 6:17pm

Oh, I hope I didn't come across as being argumentative. I actually enjoyed reading your posts and responding to them, and I get where you are coming from. You had good valid points.

I saw the show last month, so it's still fresh in my mind. But I purchased the Grimmerie (sp) book at the show which has a lot of the script, so I am able to retain a lot more than I would if I was running on pure memory.

And yes, it's nice to talk about the topic for once, instead of odd ball things that tend to sidetrack us.

[artscallion]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 6:34pm

"Oh, I hope I didn't come across as being argumentative."

Not at all! I love these discussions! Sometimes I wonder if people think I'm argumentative. But I really just love exploring things like this.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 8:59pm

I have seen more than one Glinda. Believe it or not, Kristin's Glinda was subtle, well-acted, and reflected the transition the character makes as the plot progresses. I know I am going to be accused of bias due to my user name (which, I might add, was chosen way prior to Wicked's premiere), but I do not worship at the altar of Kristin as a musical theatre actress. I just think she is an excellent vocalist.

In any case, if you want to talk spastic and 1 dimensional characterizations, I would point you to Kate Reinders, who I saw in the Chicago production. Loved her in Gypsy. In Wicked? Not so much.

[Midoria]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 9:35pm

Not at all! I love these discussions! Sometimes I wonder if people think I'm argumentative. But I really just love exploring things like this.

Yay! A man after my own heart!

[landryjames2]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 2:56pm

Kristin is the definitive Glinda. As someone posted earlier, she played the part more subtle and received more laughs. I like that she is more mature than the others. Follows right along with how the Glinda character was in the Maguire book, the Baum book, and MGM's The Wizard. In none of the those renderings was Glinda anything but regal, mature, and Good. And Kristin achieved all of that while still getting more large audience laughter than all the other Glindas.

And none of them have an ounce of Kristin's stage presence (save Jennifer Laura Thompson who has a nice dose of it).

[Midoria]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 3:27pm

In none of the those renderings was Glinda anything but regal, mature, and Good.

Ok, regal and mature and mature are certainly up for debate (I'd say socially conscious and snobbish), but "Good"? In Maguire's book?

I'm re-reading it at the moment, and I fail to see how a pretentious, lying, social climber can be readily described as being "good". Certainly, she was not a BAD person. Her biggest sins did not reach beyond pretense and ego. But when I think of Glinda the Good, I don't think of a person who rebuked anyone who below (or even equal to) her on the social ladder. I don't think of a person who worried only of her social humiliation and never others (as seen when Pfannee wrote the fake letter to Elphaba and signed Galinda's name). I don't think of a person who scoffs at honest offers of friendship and companionship, as she did to poor Boq.

Granted, this is Galinda we are speaking of. I think the name change to Glinda after the death of Dr. Dillimond was a smart move on Maguire's part because it's truly as if she has become another person. But to say she was never anything but good is an overstatement. Mother Teresa was probably never anything other than good (yes, I know she was a real woman, but hear me out!). The character of Galinda/Glinda is certainly one of the more dynamic of the lot, but still, I think it's safer to say she was never bad.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 3:45pm

Well, I completely defer to your analysis. Yes, never bad perhaps is the correct term. I suppose I put Good because that is known as part of her name--Glinda the Good.

Point is that she was never a whiny, air-headed valley girl nothing that most Glindas on Broadway portray her as.

Frankly, I read both Wicked and Son of a Witch years ago, so I don't remember much except that she wasn't like the how the girls portray her now. Could she be considered Good in Son of a Witch? I know she had a lengthy cameo, but am not sure of her role there.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 3:46pm

I agree with the original poster- I just feel that a lot of the recent Galindas are trying TOO hard to be funny, and it comes off pretty annoying to me.

And reading some of the above posts, I think we're thinking too in depth about this, haha.

[Midoria]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 4:12pm

To a former literature major, there is NO SUCH THING as too in depth, my friend.

Updated On: 8/9/07 at 04:12 PM

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 4:19pm

Touche :P

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 5:00pm

I've felt that a number of the young actresses playing the role have fallen into the trap of pandering to the audience.

They either don't trust their own acting skills or they try to mask what little acting skill they have and play it up for the audience like some spadic performing seal.

It is much easier to do that type of f*cking the audience than the auctual work of building a character and telling the story of Wicked.

Updated On: 8/9/07 at 05:00 PM

[wickedfiyeroofoz]

Posted: 8/9/07 at 10:17pm

I think that generally performances in wicked are like giant snowballs. in the beginning you had the originals who were great, and set the bar. Now with each cast change you get an elphaba who wants to belt higher and sing defying gravity with more riffs (cough shoshana) and a Glinda who wants to be cuter and perkier, and get more laughs than their respective predecessors. Each successive performance gets to be more over the top because they're all trying to outdo each other. I think Jenna Leigh Green's performance was the exception. Her minimalistic approach to elphaba was refreshing.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 4:48am

That's exactly it. It went from trying to improve upon the original characterization to trying outdo the last Glinda/Elphaba nevermind the story anymore.

[Operagod01]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 12:05am

Guys, one thing to remember; the prouduction team OKs everything with each cast. They visit each compnay on a regular basis, and if they don't like the way an actress is playing the role they ask that it be changed. If you do not like spastic Glinda's write to the assistant director. They are the one's who see to it that Jo's wishes are kept. Here's another clue; If they are happy with a Glinda or Elphaba they are not given a new contract.

While some people might not like a spastic Glinda, it's has become what they are asked to do by the BOSS!