Favorite actress to play Elphaba?

[CollegeDreamer]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:39am

Who is/was your favorite actress to play Elphaba? Why? 

I'm curious. 

Updated On: 1/25/17 at 12:39 AM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 1:28am

I like Shoshana Bean and Idina Menzel

Updated On: 1/30/17 at 01:28 AM

[Willie4316]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 3:21am

Willemijn Verkaik. Putting aside the fact that she has performed the role for 7 years, has been in 5 productions in 4 countries and has sung and spoken in 3 languages, I find that she has best embodied who Elphaba really is, although that could be chalked up to the consistency that she had to maintain for each production. 

Can't wait to see her back on London's West End and see what, if any, new interpretations or choices she brings.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 7:44am

Rachel Tucker. No question. She brought so much to the role. She also came closest to resembling the character of Elphaba in the original novel by Gregory Maguire.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 7:46am

Donna Vivino

[rangersrule132]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 8:17am

bwayphreak234 said: "Rachel Tucker. No question. She brought so much to the role. She also came closest to resembling the character of Elphaba in the original novel by Gregory Maguire.

 

"

I second this and add her melt riff as a selling point as well. It still makes me cry, just the riff alone.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 10:29am

Guess I'll be the one to make an argument for the original. To me, no one has really touched Idina. She had this subtlety about her, in a show that's anything but subtle. She wasn't afraid to scale her performance back when it was called for. Not every moment was treated like a Performance, with a capital P. It was a skillfully nuanced performance. And in No Good Deed, she had this frighteningly maniac energy that legitimately scared me a bit.

Given the recent limelight, I know people are sick of hearing about her, but her Elphaba is definitely my favorite.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 10:30am

Shoshana Bean, for sure. Followed by Christine Dwyer.

[CollegeDreamer]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 11:25am

BroadwayConcierge said: "Shoshana Bean, for sure. Followed by Christine Dwyer.

 

"

Always Shoshana Bean. For me, there's something about Alyssa Fox's performance. I don't know why, she just makes me feel elphabas character.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 11:28am

Rachel Tucker is the best I've seen, out of eight or nine actresses.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 11:35am

Eden Espinosa

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 11:35am

LYLS3637 said: "Guess I'll be the one to make an argument for the original. To me, no one has really touched Idina. She had this subtlety about her, in a show that's anything but subtle. She wasn't afraid to scale her performance back when it was called for. Not every moment was treated like a Performance, with a capital P. It was a skillfully nuanced performance. And in No Good Deed, she had this frighteningly maniac energy that legitimately scared me a bit.

Given the recent limelight, I know people are sick of hearing about her, but her Elphaba is definitely my favorite."

Agreed. Others have sounded better, but nothing comes close to Idina's performance/characterization. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 11:59am

I've only seen one, but Alison Luff gave such a stunning performance. 

[CollegeDreamer]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:10pm

I love the actresses in this role have a deeper tone, especially towards the end of act one going into the rest of the show. Carmen Cusack is also a favorite. 

[That1GirlAnnettee]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:28pm

In order of my favorite Elphaba: Idina Menzel, Carman Cusack, then Christine Dwyer. 

I love Wicked.....my biggest problem with it since the original cast is the character of Glinda. Every time I've seen it since Kristin played the character, it is played like Glinda is almost crazy, while Kristin played her as zany, but not quite as over the top as the following actresses.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:38pm

I've seen several actresses in the role. Bean, Espinosa, Gasteyer to name a few but none of them came close to capturing the magic I felt when I saw Idina Menzel in the role. 

[steven22]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:41pm

I've seen Idina, Eden, Ana Gasteyer, Stephanie Torns, Jackie Burns, Christine Dwyer, Rachel Tucker and Jennifer DiNoia. All of them were fantastic. If I had to pick, I'd say Idina, Ana and Jenn DiNoia are my favorites.  

[AngusN]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:50pm

Eden gave such a nuanced and multilayered performance, my favourite by far. 

Idina's poor acting skills resulted in an insincere and fake delivery. 

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:50pm

I recently saw the tour at the Kennedy Center and Jessica Vosk played Elphaba. I am not a huge fan of this musical, but Vosk was absolutely breathtaking in the role. Acting-wise and vocally, she was magnificent. You can find her "Defying Gravity" on YouTube. She sticks to the melody as written in the score, for the most part, but her voice is so powerful, you don't miss any of the runs and riffs that other women have brought to the role. It was refreshing in its purity and power. 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 12:53pm

Sounds interesting MikeInTheDistrict. I am definitely going to check her out! 

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 1:03pm

I like different women for different reasons.

I like Eden Espinosa for shear mind bending vocals.

I liked the warmth Rachel Tucker brought to the role.

I have a tie for my top all around choices:

Christine Dwyer, literally gave a flawless performance and her ease of vocal ability and acting choices made her a surprise hit for me as I was not familiar with her prior to seeing her in Wicked, and I love seeing new talent and watching their careers take off.

Finally, Lindsay Mendez, fresh new choices, great vocals tailored to her abilities, a master class in reinventing a role and not pure duplication.  She also was so likeable and easy to root for.

Updated On: 1/25/17 at 01:03 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 1:53pm

Between 2003 and 2012, I saw all of the women who played the role on Broadway and most of the standbys and understudies. While I liked a number of women for different reasons, overall I don't think the characterization that Idina Menzel created has been topped.  

I had some other favorites as well.  No one has sung the score better than Eden Espinosa.  I also greatly enjoyed the likes of Mandy Gonzalez, Julie Reiber, Lisa Brescia, and Jennifer DiNoia. 

[lambchop2]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 1:55pm

Of the four actresses I've seen, Julia Murney is my favorite. She reminded me the most of the book Elphaba. She had that bitterness and jadedness of growing up being green, whereas the others had too much "pluck," and were too spunky. For example in the scene where she first meets the students, it was a sarcastic, guarded "Yes, I'm green, no I didn't eat grass as a child," etc whereas I've seen Elphabas who literally run up to the students waving their hands, yelling YES I KNOW I'M GREEN NO I DIDN'T EAT GRASS AS A CHILD!!


That1GirlAnnettee: "I love Wicked.....my biggest problem with it since the original cast is the character of Glinda. Every time I've seen it since Kristin played the character, it is played like Glinda is almost crazy, while Kristin played her as zany, but not quite as over the top as the following actresses."

I'm so glad someone else noticed this.  In the original production she was a snobby upper crust girl who got a bit silly on a party night, but some of these actresses play her like she's completely out of her mind the entire first act (sometimes even beyond) and it's odd. I remember years ago hearing rumors that some of the actresses got in trouble for pulling stunts (namely Ashford and Hilty) and taking it too far.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 2:22pm

I've only seen 3. Jackie B, Rachel T and an understudy I'm sorry I don't remember her name. Jackie was by far my favorite though I am impressed with Stephanie j Block when we hear her in those Wicked TV primos. 

I haven't seen either Alison Luff or Stephanie Torns here but I loved them in other roles. I would have liked to see these two especially. 

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 1/25/17 at 3:54pm

1) Eden wins for me for her unbelievable vocals, fierce acting and ability to cry on cue every time she learns the wizard has no power...

2) Loved Teal Wicks nuanced performance and emotion when performing elphaba

3) Idina because, well she's Idina

4) have only seen Rachel Tucker and Jackie Burns on video and was amazed by both for their vocal variations and embodyment of the role

Honestly they have done a great job protecting the franchise with amazing leads both on bway and tours, Ive seen 14 elphabas live and many more via youtube and they were all excellent