Lea Salonga as Elphaba

[TheaterAddict7652]

This was partialy inspired by the "Sheryl Lee Ralph as Madame Morrible" thread, but does anyone think that Lea Salonga would make a great Elphaba? I'd go see her...

[keatonbynumbers]

Lea Salonga would make a great anything, so yeah. That being said, I'd trust her to seek out better roles than Elphaba. I think she can do it, I'd just hope she wouldn't.

[Overthemoon6]

Erm.... she seems a bit too pretty sounding to be Elphaba to me.

[songbird21]

I've heard her Defying Gravity in concert. She's great, but holds back a bit...though I can't blame her with that song.

[HeyMrMusic]

She'd definitely bring a healthier sound to Wicked. So I say yes if it brings her back to Broadway, even if it is that show.

~Steven

[Overthemoon6]

As much as I love her and think she's amazing, her voice is too pure for Elphaba, who tends to have some grit in her voice. I would like to hear her sing Defying Gravity, though.

[HeyMrMusic]

I think the "purity" will give Elphaba a nice and different twist. Or maybe it'll make Lea's voice more "gritty." Either way, yes!

~Steven

[Overthemoon6]

Perhaps. Whether it be Elphaba or not, that girl needs to come back to Broadway!

[HeyMrMusic]

Agreed!

~Steven

[mygfdontliveincanada]

I'd rather see some gutsy race-blind casting and see her as Clara in "Light in the Piazza," but if she must come back in a big-budget musical-comedy, why not as The Lady of the Lake in "Spamalot" or Christine in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

[COOOOLkid]

What is she doing these days anyway?

[Overthemoon6]

I could sortof see her as Christine.

[actormcfamous]

Lea singing Defying Gravity at Carnegie Hall

[iwearshoes]

I clicked on that link and it said that it has inappropriate content!

[pab]

https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=765283#800122

https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=858631

[HeyMrMusic]

Wow. After watching that, I definitely say yes! Different doesn't equal bad, and that wasn't bad at all!

~Steven

[millie_dillmount]

It doesn't have inappropriate content. However, I thought it was illegal to post the link because it is bootleg material.

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I'd think she do great as Elphaba! Maybe Nessa too but I think I'd like to see her in a bigger role.

[DivaLynn]

Her voice is too pretty and refined for Elphaba. If she did this role it would wreck her voice. It requires a power belter which she is not. I hear someone like Christina Aguilera singing this role.

[Princeton78]

She holds back and is too timid.
She doesn't have the pop-rock voice the role requires.
Her rendition of DG is pretty, but that's about all I can say about it.
I also found her to be a terribly unemotional, unaffecting Eponine.

[BroadwayGirl107]

No. I agree that she's a bit too "pretty." And frankly, I don't think she's much of an actress.

[musicaltheater1]

What is Lea doing these days? She's getting ready to pop her first born...due May 06.

As far as holding back in her DF song at the Carnegie, I dont think she was holding back but merely, tougher for her to belt some notes because of her pregnancy.

As far as projects? She'd be great in Wicked or perhaps the revival of Les Miz, if she decides to work that soon.

[ElphabaRose]

I believe that at some point Lea has been quoted as saying that she would like to play Elphaba.

[BobbyBubby]

Except for 1 Elphaba, all the other actresses who have played her have been very pretty.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Not really. No matter how intense Lea seems to try to get, she has a very light, "pretty" sound to her mix. Pretty much everyone else seemed to at least produce something with a little more intensity and edge.

[BobbyBubby]

Well, at least Lea is always on key, which you can't say for some of the past Elphabas.