Wicked Review 1/31 matinee (possible spoilers about brief changes)

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:03pm

So going back to one of my favorite shows today, I realized it had been almost a year since I've seen it last, which made me even more excited to see it again.

But it felt like a slightly different, though equally amazing show, and it was good to see some nice changes. First there were slight script/story changes that apparently I've been...off in outer space somewhere and didn't know about, but apparently things they started doing on the tour and in Chicago they incorporated into the Broadway production when some of the new cast members came in, or something?

IMO, the changes were good, for the most part. I did miss the big hat in the beginning...but apparently not that much because I didn't even realize that it was cut until my friend pointed it out at intermission. Oops.

There's a nice scene between Elphaba and Fiyero as he comes in his car...I'll try to not give every little detail away, hard for me...anyway I've always felt Fiyero was underwritten and his relationship with Elphaba was underwritten, but little changes like this helped. Didn't make it work perfeclty, but was an improvement. I'm *really* glad that despite the fact that show has been so successful on Broadway, they are working on ways to try to make it better.

There's also just some slight dialogue changes, a funny part where someone runs the wrong way...the dialogue fit in kind of nice...when Fiyero said he'll meet Elphaba right before As Long As You're Mine, he said I'll get Dillamond, then meet you or something...just a nice little thing to tie in...very little things like that. But I enjoyed being surprised at the fact that some things were different.

The other reason the show felt different was the new cast (actually, Megan/Eden was the last cast I saw, for the record). Julia, Kendra, and Sebastian to a slightly lesser extent offered very new, original, fresh takes on the roles.

Julia sang the songs with more of a legit singing voice and it sounded really great. Defying Gravity was as powerful as it's ever been, etc. Her acting was great too, though I think she might have...generally been a bit better at stronger, 2nd act Elphaba than younger, insecure Elphaba. Not that she was at all bad in that, but most Elphabas tend to have a strength one way or the other. But that of course contributed to the power of Defying Gravity, when she lets that confidence come out. She also had a great wicked-witch laugh. And good chemistry with Sebastian.

Also because she had a completely different singing voice, it changed some of the notes/accents, etc. on some parts of some songs. Like a brief example is that instead of going from higher note to lower note on "me down" she went from lower to higher. Again, little things, but nice to see a very fresh and original portrayal.

The same goes for Kendra Kassenbaum as Glinda. She was especially different. Her speaking voice--probably seemed deeper to me than it actually is because I imagine Glinda having a Kristin-like voice, but her voice seemed pretty deep. And she too sings very differently from most Glinda's. She isn't the vocally strongest Glinda I've ever seen, particularly in the high soprano notes, but it's not like she hurt my ear or anything. Her voice sounded great in her middle range, and brought some...power/belt to some of Glinda's parts in songs that was effective. I'm Not That Girl Reprise stood out as a particularly strong song for her.

She was also one of the most animated Glinda's I've seen JLT. Didn't try to play it as subtle as some others, which aside from Megan, I didn't think worked as well. She was running, doing exaggerated movements and stuff, etc, and it really paid off--she was VERY funny. But also her moves and ways of saying things and just her whole approach to the part was so different than all prior Glindas, it just really stood out for me. I mean, good for her for making the part her own, and not trying to duplicate someone else's performance.

Sebastian was pretty good as Fiyero. At some points his voice sounded...kinda nerdy...and from his look, I kinda wasn't expecting that. But I bought his Fiyero more than most, though a part of that is probably some of the changes. He did have chemistry with Julia, but I could kind of understand how him liking Elphaba didn't come out of completely nowhere like it usually seems with Fiyero's. He was also very sweet, like about how she's beautiful, etc. Still an underwritten, difficult part to pull off, but he did an admiral job.

And I have to say I loved Jayne Houdyshell as Madame Morrible. For me, that role went completely downhill since Carole Shelley left, but finally they found another great Morrible. She had the scaryness and powerfulness of the first "Wicked Witch" down, portrayed a very believable transformation, was simply scary and unrecognizable by the end, but there was also something in her from the very start that you could see the evil inherent in her. Great performance!

Oh, and I guess I should also mention Cristy Candler was a fine Nessarose, but had a really great voice. I loved Wicked Witch of the East.

Everyone else was good. I think this is the cast I've been most uniformly pleased with since the OBC.

And I know, I should be shot for starting a Wicked thread. After all, there's...so many right here on the front page...wow, just look at them all. Bad me.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:13pm

YOU SPOILED WICKED FOR ME! HOW DAAAAAAAAAAAARE YOU!

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:19pm

nice review. i loved the hat seen!

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:16pm

nice review, they took out the hat seen? i loved that one!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 10:39pm

Cristy is still Nessa? She was in it when I saw the show a year ago.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 10:45pm

That scene between Fiyero and Elphaba was in London so I guess they have added it to the Broadway production.

[Yero]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 10:47pm

"Cristy is still Nessa? She was in it when I saw the show a year ago."
She replaced Michelle in January and was in the show until March (she was basically a filler for Jenna Leigh Green), and then returned to the show and replaced Jenna in December.

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 11:10pm

Thanks for the review. Glad you enjoyed Julia!

[bwaydoc]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 10:09am

Wickedrentq, have they taken out the dancing scene between The Wizard and Elphaba during Wonderful? When I saw it in London I realized they no longer have it in the production there, and I was wondering if that was going to be incorporated into all the other shows as most of the other changes have been. I always liked that scene, so I was sad not to see it in London.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 1:41pm

Yes, they have. The song ended before the "1, 2, and..." I think that was a good change--it was a cute thing to watch when Joel Grey was the Wizard, but not so much since he left.

[chanseymad]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 1:53pm

i agree with ur review i saw it on Jan 21st and i thought the cast did a great job and the reason that Kendra sounds low is because she is an alto im impressed that she can do the high soprano...she did maureen in rent and that is a belting role...her low voice is rele nice her i'm not that girl(reprise) knocks u out because she can go for the low note rele well...im glad u enjoyed it as much as i did

[chanseymad]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 1:53pm

i agree with ur review i saw it on Jan 21st and i thought the cast did a great job and the reason that Kendra sounds low is because she is an alto im impressed that she can do the high soprano...she did maureen in rent and that is a belting role...her low voice is rele nice her i'm not that girl(reprise) knocks u out because she can go for the low note rele well...im glad u enjoyed it as much as i did

[soapbox_queen]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 2:00pm

That really sucks about the hat; I was looking forward to going to see wicked for the third time and (for me) the hat really makes the opening scene, visually at least. That's like...taking the boot dropping from the ceiling in the middle of Cats.

[caitlinette]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 2:09pm

About Julia's singing: what is a "legit" voice, anyway?

[Raspberry]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 2:14pm

I saw the evening show last night (1/31), and I agree.

Kendra was absolutely hysterical. I never thought "Wicked" could be so funny! At first, I didn't really like her because he voice was lower, less chipper, and not as refined as most, and I stupidly thought, "Oh, that's not what Glinda sounds like," but later I realized that her's was one of the most enjoyable performances I've seen on Broadway this season. I loved the way she just kept her silly, spastic movements going in the background the whole time. When she all but stops "Popular" in the middle of the song so she can carefully bend over and partially lift her leg in the air? Greatness. And then she stops the song again near the end so she can gaze into the air and whisper "Sparklesssssssssss!" and wiggle her fingers? Hilarious! I don't know if her antics necessarily helped the character or the show over all, but I fell in love. "Wicked" is one of the only shows that can make me feel genuinely bored while I'm watching it, but Julia and especially Kendra kept me entertained.

Sparklessssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FutureElphie]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 2:15pm

NO!!! How could they take the hat and the dancing scene out!!!! The hat really does it for me in the beggning. And I've always loved the dancing scene both times I've seen, especially when I saw Ben Vereen as the wizard =D I can't believe they took it out! ='(

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 3:01pm

'About Julia's singing: what is a "legit" voice, anyway?'

Sorry, I was debating the way to word that. I certainly don't mean that hers is more legitimate than anyone else's, as I love the way Idina sings for example. But by legit voice, I just meant less of a belt, more of a...not soprano exactly, but...something that other people wouldn't constitute as screaming, I guess is the best way to put it, since I don't consider the other way screaming and I love both.

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 4:16pm

Glad you liked the show

I saw Kendra on the tour and she was FANTASTIC. It's the little things she does that makes it wonderful!

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 4:28pm

Aren't Kendra and Julia just great? I loved them on tour. Wasn't so crazy about Sebastian, but he was better than Broadway's past Fiyero (forget his name, he was the original tour Fiyero).

[MimiLovesRoger]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 4:37pm

Thatks for the review. I can't wait to see the changes.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 4:55pm

Glad you liked it. Kendra, Julia, and Sebastian are my favorite Wicked trio. I noticed that there are some new orchestrations. I like them, what do you think? Also, the new added dialogue is fantastic, especially between Nessa and Elphaba at the end of Wicked Witch of the East.
Updated On: 2/1/07 at 04:55 PM

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 5:04pm

"I'm listening to my audio"

I hope you realize what you just said...

[SpellRENT777]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 5:18pm

Whatever happened to the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? I mean, why would they decide to change things about such a successful show? But anyway, thank you for your views and updates!

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 6:36pm

Because it wasn't a success necessarily based on its artistic merit. They wanted to improve things, and, seemingly, they have.

I saw a few of the changes on tour (they hadn't put in ALL of them, but they had most). They didn;'t yet utilize the book changes, but they had put in the new choreography. Dancing Through Life looks a lot tighter now.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 7:06pm

Now I have and it's edited :)