Student Blog: A 'Wicked' Double Act

Being a twin is such a blessing, but it does come with the potential for comparison.

By: May. 22, 2024
Student Blog: A 'Wicked' Double Act
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

On October 30, 2003, my twin sister, Elise, and I were born. To celebrate, the world-famous musical Wicked decided to open that day, too.  Apparently Stephen Schwartz thought it needed to be an even bigger day than it already was!  I think this little fact is what secured the fate Elise and I both held with musical theatre.  It is so significant to us that on our 18th birthday we got matching tattoos that say "For Good''.  Elise and I grew up doing every activity together which includes dance, gymnastics, voice and piano lessons, musicals, and even most of our academic schedules.  Being a twin is such a blessing, but it does come with the potential for comparison.  I would say, though, our experience in all of these areas has been perfectly complementary which allowed each of us to find our own niche.

Elise may be pursuing a BFA in musical theatre from Otterbein University (whoop whoop!!), however believe it or not, I was once the shining star!  I once played Bagheera in a two-week summer production of The Jungle Book in fourth grade and she was a butterfly.  That may be the only example I can give you, but I still proudly stand by it (totally kidding).  However, we have certainly had our fair share of iconic duos: Flotsam + Jetsam, Elsa + Anna, Ozzy-Lumpa, and Velma + Veronica Kelly to name a few.  We both developed a love for theatre from an early age, so it has been fun to see if and how productions use the relationship within the show.

I think what made Elise and me work so well was our ability to recognize our own strengths and to accept that comparison is always a reality, twin or not.  It is interesting to see where these strengths have become passions for I will happily write an essay on a book or article but if you ask me to sing a solo, I will happily redirect you to Elise.  Sometimes it felt like Elise and I could be interchangeable and it took me a while to unlearn this.  I think college has been such a blessing for, as hard as it is to be without her, I have grown so much as an individual.  Funny enough, my friends at college will often tell me I am such a Glinda and are blown away that I am probably more an Elphaba compared to Elise (to put it in theatre-kid terms).

Just as Stephen Schwartz had planned, Elise and I are now both involved in theatre in our own, beautiful ways.  She is killing it at Otterbein in her program and I love every opportunity I have to go support my favorite performer.  I know her fire and ability to captivate audiences is what makes her perfect for the stage and I have found I thrive in an academic setting.  However, Elise is always the first one to support me in my musical whims as I audition for school or summer stock productions.  My parents always say we behave like an old married couple, quite civil and very complimentary.  At one point I struggled with being a twin, but now, I find it to be the greatest gift.  I could not be more thankful for the Glinda to my Elphaba.



Comments

To post a comment, you must register and login.







Videos