Wicked, June 16th
Wicked, June 16th
#0Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 5:24pm
Perhaps it was the 3 minute mini-hurricane that swept the city right before the lottery was pulled...because I was able to get 4 tickets to the show. My friend won and I won...very exciting.
Lets see. Was very unimpressed with the audience. People taking pictures, talking, using cell phones, eating....just bothers me.
My seats were two left from centre.
Meg Hilty is a little delight. What a fun time it was to see her as Glinda. Never got the chance to see Kristen but she does the part justice. Her note at the end of "No One Mourns..." was so high and clear.
Ben V. was of course brilliant. He was dead on as the Wizard. What a great casting choice...the ol'man can still sell it.
The same cannot be said for The Golden Girl Rue. Her singing has simply turned into talking and her voice is so hoarse and...in a way...gone it was sad to see her be put into this. Morrible isn't too vocally demanding but she just struggled.
Michelle was great as always. I had forgotten about the Wicked Witch of the East song and found that it was quite good this time.
David Ayers...boy oh boy oh boy. I was hoping that people with prior reviews had caught him on a bad night but I guess I must have also. While he DID sing in key this night his notes just were off and under all the time. Good looking guy but I wasn't impressed with his singing.
Jeff Kuhn was good. Not as small as some previous Boq's but good none the less. Didn't think his "Let's DANCE" note was too strong though.
The ensemble is in tip top shape. Some new faces, witch are always nice to see. Brandy S. Macy was a delight to watch in the ensemble so I can only imagine she will make a fine Elphaba.
And finally about my girl....
Shoshana was simply amazing. I think that Idina's acting was so simplistic and it worked for her. Shoshana is working up there putting everything she has into it making the role and the work much more physically demanding.
There were hardly any riff's as opposed to those who say she performs as if it were American Idol. "Wizard" "Loathing" and "..Not that girl" were so nice. Strong and solid. "No Good Deed" seems to be her favoirte song currently. The girl just belted it like it was no body's business.
"Defying Gravity" is of course my favorite song...sorry. The only real riff she did in the entire show was on bye in "Kiss me good-bye". Loved her interaction with Glinda and her emotions during this number were dead on. My favorite part of the song is the "it's me! It's meeeeeeeeeeee So if you care..." WEll it was ruined because one of the laser lights got me RIGHT in the eyes and I spent the better half of the finale of the song trying to find a place to stick my head. She didn't do anything special at the end. Just a big breath and sang the "Me Down" I think as it is written.
On the whole I think that the show is doing fine. Some fine tuning should take place in some places but I think that the whole cast works SO well together no matter what. I was thinking of having my eye's fixed anyway but I got to see Wicked and get Lasic Eye Surgery for 25$...not too bad
dan
#1re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 5:29pm
Great review.
Hahah those lights are so bright. I felt the same thing when I won the lottery.
I can't believe BOTH of you won! I wish I had that kind of luck!
BwayBaby18
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/19/05
#2re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 5:37pmWhen i did Lottery luckily i was in Idina's shadow.... too bad i was lookign at Kristin standing uselessly on the side
#3re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 7:23pmSorry, don't mean to be a jerk. I believe the Elphaba is now Brandi Chavonne Massey. Sorry, but thank you for that intelligent review. I am glad to hear most of your comments, except of course for poor Rue. It's a shame.
#4re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 9:31pm
No Shoshana is still Elphaba...I spelt Brandi's name COMPLEATLY wrong. She is the understudy after Saycon as the stand-by...both girls compleaty wonderful people.
Unless Shoshana was fired from yesterday then I don't know but she was Elphie
#5re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 9:36pmI don't know how the previous Morrible did, but the tour Mme. Morrible (Carol Kane) spoke-sang most of her songs, as well. It's not something you would notice if you hadn't heard the soundtrack, but disappointing if you expected something more. She made up for it with her wonderful acting, however. So all is good.
This is my signature.
#6re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 10:12pm
Carole Shelley will always be THE Madame Morrible.
She did sing the lines and she was a wonderful actress.
I hope Rue eventually gets the hang of it, but it is very hard to replace Carole in the role she spent over 2 years performing every night.
Derek
Broadway Star Joined: 9/14/03
#7re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/17/05 at 11:24pmi hope rue grows with time...i hear her acting is very good, its just the singing.....and shoshana never ceases to amaze!
wicked4life51
Broadway Star Joined: 6/20/04
#8re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 1:29am
shoshana does not belt,idina menzel belts.Sho has technique and she MIXES ahhhhhh i hate the word belt grrrrr thats for people who dont have technique.Shoshana mixes,pure mix and same with eden espinosa,no belting and no screaming idina screamed they both mix grrr (but completely two diffrent voices).I know what im talking about ,and if you want to contradict me dont cause i have 10 years of vocal training.And trained in anything possible,im a mixer and thats why i go so hi i dont belt or else i wouldnt have a voice.But im trained in everything opera,pop,rock,jazz,broadway anything.So dont contradict me at all,and try being with the best vocal coaches in nyc so there lol(ok im done,just needed to add why people shouldnt contradict me lol)and if you do agree leave a pm lol much love
Zack
"what? what is it? do i have something in my teeth? ok lets get this over with : no im not seasick,yes ive always been green, and no i didnt chew grass as a child "
#9re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 1:43amYou lack the technique to get your point across. I had a difficult time deciphering your post, and I still think I'm not clear on it.
This is my signature.
morebroadwayplease
Leading Actor Joined: 6/15/05
#10re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 8:42amI agree with Aigoo.
"I'll bet that you're Kristin Chenoweth MBP!"
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#11re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 9:04am
I know what im talking about ,and if you want to contradict me dont cause i have 10 years of vocal training.
Too bad you don't have 10 years training on how to form a sentence though.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
#12re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 9:14am
Wow, someone really thinks highly of themself. Amazing how one can be so trained and skilled in how to sing, yet typing and the English language is a mystery.
-Vincent
morebroadwayplease
Leading Actor Joined: 6/15/05
#13re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 9:26am
ticenewyorkcity,
I didn't tell you how great of a review that was. It's disappointing Rue wasn't that great. I have only one question though, how was the new Wizard?
"I'll bet that you're Kristin Chenoweth MBP!"
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#14re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 9:31amBen V. was of course brilliant. He was dead on as the Wizard. What a great casting choice...the ol'man can still sell it.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#15re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 10:26amI saw Wicked on the 12th and thought that the whole cast was wonderful. Megan did steal the show. Anything she was in was magic.
morebroadwayplease
Leading Actor Joined: 6/15/05
#16re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 10:31am
Thank you popcultureboy,
I didn't notice that before.
"I'll bet that you're Kristin Chenoweth MBP!"
minimel8817
Understudy Joined: 9/29/04
#17re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 11:59amI just love Megan Hilty. I saw her as the standby for JLT back in december and she was just so cute!
seasons of love
Leading Actor Joined: 1/8/05
#18re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 1:36pm
<
((laughs out loud)) :) That was funny...
Thanks for the review! Like everyone else, I hope that Rue will be able to get more comfortable with the role as time goes on... I think she will... :)
"I am unfinished- I am diminished
With or without you..."
#19re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 3:03pm
wicked4life...I am assuming you are a fan of shoshana and I am sorry if I offend you but GET OVER IT.
please
I will contradict you because your post was rude.
congrats on all your training however most people belt even sho can belt and at some points she did.
#21re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 3:15pm
Nice to hear, I hope to eventually see Megan soon.
I won the Lottery way back in Feb, seat 107...I think. Defying gravity was frustrating since I spent most of my time trying not to be blinded.
#22re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 3:30pm
wicked4life, I am known as a mixer vocally and I'd hardly call what they do mixing - a clear, pure, mix-only. I'm sure it's an approach they use to use some mix IN their belt but...Audra is a mixer...Dawn Upshaw is a mixer...prolly even Marin Mazzie but I'd hardly call Shosh a mixer, nor call what she does a "pure mix" (I wouldn't call her belt unhealthy at all though - she has such astounding vocal control and versatility with her voice, she seems to take incredible care of it and sing healthy and using her technique at all times).
Eden on the other hand...I dunno, I can respect what you're trying to say but...the second you try to convince me that Eden is mixing and not belting, PARTICULARLY when you say she's not screaming...are you talking about the same Eden Espinosa I am?
If I show you the darkness I hold inside, will you bring me to light?
ashley0139
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
#23re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/18/05 at 5:20pm
rKrispy- I was about to say the exact same thing. All Eden does is scream. It's a little scary. I was kinda wondering what they were talking about.
Great review, though. Things seem to be going well, except for Rue.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
#24re: Wicked, June 16th
Posted: 6/22/05 at 3:14pm
Thanks for the review! I'm sorry to hear that about Rue McClanahan. I so enjoyed Carole Shelley in the role. What a shame. I really hope she is able to grow into it.
As for this belting debate, I'm with Krispy. Shoshana is definitely a belter. She's a healthy belter, but definitely a belter nonetheless.
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