Saycon in Wicked- Page 2

[zoran912]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 5:55pm

I don't agree either. I think a black woman can play the role just as well as a white woman. Actors are not meant to be carbon copies of the originators of their roles. It's just not meant to be that way. If Saycon wants to bring a part of herself into her interpretation, way to go! If you disagree with her acting choices, that is YOUR problem, not hers.

That's my 2 bits.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 5:57pm

I thought Ebonics was colloquial black English. I also was under the impression that Sycon was from the Caribbean.

[zoran912]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 6:04pm

Exactly. That just proves how unenlightened some of the posters on this board are.

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 6:56pm

Updated On: 3/13/12 at 06:56 PM

[WickedCatsontheRoof]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 7:01pm

That was one of the phrases I liked the best by Saycon.

[bella cantato]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 7:49pm

oh geez. WHY does Elphaba need to be "white"? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY? What does that have to do at all with the character???? And furthermore the only thing stopping Glinda from being played by a black actress is her blonde hair. Bc that would just look dumb.

Updated On: 6/29/05 at 07:49 PM

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 8:27pm

Updated On: 3/13/12 at 08:27 PM

[zoran912]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 8:50pm

That's not ebonics though. That may be called "black sass" or "ghetto attitude" but it will never be ebonics.

Ebonics = The Snoop Dogg Language.

Fo Shizzle, yo!

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:09pm

Updated On: 3/13/12 at 09:09 PM

[kim1061]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:42pm

Bella i agree with you. Well said.
But really, just because someone sounds "soulful" doesn't mean they sound "black." What is "sounding black" anyways?

Updated On: 6/29/05 at 09:42 PM

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:53pm

There is a sound usually attributed to black singers which is gospel and soul music, because it is a type of music that originated in predoinantly black settings. If you recall in Dremagirls, the "black, soul sound" is something that Curtis wanted to refine with his "new sound." Now, I've heard Saycon and Sho sing the role, and Sho definitely does a lot more riffing and running with her songs than Saycon who sings brilliantly.

[WickedCatsontheRoof]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:54pm

WickedCats is in the hizzle yo.

Edit: Sorry I had to do that. Something just came over me.

Updated On: 6/29/05 at 09:54 PM

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:58pm

I hate when people tell me someone "sounds" black. I was listening to Paula Cole in a coffeeshop I used to work in and she can SING THE SH*T out of a song...and some idiot was like, "Who's this?" I was like, "Paula Cole," and he was like, "Wow, thought it was some big black lady." I was like, "Why would you think that?" Idiot...anyway, regardless of how "black" saycon plays the role or not, that's not why I was bored with her...her spin on it just didn't work for me...I'd like to see a black, white, green, brown, orange, red, blue woman as Elphaba, so long as it does it for me...

-Vincent

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 11:33pm

Elphaba is really a character that can be anything. When you look at her, she isn't white, she isn't black, so you can't automatically stereotype her. The actress playing her gets to make this character her own, being that it's like, "Okay, she's a WASP," or, "She's half white, half black," or anything like that. This is a character that can really go in any direction. She can have sass, she can be more proper, she can be sarcastic, and the actress playing her has so much to work with. So I don't think it makes any difference that Saycon is black, being that she is the standby for a reason. She is a talent, as are Sho, Idina, and any other actresses that have played Elphaba. They all make the character their own, and it's kind of unfair to stereotype a character which is about BREAKING stereotypes.

Y'know what I'm saying?

Well, JMO.

heart.
mel

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:52am

Updated On: 3/13/12 at 12:52 AM

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 3:27am

I saw her first day as Elphie...second performance *evening :)*

She is my least favorite out of the four I've seen. I rate vocally/acting/overall in this order
1.Stephanie
2.Jenna
3.Ana
4.Saycon

JMO

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 7:31am

"And furthermore the only thing stopping Glinda from being played by a black actress is her blonde hair. Bc that would just look dumb."

Actually, both roles can be played by actresses of any race. It is after all, a fantasy world.

I've seen black actresses with blond hair that wasn't silly-looking at all.

Not every black actress in a wig is gonna look like Motor Mouth Mabel.

[bella cantato]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 9:26am

I don't know, I do think Glinda is race specific, which is fine because there are plenty of other roles out there which are race specific and NOT white. However, Elphaba is NOT. At all.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:18pm

haha..last night one of the black chorus members in wicked had a blonde wig...and it actually didn't look bad on her :)

[actress_06]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:39pm

I don't really understand the whole 'gospel/soul' thing. I know that a lot of black singers have that , but then when you think about other performers it's hard to tell. As many people said Shoshana is white, but has a 'soulful' voice. The is also Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald. If you didn't know they were black and listened to a recording they could be white how would you know. Plus there are a heck of a lot of black (and people of other nationalities) that sing opera. The voice doesn't need to matter really. She was given the part because she can do it and that's that!

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 10:32pm

Updated On: 3/13/12 at 10:32 PM

[sfrp]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 11:16pm

I've never been rendered sputteringly speechless after reading a post on this board, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

"But her mother, father, and sister are all white so she probably was`nt brought up like a ghetto black person(if that is the right word)"

I...I don't think that's the word. No. Not really.

Are you intending to call Saycon a ghetto black person? Or just her interpretation of Elphaba? What exactly is a ghetto black person, and could you PLEASE point me to something in Saycon's portrayal that sounds your ghetto alarm? Someone who doesn't sound white? I'm trying as hard as I can NOT to read this post as incredibly racist and offensive, but it's just not working.

Elphaba is green. She's not white. And one of the points of this show, other than "ooooh, shiny and belting!" is that "some of us are different." Some of us aren't white, and we're not going to apologize for not fitting into your rigid definition of what "non-ghetto" is. And, while we're at it, have you taken a close look at Ben Vereen lately? Might wanna get the ghetto police on him, too.


Updated On: 6/30/05 at 11:16 PM

[kim1061]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 11:31pm

Well Said! ^^

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 11:45pm

WARNING: I'm not racist! so don't try to tell me I am.

but...Saycon IS a ghetto black girl...have you seen her website? Her normal music is very R&B/hip hop ghettoness. It's not a bad thing! it's just...she is :)

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:05am

Oooh...some people on this board might just wanna stop before they get in over their heads.