Wicked- Melting Scene- Page 2
Wicked- Melting Scene
joanna2
Featured Actor Joined: 5/2/06
#25re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/16/06 at 10:58pmActually, she doesn't really get rained on during "I'm Not That Girl." Morrible comes with an umbrella and says something along the lines of "we wouldn't want you to get wet."
Radioactiveduck
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/05
#26re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/16/06 at 11:06pm
She does wash herself with oil in the book, because she has some kind of aquatic aversion.
For the melting scene on Broadway, fabric drawn across the stage is backlight and they do a little shadow show for the audience.
On tour they use a projection, because not all theatres have trapdoor capabilities.
The show caught a bunch of crap because they took the happy way out having her not die. My standpoint is...with all that amazing music, it would be a shame to have such a downer of an ending.
#27re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/16/06 at 11:06pmI believe the scream is pre-recorded.
"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn't last - only in people's memories and in their hearts. That's the beauty and sadness of it. But that's life - beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life." - Sherie Rene Scott
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#28re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/16/06 at 11:41pm
I also know, that because they can't use trap doors at all the theatres on tour. They changed the entrence for "No Good Dead." In the Broadway production, she comes up through a trap door on stage. But, On tour they have her fly in. This is how Stephine J. Block got hurt. They were only rehersing the entrence at the time and it was not an actual preformance. But still.
That is the only change I remember reading about in regards of the tour. I know that they had to do some changes because not all theatres could do everything such as trap door. They wanted to have a standard way of doing the show on tour that way it wouldn't confuse the actors and they would only have to reherse one way of doin the show.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
snl89
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
#29re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/16/06 at 11:45pm
im reading the book right now .. but dont remember so far anything about her being allergic to waterrr
she's def allergic in the book- it starts out with them casually mentioning that she hated water as a child, but then it goes into how she uses oil instead of water- and when she starts crying at one point it burns her skin, and you realize thats prob most of the reason why she barely ever cries in the book- it PHYSICALLY hurts her to. And then in the end... well, I'll let you get to it haha (but if you read my other post with the spoiler warning you prob already know what happens)
The show caught a bunch of crap because they took the happy way out having her not die. My standpoint is...with all that amazing music, it would be a shame to have such a downer of an ending.
Like I said, I agree,I LIKE it that way :) haha. Seriously, especially in the show, to have her really die would just.... ruin it for me. It'd be just TOO depressing to the point where it wouldn't be effective. In the book, it works better because 1)elphie isn't quite as likeable in the book. I mean you still care about her, but you dont get AS attached to her as you do in the show. At least, thats how it was for me. and 2)the book focuses less on the elphie/g(a)linda/fiyero relationship and gets into a whole bunch of other stuff, including social commentary. So.. because its not such a personal, intimate story, it makes it a little more..acceptable for her to die in the end. Its still depressing, but it works within the way the book is written and its message. The book is much darker than the show. But they just make elphie way too likeable in the show to have her die in the end. It'd be like "what a sucky, depressing ending!" intstead of the emotional ending that you get with her coming back. Because its still not ALL happy in the end of the show. Its still emotional. Its just not emotional to the point that you dont LIKE it anymore. Thats just my thoughts on it :)
I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.
Updated On: 10/16/06 at 11:45 PM
mauriposa
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/14/05
#30re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/16/06 at 11:53pm
Joanna -
I was referring to BEFORE the song. When it's just Elphaba & Fiyero, and they duck under a bridge (or something) after they've rescued the cub. Morrible wasn't there for that part, at least in the production I saw. I'll pay closer attention when I go again in a couple of weeks.
#31re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 8:37am
Yes she does get rained on in INTG as it starts to fall just as Galinda and Fiyero are crossing the bridge. They run off as Elphaba hides from them and the rain under the bridge.
Well in the second time I saw it - first time in previews the bridges didn't work.
#32re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 9:13am
I'm loving this thread! 
Thank you for those who started it and to those who have participated in it without making it another WICKED bashing thread It makes me very happy.
Anyway- oh yes, most certainly there are MAJOR differences in the book and in the musical- one of them being Elphie's aversion to water. In the book, oh yes- she was allergic to it and cleaned with oils, but in the show- it's more of a "joke," like people expect it. But the musical Elphie is not going to melt and is not allergic to water 
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
#33re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 9:28amwhatever happend to Indina her last performance?
I'm Mary ( :
I <33 Anthony rapp and Kristoffer Cusick!
#34re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 9:30amTo be quite honest, it seems as if the trap door guy wasn't payng much attention during the melting scene and she fell, breaking her rib. Sho had to come on and finish the last scene after a delay.
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
mejusthavingfun
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/12/06
#35re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 10:49am
I love the lyric "I'd be so happy I could melt." from Wizard and I. I also love how the witch’s silhouette can be seen during the “Wicked” song (literal foreshadowing LOL!).
I really thought that water thing was super confusing in the show and one of its biggest weaknesses. The part where it rained was almost an aside to the audience, it was just so contrived. I wonder if people not familiar with OZ even picked up on the water thing? I love the book and the film so it was a shocker at the end of the musical. The water thing has to be hardest sell in entire OZ mythos.
#36re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 11:54amIf the touring show is not able to do the melting scene because the theatre does not have trap door capabilities, how does Elphaba reveal herself at the end? Just walk on from the wings?
HiHeatherIloveyourdressit'sso purpleI'llseeyouatthepoolwhodiedGod! Forbidden Broadway
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#37re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 11:56am
The water thing has to be hardest sell in entire OZ mythos.
Why?
"How do you like THAT 'misanthropic panache,' Mr. Goldstone?" - PalJoey
#38re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 12:15pm
The way I've interpreted it is that the melting thing is a way of people believing she's died without harming her. It's mentioned in 'Thank Goodness' that they believe that 'her soul is so unclean pure water could melt her'. As she knows water will not melt her it's the best way of faking death. if they stabbed or hung her then well....she wouldn't escape.
I also think that while the rain is a aside to the audience, it's also a way for us to feel pity of Elphaba (being stuck in the storm while Fiyero and Galinda are off being happy) and is used to show how Morrible has powers to change the weather 'didn't I ever tell you? Weather is my speciality'. Giving back story when it comes to her creating the twister than brings Dorothy and kills Nessa.
I've always loved the line 'so happy I could melt' too...along with 'celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with me'. Sad that it all comes true in the way she wouldn't want.
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#39re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 12:20pmWell, by the end of the show the mob is chanting to find hunt, find and kill her, so I don't think they're worried about harm coming to her.
"How do you like THAT 'misanthropic panache,' Mr. Goldstone?" - PalJoey
#40re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 12:23pm
No I mean it's the best way she can think of to fake her death. Also it's not the Witch Hunters singing it's the mob...witch hunters are Boq (Tin Man) Fiyero (Scarecrow) Cowardly Lion and Dorothy. I alsways thought as Fiyero was with them (which if we're interlinking the film he would have been) he would have told Dorothy to throw water on her.
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#41re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 12:31pmOh, okay. I misread your first comment.
"How do you like THAT 'misanthropic panache,' Mr. Goldstone?" - PalJoey
#42re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 12:34pmThat's ok - I was rambling....and thinking far to hard about the back story. Sad sad woman.
mauriposa
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/14/05
mejusthavingfun
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/12/06
#44re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 2:18pm
Kringas - The water death is never explained in the Baum book or film. It's always stuck out to me because I didn't know water melted witches. As a kid I accepted it, though wondered why no one did it sooner.
-Also- I don't know about the Wicked tour and the trap door thing, but for other shows most big city theatres has standards specs required for these shows. If these theatres cannot accommodate the production, it is their loss. Wicked's set and effects seem pretty old fashioned compared to something like the Lion King. I really love the way touring productions are handled the creative solutions to tour a complicated show. I used to book theatres for a very big show, and I can't remember if trapdoors were in the specs.... hmmm...
Speaking of.. I don't think the current version of Tarzan is tourable. It is a terrible show, but all that bungee cord crap is way too complicated. If they do cut it out, it will probably be a little better than the crap we have now.
Here is a link of water discussion.
snl89
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
#45re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 2:56pm
No I mean it's the best way she can think of to fake her death. Also it's not the Witch Hunters singing it's the mob...witch hunters are Boq (Tin Man) Fiyero (Scarecrow) Cowardly Lion and Dorothy. I alsways thought as Fiyero was with them (which if we're interlinking the film he would have been) he would have told Dorothy to throw water on her.
ooooh wow,I never thought of that!! that is REALLY clever, and you're totally right- it would make complete sense for fiyero to be with them, therefore encouraging them to use water as the means of killing, therefore making it entirely possible for elphie to fake her own death :) I never really thought of that- that at that point fiyero's already the scarecrow so he can totally join the mob with no one suspecting anything. Very cool! lol. AND it makes much more sense with the fitting with the movie and everything.
I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.
mejusthavingfun
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/12/06
#46re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 3:19pmThen we get to the fireball scene from the movie... then I am stupmed.
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#47re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 3:24pmThreadjack: spiderdj...your ICON...HAHAHAHA!
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
actor
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/14/06
#48re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 9:01pm
"To be quite honest, it seems as if the trap door guy wasn't paying much attention during the melting scene and she fell, breaking her rib. Sho had to come on and finish the last scene after a delay."
That is incorrect. The "trap door guy" was paying attention. It was a technical error. A computer malfunctioned, bringing the trap door down seconds too early. There was nothing the "trap door guy" (probably 7 feet under her) could do but tell the tech guys to stop the trap door. The trap door had already partially gone down. It had not gone all the way down, however. Idina was hanging from the side of the stage. Therefore, they couldn't bring the trap door up. They simply had to either help her back up to the stage, or help her down into the trap room. This was not a human error.
snl89
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/4/05
#49re: Wicked- Melting Scene
Posted: 10/17/06 at 9:43pm
That is incorrect. The "trap door guy" was paying attention. It was a technical error. A computer malfunctioned, bringing the trap door down seconds too early. There was nothing the "trap door guy" (probably 7 feet under her) could do but tell the tech guys to stop the trap door. The trap door had already partially gone down. It had not gone all the way down, however. Idina was hanging from the side of the stage. Therefore, they couldn't bring the trap door up. They simply had to either help her back up to the stage, or help her down into the trap room. This was not a human error.
hmm...could I post a really long story of the fall, as told by idina at one of her concerts over the summer? I was going to quote just one part of it, but you know, the whole thing is just SO awesome I think everyone who's never heard HER version of the story needs to see it :P hehe. Its super long, but SO hysterical! I just figured I'd check with everyone before going and posting a super long story haha
I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.
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