Coleen Sexton is the new Elphaba Standby on tour!- Page 2

[Kringas]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 12:50pm

Do standbys usually get an "official" announcement?

[Al Dente]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 12:55pm

Um, no Kringas, at least not in the real world.

[Kringas]

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

Such a pity.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 8:31pm

Al, What I'm saying is that among the actresses I've seen play Elphaba and other roles IE: Block, Murney, Menzel, and Bean that Coleen imo, does not seem to have what it takes to pull this off, based on what I've seen her do onstage thusfar.

I respectfully disagree with you in that I thought Block & Bean are all around dynamic actresses and did a wonderful and very unique job with Elphaba. I also thought Murney brought a whole new deminsion of honesty to the role and her vocals were solid. Julia was/is a popular choice for this role and with good reason. She's great. I just can't see Coleen doing this.

Again, I am admitting that I could be wrong and pleasantly surprised, and truthfully I hope I am. I just don't see Colleen being a show stopping Elphaba. Just one opinion. I hope that explains me take on this.

[Yero]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 8:58pm

According to her LJ community, she will be on from February 27th to March 4th in Tampa.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 10:20pm

I have to agree with PB.

What I think she meant by Sexton not being an imposing figure is that her stage presence is not very naturally commanding or captivating. She comes off quite timid and passive, and that is a big contrast to dynamos the likes of Espinosa, Bean, Menzel, and Murney who all grab your attention whenever they walk on stage.

I also have reservations with Coleen in the vocal department. I think the role of Elphaba is best played by a brazen belter who just knocks the score out of the ballpark, and while Coleen is obviously a talented singer, I have almost always found her voice underwhelming, particularly as Lucy in "Jekyll and Hyde." If she struggled with bringing the power out of that score, I can only imagine the difficulties she'll have to overcome to succeed with Schwartz's music.

The creative team hasn't been without reservations about her either. She has auditioned for the role of Elphaba before (most notably prior to Idina Menzel leaving the Broadway company,) and obviously they had concerns that prevented her from landing it before.

Although I am not so sure of this casting choice, I am sure she has the ability to suprise us, and I wish her all the best.

Updated On: 1/2/07 at 10:20 PM

[Kev]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 10:51pm

From someone who saw Coleen throughout her run in J&H (as PB knows...hi!), I'd venture to suggest she will make for a fine Elphaba. My quick rundown of her run as Lucy: as an understudy and for the first portion of her full-time gig, she was a revelation and definitely commanded the stage with honest acting and a voice that shook the rafters, not to mention the belt sounded healthy. I didn't think so much of her later in the run (and on the DVD) mainly because she was taking shortcuts with the acting and half-assing the strained singing. Overall, I thought Coleen was a force of nature earlier on, not so much following.

As far as her stage presence not being naturally commanding or captivating, to each his/her own I suppose (as I felt Saycon, for one, was anything but captivating nor a ballpark singer). I still reckon that Coleen has the "it" factor and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out with Wicked. Heck, I'm just ready to see her live again, as I missed her in Dracula and Chicago. I'm very much looking forward to her performance and have no doubt that Coleen will bring something unique to the role.


Updated On: 1/2/07 at 10:51 PM

[Redhead0322]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:48pm

Did anyone catch Coleen playing Elphaba yet? Apparently she's gone on a few times.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 8:58pm

Sorry you feel that I was pre-judging Colleen. But many actors talents are based on their past stage experience. I spoke from what I observed onstage. It was a tough roll and she was struggling. Don't know or care why. It happens to the best of them. I don't know anything beyond her J/H days except that she was not cast in anything substancial until now. Her choice or others? don't know. don't care.

Yes, it's been 6 years since we've seen or heard her. Yes, I hope she proves to be wonderful and exactly what the producers expect her to be. These are just my opinions, like yours ...get over it.

[Broadway Baby4]

Posted: 2/11/07 at 9:36pm

I like Coleen Sexton. She was AMAZING as Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde with "the Hoff".

My friend, who I did J&H with last summer, DATED her a few years ago!

That's my weird Coleen Sexton story.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 9:30am

I don't know anything beyond her J/H days except that she was not cast in anything substancial until now.

That is a rather snotty attitude!

What exactly is anything "substancial" [sic] ? So only Broadway counts?

There are plenty of fine actors who do very fine work in regional theater and national tours and off-Broadway.

In this business, it is something just to be working.

Disclaimer: I didn't see Colleen in J&H, and I am not one of her fans. But this type of attitude really is horrible coming from someone who supposedly loves theater and "covers" theater for BWW.

[Andante]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 6:10pm

I'm not giving any opinions or rallying support for (much less bashing) Coleen in any way, but I saw her as Elphaba in Wicked this past weeek in Baltimore. She wasn't all that bad.

Her high notes were a little strained, I agree, but her acting was excellent. She has had a very good vocal grasp of the part- her "No Good Deed" and "Wizard and I" were better than the other two Elphabas I've seen (not naming names). And she got a standing ovation after "Defying Gravity", so she must be doing something right...

[Yero]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 6:21pm

I want to see pictures of her in green so badly right now. Could you see her well, Andante? How did she look?

[Andante]

Posted: 2/13/07 at 2:43pm

Yes, Yero, I could see her well; was sitting about five rows back in the center section. She looked very good in the green makeup. I really can't say anything more about the makeup- I was paying more attention to Coleen's vocal performance and Cliffton Hall's hair. haha