Wicked gets "new" standbys

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 1:21pm

Wicked on Broadway will be getting new standbys for Elphaba and Glinda starting on Tuesday who aren't new at all and have been leads in other productions. Donna Vivino takes over as Elphaba standby and Kate Fahrner takes over as Glinda standby.

While I never saw Donna I'm looking forward to seeing her. I saw Kate when she was with the Chicago company and she is an excellent Glinda. One of the better voices and actresses IMO.

[steven22]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 1:22pm

Too bad Lindsay K. Northern and Stephanie Torns were not offered the stand-by track.

[dreaming]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 1:25pm

I feel especially bad for Lindsay Northern, who's one of my favorites in the role. She really is very strong vocally and I think she nails the role beautifully.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 2:15pm

I saw Donna on the tour. She's very capable--she plays some of the second act scenes with more fierceness than most (particularly "The Wicked Witch of the East" and "No Good Deed") but it works. She can also dial it back for a wistful and effective "I'm Not That Girl".

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 3:04pm

Lindsay is wonderful, it sucks she's being held back so much.

On another note, I'm seeing Wicked tomorrow, maybe I'll get a pleasant surprise with the stand-bys.

Updated On: 8/22/11 at 03:04 PM

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 3:22pm

I highly doubt it. One of the Wednesday or Sat shows would be my bet to see Kate. Teal very rarely misses. And Teal and Katie Rose have a month left so I doubt either will be missing a lot.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 4:07pm

I saw Kate Fahnrer as Nellie Forbush in the national tour of "South Pacific." I was very disappointed not to see Carmen Cusack, but Kate was wonderful as Nellie. She was also very nice at the stage door.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 4:56pm

Well, I bought my ticket to see Wicked, I wasn't thinking about the cast; I don't really have a preference as to who I see. It just wouldn't be the first time an understudy/stand-by went on the first night they joined a company.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 5:40pm

I hope you see Teal and Katie Rose. They are by far the best pair I have seen. And I have seen A LOT of different pairs.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 5:44pm

Somewhat off topic but don't wanna start a new tread:
What do people think of Kathy F as Morrible?

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 6:05pm

DG, I've seen them already :P

jamie, I believe I've seen Kathy as Morrible, but I don't remember much about her performance at all. So there are my two cents on her...

Posted: 8/22/11 at 6:08pm

i think that she is the best Morrible that has ever played the role. She has one of the better singing voices for Morrible. and her acting is just as good. There is a strong difference between the sweet Morrible and the Wicked Morrible!...Love her!

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 6:11pm

Kathy F is an excellent Morrible but I like both of her understudies better. Kathy F. missed all of last week. Vacation I'm guessing.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/22/11 at 6:35pm

One of the Wednesday or Sat shows would be my bet to see Kate.

Given Call Out Katie's well documented attendance woes, I'd say the odds are pretty good you could see Kate Fahrner at just about any performance.


Teal very rarely misses.

That simply isn't true.

And Teal and Katie Rose have a month left so I doubt either will be missing a lot.

I wouldn't bet on it.
Updated On: 8/22/11 at 06:35 PM

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 8/23/11 at 6:43pm

I'm currently at the show; Kate is in the playbill, but not Donna. There's no stand by listed for Elphaba at all. Anyone know why?

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/23/11 at 6:48pm

adamgreer, Teal has missed only a handful of shows since she has been on Broadway. Not including the 2 weekends she took off for personal reasons. Katie might miss 1 show a week and it's usually on a 2 show day. She has been with the show since 2006. Teal also.

Wishing, No clue. She is supposed to start today along with Kate. Maybe it's like how Lisa Brescia was. She wasn't in the Playbill either. If she went on they put one of those slips inserted with her bio on it.

Updated On: 8/23/11 at 06:48 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/23/11 at 6:50pm

Based on former standby Laura Woyasz' facebook postings, she was on a whole lot more than once a week. At least 3 times a week, on average.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/23/11 at 6:58pm

I wouldn't know what was on Laura's facebook page. Funny that she was allowed to post on there if she was going on since everyone else gets into trouble if they post it.

[provocation]

Posted: 8/23/11 at 9:14pm

Dg, Teal has NOT been with the show since 2006--where did you hear this? She assumed a stand-by position in 2008 after Caissie took over in L.A.

And Wicked desperately needs some new meat. None of these girls are ballsy anymore--they are all terribly boring.

We need a Shoshana Bean clone back, ASAP.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/23/11 at 9:17pm

She was referring to Katie, who has been with WICKED--on tour and Broadway--on and off since 2007. Still, that's no excuse for her very poor attendance record. She's earned her sobriquet.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 1:09am

But, wasn't Lisa listed on the understudy list as stand-by for Elphaba? (I'll just get my lazy self to look at an old playbill later.) The usher I spoke to was surprised Donna was nowhere in the playbill.

Quick little thing about tonight: it was quite a refreshing performance. Katie started quite dull, but the audience was quite audibly on Elphaba's side to begin with and it really pushed Katie. Although I personally fell in love with Teal tonight, Katie stole the show then ran away with it.

Also, about Morrible: It took me laughing out loud with Kathy Fitzgerald to remember that the last time I saw it, Kathy was out, and I had an understudy who I'm usually delighted with (I've seen her a few times) but left much to be desired the last time I saw her.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 2:54pm

"Quick little thing about tonight: it was quite a refreshing performance. Katie started quite dull, but the audience was quite audibly on Elphaba's side to begin with and it really pushed Katie. Although I personally fell in love with Teal tonight, Katie stole the show then ran away with it."

Katie feeds off the audience and also Teal. If the audience is dead Katie will be very subdued but if the audience is great she will absolutely run with it. I saw it twice over the weekend with 2 very different audiences. And I got 2 very different performances from Katie. She is awesome either way but I prefer the Katie that has the great audience.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 4:19pm

What was so interesting with Katie was that she didn't have a great audience; the audience was quite dead for her. Teal got entrance applause and everything, but Katie got nothing. Katie had to fight for scraps the first 20 minutes.

It was more of "screw you audience, you're gonna be on Glinda's side." versus "oh yay, I'm gonna tap into your energy!" It was quite fun to watch, and like nothing I had ever experienced with any Elphaba or Glinda before.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 5:56pm

But the audience was good overall even if it wasn't for Katie.

On Sat when I saw it there was no applause when the lights dimmed,no entrance applause for Teal(Glinda usually doesn't get one unless it's their last show or first show) barely any laughs in anything. Only during Popular was when it seemed like the audience woke up since Katie was in rare form and doing stuff I never saw her do before in the 14 times I saw her.

Also they have such great chemisty together that I think they try to one up the other in a fun way.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 8/24/11 at 7:27pm

Sorry for the double post. Kate Fahrner is on tonite.