What is going on with LA "WICKED" Leads?

[DAME]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 1:07am

Everyone that goes sees a understudy for one of the two leads.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 1:09am

I believe Stephanie is currently on a one-show-a-day schedule as she is still recovering from her injury. Not sure about Kendra, though.

[noahrp3]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 1:24am

Ya, it seems as if Kendra is never there!

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 2:17am

They've both had a really bad attendance record. Lesson: don't go to a matinee!

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 2:22am

I'm going to a matinee. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 2:25am

I'll pray for you. It doesn't look good.

You still have some chance of seeing at least ONE of the leads...but I have heard really good things about Kendra's understudy (and that she may be better than Kendra...), and Jenna Leigh Green is pretty solid, so it's not a bad deal if you get an understudy.

Posted: 7/4/05 at 2:38am

I went to the evening performance today and Stephanie performed, but Kendra was out. Katie Adams was fantastic as G(a)linda though! She reminds me SO much of Cheno.

~Rosalynn

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 2:40am

Oh dear.

So apparently I have a 50/50 chance of catching Stephanie, and no real odds on if I'll see Kendra or not?

Well, I've heard good things about the understudies, so there's a comfort...

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 3:14am

I have seen Kendra perform (on coughvideocough), and I'd want an understudy.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 4:05am

I went to todays (oh wait it's 1:00) yesterdays Mat (sunday July 3d) and Kendra was in it. Stephanie was out due to her injury but she sent me a very nice letter about how sorry she was that she could not make the show I was seeing.

[liotte]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 11:02am

It seems this was a problem in Chicago too. I saw it twice there, and got them both on Thursday night, and saw Emily R on for Glinda on Saturday night. I liked Emily better than Kendra.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 12:47pm

HA, I love that EVERYONE I talked to prefers Kendra's UNDERSTUDY. Oh my.

[cindy013]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 2:31pm

I would say hope for Stephanie and Katie Adams. Though having never seen anyone but Kendra, I wanted to plug my ears/cry every time she sang a high note, and during NOMTW I almost died because I was thinking "this is the best Glinda they could get?!" and cringing. I've heard wonderful things about Katie, too, and the other understudy Emily as well. But Stephanie is fabulous, so IMO if you get her it doesn't matter who's playing whatever else because she'll blow you away.

Updated On: 7/4/05 at 02:31 PM

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 3:18pm

Hmm I'm seeing the show on a Thursday night in a week or two. I really hope at least one of the leads is there. for the show. I really want to see Stephanie. I wouldn't mind at all if it were Jenna but I've been looking foward to seeing Stephanie live for a while now.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 4:20pm

I fell in LOVE with kendras Glinda. It was very funny!

[broadwaybaby654]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 4:27pm

I've seen both understudies and both stars and I prefer Stephanie and Kendra. Stephanie is just spectacular and Kendra is laugh out loud funny. Emily (Kendra's understudy) is very good. I think she has a better voice than Kendra's but not enough of a voice to like her performance better. Maria is also very good as Elphaba.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 4:50pm

Jenna also is a very nice Elphaba. Her Wizard and I was incredible.

[SimpleJoysHaveSimpleVoice]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 6:30pm

I have seen Jennifer LT, Megan Hilty, and Kendra K's as Galinda. In my personal opinion, which amounts to a hill of beans, Kendra's acting meshed with Steph far better than JLT did with Idina and Megan did with Shoshana! Yes, her higher registry is a bit weak, but her acting was top shelf. Sometime in musical comedies, acting gets trivilized.

I liked Kendra...alot.

rick in los angeles

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 7:25pm

I don't really care for Wicked all that much. I saw it on Broadway and really only liked Cheno. I didn't really have high hopes for the tour. That said, Kendra was really really really remarkable. She made a full blown person out of what was at best a hilarious cartoon. You could really see a movitvation and a personal touch. I LOVED her performance and was not expecting too after loving Cheno so much. And, might I add she was completely hilarious during Popular. Really funny. I think all this is made more remarkable by the fact that she's nothing like Cheno was. A completely succesful interpretation on what I thought I saw a definitive version.

KC

[eslgr8]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 7:51pm

Does anyone feel that Kendra's absences may have to do with the high registry straining her voice, which many have said is deeper than the role requires or than that of the other actresses who have played Glinda? That being said, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that both actresses will be performing on July 19, which is a Tuesday evening, the first performance after a day of rest and relaxation.

[whiskedaway]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 8:10pm

she sounded fine to me when i saw kendra. the only thing i noticed was that she didint hit the higher notes with the same power that kristin did on the obc, but she stil hit them just fine.

[Popular]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 8:17pm

Well, don't hate me but I'm 4 for 7 with the lottery so far! I know it seems a bit much but I have turned so many friends on to this show that each weekend it seems as if at least one or two ask me to try to get in with them - how can I say no? :)

Anyway, I'll write a separate thread about last night to avoid threadjacking too much but I just wanted to say (in keeping with the topic that is) that last night Steph was IN. She's been in all 4 times I've seen the show now and everyone except yesterday was a matinee. I've only seen Kendea once, Katie twice, Emily once, and last night in addition to Kendra being out, so was Carol. PLUS- Jenna seemed in fine voice for the show but at the stage door she was carrying a humidifier and not talking to anyone. She was really sweet though and was psuedo whispering her "thank you"'s and apologizing for not being able to talk with gestures. She's obviously put herself on some major vocal rest, but it may just be that she was tired out from having covered Elphaba in the matinee that day.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 9:04pm

I want to win the Lotto so bad. Any other tips?

[Popular]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 9:08pm

Not really Emo, just luck of the draw I'm afraid. But if you're really getting to the point where you're willing to pay full price get there about 3 hours before showtime (use your own judgment on that amount of time) and be one of the first in the cancellation line. Unlike NY, they let you do both at the same time in case you don't win lotto you'll most likely get an even better seat for face value.

[GaLiNdaFied]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 2:32am

Personally, I wish I would have seen anyone as Glinda except for Kendra, something about her Glinda was too fake for me and along with her vocals not being top notch it just didn't work. I agree with cindy013 on this.