Am I the only one who thinks the current wicked leads are....

just not that good? I don't really think either of them have very good voices, especially Megan Hilty. Her high notes weren't even there! And in For Good, it was like they had no idea what they were saying!!! Does anyone else feel that way?

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Until I read the lyrics I couldn't understand what Victoria Clark in "Statues in Stories" was saying from Light in the Piazza. But she is still an awsome performer.

Updated On: 9/8/05 at 09:05 PM

I personally think both are wonderful. I'm not saying your wrong, you're free to feel / think what you want.

I think they look younger, which helps in the earlier scenes.

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Shoshana sucks IMO , I hate her voice. And I don't care for Megan. Kristen will always be my favorite. I guess your not alone.

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BroadwayBettini2- I'm so glad.

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Shoshana is high school.

Megan Hilty is the best there is in the show - she holds it together.

I only went for her.

Shoshana is an amazing singer, just really NOT right for Wicked.

For Megan, I really disagree. She pretty much IS Glinda, and has an amazing voice to boot.

And Ben Vereen is the best Wizard to date.

"And Ben Vereen is the best Wizard to date. "

I agree with you on that, but with Megan, I have seen her twice and she didn't even hit the high notes.

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Updated On: 9/8/05 at 09:28 PM

All the hate! Peace is the only answer!


Okay, I'll bite and give an HONEST answer.

Shoshana is astounding. Amazing talent. I never appreciated her as much as I should've. (This is excluding outside material...only pertaining to Wicked) She has some notes that got to me, but they were just completely shrouded over by her stronger notes.

Megan, I can't say anything about, but only that I've heard nothing but good things and that she does IN FACT deserve what she's doing right now. And the high notes...don't know WHICH ones you're talking about, born2c...if you're talking about the optional notes Kristin sang on the OBC, then no. She might not sing those. But it doesn't say in her contract that she has to.

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Updated On: 9/8/05 at 09:45 PM

I saw Megan in June, July, and just this month. She hit those optional Cheno notes all three times. Her higher register is beautiful, not as crisp as Cheno's, but then again, who's is? Megan is a very good actress. She's grown so much within the last few months that now I'd say she's on the same level as Cheno right now.

As for Shoshana: I was not crazy about her the first time I saw her. I admit. But, I was comparing her to Idina the entire time. My second trip to see her, I went in with an open mind and she completely hit it out of the park. She delivered the best "The Wizard and I" I've ever heard. I saw her on the same dates as I saw Megan, and she too has grown better each time I saw her. Her voice isn't everyone's cup of tea, but you can't win 'em all.
And she is not a screecher. Shoshana has a very R&B-esque tone to her voice and I've never heard anything remotely sound like a screech come out of that woman's mouth. True, she's no Redgrade when it comes to acting, but her vocal ability is oustanding.

And yes, I saw the entire Original Broadway Cast.

I thought that Megan Hilty was outstanding. She hit every note, including the optional ones, flawlessly. Her acting was wonderful and her comedic timing is sensational. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.

I think Shoshana Bean is a phenomenal vocalist. I don't think I've ever heard her hit a sour note. She has an amazing mix that blows me away; I can never be sure of when she's belting and when she's mixing. Her acting is good; I think she plays emotions more for show than actually doing them. For instance, she will show it in her facial expressions that she is distraught rather than being distraught. She can play the role fine, but at some points, I thought her acting was a bit weak.

Okay, Shoshana doesn't "scream" either. I'm sorry, but no. You can tell by listening to her that she has a very healthy technique and she never strains to hit a note. She can go from mix to legit just like that.

Megan, in my opinion, is the best Glinda yet. I saw her on her first night as the official Glinda and she blew me away. I have since seen her four times and she just keeps getting better and better. I never was a big fan of Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.