I am in the minority of those who do not like Gasteyer in this role.
I have loved Ana in almost everything she has ever done, from SNL to
Funny Girl to
Reefer Madness, but I just didn't buy her in the role of Elphaba. She loses that youthful essence in Act 1, and looks much too old through all of the Shiz scenes. Why her voice was suprisingly good, it is nowhere near the 'powerhouse' that suits this score so well. Her acting was her strongest asset, and she conveyed the emotions of the character well, but I felt her Act 2 Elphaba needed to be much "bigger." More emotion, more presence, more anger..
Hopefully, she will improve once she gets to New York.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 10/2/06 at 05:33 PM