Anybody know why the "Fainter" isn't in the Wicked movie?

[NiceWork2]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 11:38am

for anyone who's into Wicked, you know all about the Shiz Univerity female student that faints when Elphaba initially arrives at Shiz Univ. on stage.    The "fainter" then is immediately caught by two ensemble members.    It's so well known that they say in the show that this referred to as the  "fainter" ensemble track in the show.    Completely missing from the film.  anyone maybe know why?      Also, in the stage version of Wicked during Dancing Through Life, isn't Boq off stage?   i can't remember - but he's definitely in the film scene.    And nessarose doesn't do any movement during the scene like she does on Broadway.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 11:41am

I think you should sue.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 11:45am

TotallyEffed said: "I think you should sue."

I think a fellow theatre lover posted their questions and your mocking them is unnecessary. Next time, keep scrolling

[Kad]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 11:48am

iluvtheatertrash said: "TotallyEffed said: "I think you should sue."

I think a fellow theatre lover posted their questions and your mocking them is unnecessary. Next time, keep scrolling"

I mean.. the question is essentially, "why did the movie omit minor staging decisions from the stage production?" which is a bit of a silly, nitpicky question.

Updated On: 12/11/24 at 11:48 AM

[JoeW4]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 11:56am

Those sorts of decisions are made by the director and choreographer. The film and the Broadway show were directed/choreographed by different people.

And even if they were directed/choreographed by the same people, the two versions were made 20 years apart, and in different mediums. There's a huge range of artistic and/or logistical factors that might have led them to the decide that moment didn't fit what they were going for, but the most likely is that John M. Chu was simply staging the scene from scratch how he wanted to do it, and copying that moment just didn't seem necessary, or didn't even occur to him.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:01pm

The questions posed were camp and I appreciated them being asked. And I do think they should sue!

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:07pm

Kad said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "TotallyEffed said: "I think you should sue."

I think a fellow theatre lover posted their questions and your mocking them is unnecessary. Next time, keep scrolling"

I mean.. the question is essentially, "why did the movie omit minor staging decisions from the stage production?" which is a bit of a silly, nitpicky question."

People on a Broadway discussion board discussing minor aspects of Wicked. Imagine that. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:16pm

NiceWork2 said: "for anyone who's into Wicked, you know all about the Shiz Univerity female student that faints when Elphaba initially arrives at Shiz Univ. on stage. The "fainter" then is immediately caught by two ensemble members. It's so well known that they say in the show that this referred to as the "fainter" ensemble track in the show. Completely missing from the film. anyone maybe know why?”

I haven’t seen the stage show in a while, but isn’t it Glinda who faints when she finds out she’s rooming with Elphaba? 

 “Also, in the stage version of Wicked during Dancing Through Life, isn't Boq off stage? i can't remember - but he's definitely in the film scene.”

Boq has always been a huge part in Dancing Through Life in the stage version of wicked

“And nessarose doesn't do any movement during the scene like she does on Broadway."

I really don’t recall nessarose doing all that much movement in the stage show. The actress is in a wheelchair after all.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:33pm

Call_me_jorge said: "NiceWork2 said: "for anyone who's into Wicked, you know all about the Shiz Univerity female student that faints when Elphaba initially arrives at Shiz Univ. on stage. The "fainter" then is immediately caught by two ensemble members. It's so well known that they say in the show that this referred to as the "fainter" ensemble track in the show. Completely missing from the film. anyone maybe know why?”

I haven’t seen the stage show in a while, but isn’t it Glinda who faints when she finds out she’s rooming with Elphaba?

No, she has the line about something being wrong because she didn’t get her way, same as the film. 

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:39pm

Don't Galinda's friends have to carry her off or something in the movie?

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 12:44pm

It's hard to argue anything on this when the OP only half remembers the stage production they're using as reference.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 1:32pm

It being called the fainter track is because it's the most identifiable thing about the track - not because it's all that well known.

 

But asking why trivial things are different in the film is really futile.    

[SingingEachtoEach]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 3:05pm

dramamama611 said: "It being called the fainter track is because it's the most identifiable thing about the track - not because it's all that well known.



But asking why trivial things are different in the film is really futile. "

This.  Things play differently in stage and screen, a big movement that works on stage may look silly on screen.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 3:41pm

carolinaguy said: "Call_me_jorge said: "NiceWork2 said: "for anyone who's into Wicked, you know all about the Shiz Univerity female student that faints when Elphaba initially arrives at Shiz Univ. on stage. The "fainter" then is immediately caught by two ensemble members. It's so well known that they say in the show that this referred to as the "fainter" ensemble track in the show. Completely missing from the film. anyone maybe know why?”

I haven’t seen the stage show in a while, but isn’t it Glinda who faints when she finds out she’s rooming with Elphaba?

No, she has the line about something being wrong because she didn’t get her way, same as the film.

"

After she says " something's wrong, I didn't get my way" Her friends literally carry her off because she acts like she's going to faint

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 5:02pm

The Fainter was looking after the Time Dragon Clock. Get your Wicked right, please.

[joevitus]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 5:06pm

TotallyEffed said: "Don't Galinda's friends have to carry her off or something in the movie?"

Yes. Cute moment.

[joevitus]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 5:08pm

blaxx said: "The Fainter was looking after the Time Dragon Clock. Get your Wicked right, please."

So I've never seen Wicked onstage, but from clips and photos, the Time Dragon Clock dominates the set more or less throughout. Did we even get a reference to it in Part 1? I don't remember any. Has the concept been eliminated from the film entirely, or is there any info if it will play a prominent role in Part 2?

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 5:09pm

I don't know why a lot of things didn't carry over from the stage production to the film. Especially design elements. The sets and costumes were a big downgrade from what's in the stage show. I walked away from the film with a greater appreciation of the Broadway production.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 5:33pm

Georgeanddot2 said: "I don't know why a lot of things didn't carry over from the stage production to the film. Especially design elements. The sets and costumes were a big downgrade from what's in the stage show. I walked away from the film with a greater appreciation of the Broadway production."

 

Well, they are different designers. Eugene Lee died last year. I do like many of the costumes in the film but if I had anything to do with that film I would have brought on Susan Hilferty in a heartbeat, even as a consultant or co-designer.

Updated On: 12/11/24 at 05:33 PM

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 5:51pm

1. To confirm, yes, there is a girl who faints when she sees Elphaba during "dear old Shiz", and no she is not in the movie (nor does she need to be.)
2. Apart from being part of the set, the Time Dragon Clock is only referenced once in the stage show, by Glinda ("according to the time dragon clock, the melting occurred at the 13th hour...") This line is still in the opening moments of the film but honestly I don't remember if they cut the reference to the clock itself. 

[Dan6]

Posted: 12/11/24 at 6:18pm

ChairinMain said: "

1. To confirm, yes, there is a girl who faints when she sees Elphaba during "dear old Shiz", and no she is not in the movie (nor does she need to be.)
2. Apart from being part of the set, the Time Dragon Clock is only referenced once in the stage show, by Glinda ("according to the time dragon clock, the melting occurredat the 13th hour...") This line is still in the opening moments of the film but honestly I don't remember if they cut the reference to the clock itself.

"

There’s a quick shot of the Time Dragon Clock on the grounds of Shiz. I think it was right after Popular. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 12/13/24 at 7:01pm

Belated thanks to both of you!

Updated On: 12/13/24 at 07:01 PM

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 12/14/24 at 11:38pm

Everyone knows that a stage production is sacrosanct, and that so-called screenplays should be held strictly accountable for any and all lapses.  I agree with the fellow theater lover that a class action is called for!

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/15/24 at 9:25am

Remember when a musical number would start and the camera would more or less fix in place so they’d do it the way they did it on stage? The Music Man is a big offender: some of the numbers end with the cast striking poses and holding for applause.

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 12/16/24 at 8:42am

1. The movie is not a step by step adaptation of the stage show. They can't include every minor action, even if it is "a well known track" in the stage show. That'd be like someone complaining that they didn't include the pink beret track either. 

 

2. Boq and Nessa have a scene during Dancing Through Life. I'm not sure why you'd think they'd be offstage during the Ozdust Ballroom scene?