Posted: 6/18/18 at 11:09am
The title is pretty self-explanatory, but I've only seen natural brunettes play the role of Nessa in Wicked. I'm a blonde. If I were to get the role of Nessa, would I have to dye my hair or would they have a wig for me?
Posted: 6/18/18 at 11:50am
Kristen Martin is blonde and plays Nessa on Broadway. So yes blondes can play Nessa. Kristine Reese, Emily Ferranti, Jillian Kates, Jillian Butler have all played Nessa and are all blondes.
@Totally Effed Nessa is the only female in the show that does not wear a wig.
Updated On: 6/18/18 at 11:50 AM
Posted: 6/18/18 at 11:58am
FYI: due to mics and logistics, ALL actresses on Broadway in musicals wear wigs, even Bernadette Peters. Even if their real hair is exactly like the hair as their character, it is easier to maintain a wig 8 performances a week as well as handle the logistics of their mics.
Kristin Chenoweth, though a natural blonde in real life, wore wigs in WICKED. Many brunettes have also played Glinda in WICKED. No one has ever bleached their hair for the role.
Patti LuPone was still a brunette when she played Eva Perón in EVITA back in 1979. She never bleached her hair blonde nor has any actress who ever played the role. They wore lace-front wigs.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:02pm
BrodyFosse123 said: "FYI: due to mics and logistics, ALL actresses on Broadway in musicals wear wigs, even Bernadette Peters. Even if their real hair is exactly like the hair as their character, it is easier to maintain a wig 8 performances a week as well as handle the logistics of their mics.
Kristin Chenoweth, though a natural blonde in real life, wore wigs in WICKED. Many brunettes have also played Glinda in WICKED. No one has ever bleached their hair for the role.
Patti LuPone was still a brunette when she played Eva Perón in EVITA back in 1979. She never bleached her hair blonde nor has any actress who ever played the role. They wore lace-front wigs."
I had no idea - thank you, I find this kind of thing fascinating! (It does make sense when you talk about hair upkeep and mic logistics)
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:04pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:10pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:15pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:18pm
Didn't Mamma Mia have a "no wigs" policy?
Highly unlikely as all the actresses who ever played Tanya wore a wig. Maybe the roles of Donna, Rosie and Sophie had that policy as actresses who played those roles did have their natural hair on stage.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:19pm
BrodyFosse123 said: "FYI: due to mics and logistics, ALL actresses on Broadway in musicals wear wigs, even Bernadette Peters. Even if their real hair is exactly like the hair as their character, it is easier to maintain a wig 8 performances a week as well as handle the logistics of their mics.
This is completely false. There are plenty of non-wigged actresses in Broadway musicals.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:33pm
I honestly thought this was a joke when I looked at the thread title...
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:33pm
Nessarose is not always a wigged role. Only some nessaroses get a wig. I don’t know why some do and others don’t but some of them wear their natural hair. Summer Naomi Smart did not wear a wig until several months into her run when an associate designer came to see the show and wanted her to have straight hair, instead of her natural curly texture, to maintain the look of the show. I know for certain that there are other Nessas who have not gone the wig route but my Wicked memory is fading a bit.
EDIT: Add Heidi Kettenring and DeeDee Magno Hall to the no wig list. And I’m almost certain Michelle Federer (the original) and Christy Candler (the original understudy and one of the longest running replacement Nessas) also did not wear wigs.
Nessarose as a blonde actually makes more sense than a brunette if we’re supposed to believe that the milk flowers were effective.
Updated On: 6/18/18 at 12:33 PM
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:34pm
Every actress in Wicked wears a wig. As does every actress in Phantom, Anastasia, Aladdin, Beautiful, Carousel, Hello Dolly, Summer, etc.
Think of it this way. If Nessarose used her natural hair, she would have to spend a significant portion of her break from her exit in Act 1 to her reappearance in Act 2 getting her hair into an updo. With Glinda it's impossible because she needs to change from her curly bubble dress hairstyle to her schoolgirl hairstyle in less than a minute.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:43pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 1:08pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 1:50pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 1:53pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 4:05pm
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEBvZ5bnSWZ/?taken-by=meganmasako
I stand corrected. Looks like not all Nessas do wear wig. Looking at Jillian Butler as well I'm in doubt.
I assume an actress would wear one if she had a pixie cut or unnatural dyed hair?
Posted: 6/18/18 at 6:38pm
I believe Arielle Jacobs did not wear a wig.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 7:01pm
There are many actresses who don't wear wigs I stage. for example, no one in the cast of Come From Away wears a wig.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 7:11pm
Fosse76 said: "There are many actresses who don't wear wigs I stage. for example, no one in the cast of Come From Away wears a wig."
Q. Smith does.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 8:23pm
^It's absolutely not false. I'll add to it by saying that most are wigged to maintain the same look and design intentions. And realistically, it's easier on performer's own hair.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 8:32pm
Where's a certain poster to come in and say blondes aren't allowed to play Nessarose because it'll mess with the whole story about the dynamics of privilege? Oh wait, he only complains when black people get roles.
Posted: 6/18/18 at 10:01pm
Posted: 6/18/18 at 11:06pm
I do not think Mr Platt cares
