Caissie Levy coming back to Wicked? — Page 2

After GODSPELL and DOGFIGHT, Lindsay should NOT step into a long running low-profile (at this time) replacement slot.

Cassie, on the other hand may need work soon, any work to make up for her weak showing in GHOST.

Beside the originals, who have played the roles the longest?

^Actually Dee Roscioli holds the record for longest running Elphaba. She played Elphaba in Chicago from December 12th 2006 to June 1st 2008. (18 months on her first stint). Then again from August 26th 2008 to January 25th 2009. Then she stepped into the role on Broadway from July 21st 2009 to March 21st 2010. And then again she came to the 1NT from June 7th 2011 to October 2nd 2011. Overall Dee has played Elphaba for 35 months which is over 2 years. Behind that is Eden Espinosa.

Glinda wise... some of the longer running Glindas are Erin Mackey, Natalie Daradich, Katie Rose Clarke (the longest running Glinda doing about 2 years for each stint as Glinda (except her latest engagement with the 1NT this past winter).

Yes, but that doesn't include technical performances...

Kendra Kassebaum actually played Glinda longer than anyone else, in the US productions at least. Over 4 years spent in the role, between all her runs.

As tphiliboy152 said, Dee Roscioli has performed Elphaba more than anyone else. Over 1000 performances.

Whatever one thinks of WICKED, and it's been debated here since this board and the show began, almost together, it does seem to work best with younger women. This is a story about college girls, after all. Somehow, women in their late 30's in those costumes look ridiculous. Youth isn't always in asset, but with a piece as clued into its younger demo as WICKED surely is, youth helps make a persuasive case for the material.

Sidebar: in a culture obsessed with perpetual adolescence, it's fascinating how the business routinely casts 30 plus year-olds (GLEE) as teens. I find it creepy. But maybe it lets the 30 year-olds at home holding onto their action figures and mom and dad's protective roof feel closer to the high school years. And less guilty about not growing the f--k up.

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...Seriously though I would love for Ciassie to come back...or Lindsay

I don't know exactly what happened, but somehow it resulted in her having surgery on her vocal chords.

Yes she did have to leave early because of vocal problems but if she has been offered the role on Broadway twice since then I think its safe to say she doesn't have any problems anymore and can handle the role. I for one thought she had one of the most different takes on the role vocal wise and it was very refreshing.

^^^^^^Um what part of the show is demanding on ones body? Last 3 times I saw it Elphaba was mostly a singing character. There are other shows like Chicago and Evita which are more taxing on the leads body than Wicked is on an Elphaba's body.

She has to wear a 30 pound dress for all of act 2
She is onstage for about 96% of the show
When she is not onstage, she is running up and down stairs in said dress
After those stairs she has to belt out huge songs
She wears a green body suite
It's far from being a physically taxing role along the lines of some of the bigger dancing parts, but many of the actresses who have played her (including SJB and Julia Murney) have said its an incredibly physically taxing role.

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I'm not saying it's the most physical thing on Broadway. But to say it's NOT hard to play I think is a little dumb. Which I know is NOT what your saying haha, I am just saying that it's not a walk in the park like some people on here try to paint it to be.
Caissie should come back. I feel like she is one of the very few Elphaba's recently to take the show in the darker route. Don't get me wrong, I still love the show but recently I feel like the show has become a comedy rather then a moving piece of theater that it once was.

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Never said it wasn't a taxing role. Just wondering why Wicked fanatics seem to cry about how hard the role is to play and paint it out to be the most difficult role in the history of roles to play.

I feel the same way bwayphreak.
I saw the show my first time with Carmen Cusack in the role. The show was so dark and haunting. Katie Rose Clarke did great at providing the lighter moments, but overall the show was a pretty dark show. Which is what I think it is suppose to be. A darker take on the land of Oz with some comedy thrown in to keep it balanced. But now it does feel too light. And you are right in saying Mamie was one of the recent Elphaba's to take it back in that direction.

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