I saw the show last night...I believe it was my 20th time seeing WICKED...I retuerned to the show to see Kerry Ellis and Aaron Tveit as Elphaba and Fiyero, respectively.
Before I review the cast, let me just say that the show is in fantastic shape. I first saw the show in March 2004 and the show is as fresh as it was four years ago. The ensemble is very energetic (and many of them have been there a long time), the large orchestra sounds great, the sets, lighting, costumes are still incredible. It is a perfect show for tourists who have never seen a Broadway show and great for guys like me who enjoy the show and like to see every cast change. The audience last night was filled with a school group, and they were VERY enthusiastic, which made the show even better. Also, this skeptical couple behind me were saying towards the beginning of the show "We paid so much for these tickets. The show had better be good!" At intermission, I turned around and asked if they were enjoying it, and they said they loved it and couldn't wait for Act 2 to start.
Now onto the cast. Cristy Candler as Nessarose and Lenny Wolpe as The Wizard are cast members I had seen many times before. They are both fine in their respective roles (though there are others I prefer). Jayne Houdyshell is now in her second week as Madame Morrible (also her second stint in this role) and she is better than ever. Her characterization is truly fantastic. She is so evil by the end and her tone of voice clearly conveys that. I adore her in this role...the best since Carole Shelley.
I had seen Kendra Kassebaum as Glinda many times before last night and have never been disappointed. Last night was no exception. Her line deliveries are always perfect and I also love the quality of her voice. It is incredible to think that she has been playing this role on and off since March 2005 and there are no signs of walking through at all. She is stunning. Also, I really loved how she changed some of her line deliveries to play off how Kerry Ellis was playing the role of Elphaba. I had seen Kendra with Stephanie Block and Julia Murney and she was very consistent. It was great to see her change it up slightly with Kerry Ellis.
Aaron Tveit's first performance as Fiyero was last night, as many of you know. I had seen him in NEXT TO NORMAL and SAVED off broadway earlier this year and thought he was excellent in both shows. I was very excited to see/hear his take on Fiyero. Maybe it was first-night jitters, but I just thought he was OK in the role. First of all, he is very tall and I thought he looked kind of awkward in the costumes...plus Kendra and Kerry are very short (and Kerry is tiny) so he kind of looked like a giant next to her. He seemed very unsure of himself during "Dancing Through Life" but made it through. I enjoyed his scene later on in Act 1 where he was bringing the lion cub back to safety. He was much more confident in Act 2, and I loved "As Long As You're Mine." His voice blended well with Kerry's, even though they didn't really look like they could be a couple. He will improve with time and audiences will love him (he is incredibly good looking), but I still think Sebastian Arcelus was the best Fiyero I've ever seen.
Kerry Ellis, contrary to prior negative remarks about her, was a wonderful Elphaba. Maybe I went in with negative expectations, but I enjoyed her take on the role. She plays Elphaba very young, and she is so petite, that you don't expect her to be able to belt out to the rafters. And frankly, she didn't really do so in Act 1. I thought her "Wizard and I" and "Defying Gravity," while perfectly on key and well-sung, could have been louder and more powerful. I was thinking, maybe that is just the tonal quality of her voice, but then she sang "No Good Deed" in Act 2, which was perfection. Maybe she saves her voice for that song to "wow" the audience. Or maybe it is a character choice, since Elphaba is more timid in the beginning of the show and more sure of herself at the end of the show. In any case, it worked well. I also enjoyed many of her line deliveries, including "We can't all come and go by bubble!" Her British accent did not bother me so much...she tried to "Americanize" it, but every once in a while, you heard a hint of the Brit in her. She will improve as she plays more performances here in New York and she and Kendra seem to work well together.
At the stage door, it was a mob scene, unlike the last few times I had seen the show. But every actor was more than gracious. Both Kendra and Jayne recognized me, since I had seen them many times before, and thanked me for supporting them and the show. Kerry was very sweet and humble and Aaron was nice as well. I asked him if he was going to be in West Side Story and he said he is auditioning, but nothing has been finalized yet.
Overall, a fun night out at Wicked. I'm glad I got to see the new cast. Congrats to Kerry and Aaron, and here's to a healthy run in the show.
Updated On: 6/25/08 at 10:29 AM