Elphaba and Glida reversal
Elphaba and Glida reversal
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#1Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 1:50amAre there any actresses that have played Glinda and Elphaba that have the vocal abaility to switch roles? I know that in shows such as Chicao there were two actresses ( Bebe and Ruthie Henshall) that played both roxie and velma at different times. I was just wondering, do you think that therre would be a chance of something like this happining for a show like Wicked?
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
actressray1991
Swing Joined: 12/19/06
#2re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 2:01am
thats really interesting....
i dont think i know any! could be partially because of the image of each actress doing her role, that its hard to imagine it any other way.
dont bash me for saying this: physical appearance kinda plays a part? ish?
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#2re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 4:20amBut, there have been actreses that have played both that have the same physical apperence. I do think that physical apperence might play a part for the casting of Glinda. Only cus that character is essentally supposed to be perfect in every way. As for the casting of Elphaba, I don'think it does. As far as the physical apperence is conserned in terms of the story. She is green and that scares everyone off. And being that the actress playing Elphaba is green throught the entier show, you don't really get a full idea of what the actress looks like cus of that.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#3re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 4:43amWe have had actresses play Glinda and Nessa, or Elphaba and Nessa, and thats about as big as swich as possible. I just think its too much to learn both tracks.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#4re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 4:56amHorton, I don't mean to be able to do both roles at once. I am talking about if there are any actress that have the talent mainly vocal to return to the show as the other role. We have had actress like Henshall play both Roxy and Velma in Chicago. I am talking bout the same sorta thing with Elpahba and Glinda in Wicked.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
COOOOLkid
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/05
#5re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 5:04amCould Kendra pull off as an Elphaba?
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-Family Guy
#6re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 5:07amWho Glida?
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#7re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 5:48am
Kendra cant even pull of Glinda!
I could see Meghan playing Elphaba, thats what she originally thought she should play, remember!
Updated On: 1/6/07 at 05:48 AM
#8re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 6:22ami think it wud b kewl if idinda play'd glida and krissten playys elphie. that wud cell tikts!/
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#9re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 6:45amAnyway...hasn't there been a thread on this before?
#10re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:18amI've heard a couple stories about people who went in for Glinda and got called back to read for Elphaba. I could see them making a Standby for Glinda and Elphaba--probably not an ensemble member because that would be way to much to memorize.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#11re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:20amClaire, there hasn't been a thread on this I did a search before starting.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#12re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:28amNo, but there was totally a thread like this before. Maybe it got deleted.
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#13re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:36amI searched too but I'm convinced we've been through this before.
#15re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 11:42amHaving flashbacks here as well, but I do think Meghan could pull off Elphaba, if not excellently.
"In the rain, the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me forever and forever."
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me forever and forever."
Parks
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/5/04
#16re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:17pm
Are there any clips online of Megan belting out songs...Elphaba-esque?
I remember people saying that before Megan auditioned, she and her friends thought that she would be auditioning for Elphaba. What a talented performer--to go in thinking you'd be playing one role and come out being cast in a role that's a complete 180.
"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA
#17re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:24pm
"Are there any clips online of Megan belting out songs...Elphaba-esque? "
Search her name on the forbidden site and you'll find a video from Vanities. Megan IS a belter.Her range is unbelievable.
Updated On: 1/6/07 at 12:24 PM
#18re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:26pmif you go on the same site u can see the last DG from the tour and I think it's quite Shoshana-ish...but I thought it was ggreat.
for fierce, fabulous and fun times visit eric mathew's world.
http://ericmathew.blogspot.com/
bwayfan4life
Understudy Joined: 1/4/07
#19re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:35pmI have seen 4 differnt Elphaba's and 5 different Glinda's, the one that struck me as most compatible to pulling off the other part was Jennifer Laura Thompson, who played Glinda. She has the voice and the stage presence. I think that she would make a very strong Elphaba.
It's gonna be a happy new year.......RENT
#20re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 2:02pm
All of the things Megan Hilty did at Carnegie Melon were belty roles, like Queenie in "The Wild Party." As others have said, she always thought she'd go in for Elphaba, but ended up getting Glinda. Where as I think she may be able to sing Elphaba, she has too much of a 'baby face' look to be right for it.
While I found Kendra Kassebaum to be quite the comedic genius and show stealer when I saw her as Glinda, I think she may be the one person who could actually play Elphaba. As has been noted with her struggles with her soprano rage, Kendra is first and foremost a belter (something she snuck into Glinda during moments like her belted oppertuny in "Thank Goodness.") She has the quirky look about her to be Elphaba, and if her top notes can be belted, I could see her pulling it off.
Will one person ever play both roles, however? No. They aren't going to implement a track where one girl has to learn two roles of such magnitude.
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.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#21re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 2:03pmI've heard that Kristy Cates has a fantastic upper register (she was Maria in WSS,) so she could probably pull off Glinda. But I dunno.
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gustof777
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/8/04
#22re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 2:19pmmegan would be an amazing Elphaba and trust me she has the belt for it.
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#23re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 3:00pmIf you heard Megan belt out "Fly into the Future" from "Vanities", you can definately tell she could pull off Elphaba. In a interview, she said that she would do the role for one night, and I would love to see that!
#24re: Elphaba and Glida reversal
Posted: 1/6/07 at 3:02pmCourtney Corey (Elphaba U/S in original Chicago company, and soon to be in LA) was being considered as u/s to both lead girls when the show was being cast in Chicago. I know for a fact that she can vocally handle both roles. Didn't happen, though.
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