Hi I'm new/HAIRSPRAY & WICKED — Page 2

Hi, Scott, and welcome.

I have to agree with you about Idina...and disagree a little too.

When I first saw her perform the role in October 2003, she was really quite good. Her singing was impressive. Her acting was okay. Then I saw it again in December, and her acting was better...her singing still strong. In April 2004, she was the strongest all around...better at acting and singing well.

Then it was June. She didn't really sing, she "gasped" her way through the show. People thought she was "sick." (Posters to this board wrote it off as a respiratory thing, for example.) But then I saw her in September, December and January...and she was still gasping. I don't know if it's a breath control problem or what (I have no professional knowledge or training regarding singing.) But it was distracting to say the least. I do think that she and Kristin Chenoweth had very good chemistry by the end of their run together though.

I am seeing Ana Gesteyer in the role on Wednesday and Stephanie in January, and I am really looking forward to both.

Anyway, I love the show because in its own way it's a throwback to when musicals were "grand," and I kinda miss that...although my other two favorite shows of the past few years are "Bat Boy" and "Urinetown." I like to mix it up, I guess.

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Updated On: 11/11/16 at 02:56 AM

"So, in the case of Wicked for example, it doesn't surprise me that Idina was cast as the original Elphaba, even though Stephanie Block is clearly superior."

I would have to totally disagree with you on that. While Idina is not the best Elphaba (I think that title goes to Eden Espinosa), I think she is much better than Stephanie. Don't get me wrong, I thought Stephanie was great in "The Boy from Oz," but I just don't feel like she is a good Elphaba.

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I agree that she won a Tony for a reason, and obviously no one would have cast her as Elphaba if they didn't think she could do it and I think she was great in the role!!! Besides, Elphaba isn't a role that just anyone could do, she has some pretty tough songs, and about the whole "gasping" thing, I know from experience it is hard to sing and move around at the same time, I mean, the woman has to breathe once in a while, I think it would be better to have her "gasping" than passing out

Welcome to the threads... I'm sure you would have enjoyed Haispray more if you had seen it with the original broadway cast. Anyway, I agree with others, it's a strong entrance... I dont' necessarily disagree or agree with you on your opinion of Idina vs. Stephanie J. Block. I will have to see Stephanie as Elphaba to make my final decision... I liked Idina as Elphaba, but I'm sure she had her bad days and good days. [The Tonys would be considered a bad day]

*ahem* Just because I am, you know, me, I must make a remark in response to the comment about their "maybe not being able to get better actors" or something along those lines. If you are truly discusted with the show, perhaps you should spend your money to get yourself to D.C. and see the tour. B/c, for sure, the touring cast is very strong, and sure to please. As for the NY cast, I wouldn't know--haven't seen it. Anywho, maybe they should just bring Keala to Broadway, eh? She never seems to be out of energy...

Dannah

Oh yeah, welcome to the boards...this really will be interesting.

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She was, but now she's gone.

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Welcome to the boards, and nice entrance! Intense opinions though, did you think Idina was all that bad? Oh well, welcome again, enjoy the boards!

Keala Settle has the best voice of any Tracy Turnblad I have seen (i.e., Winokur, Jibson). She is a real "find," and I do expect her to be on Broadway in that role. It would really spruce things up--if, what Scott here says is true about the lackluster production in NYC (and I have no reason to doubt him because i haven't seen it in NYC since the original cast left). There are some weak links in the touring company, but the energy level is high all around. Keala is phenomenal. Stephen DeRosa as her dad is amazing; Paul McQuillan as Corny is really good, and Alan Mingo Jr. (as Seaweed) is sensational. I saw 2 understudies: Melissa Larsen as Penny and Jacky Arnold as Penny and Motormouth Mabel respectively. They were outstanding. Oh, and Worth Williams as Amber was hilarious. I had no intention of seeing this show again, but I kind of "wound up" with tickets, so I went. And I was really pleasantly surprised.

One thing i will say though: Harvey Fierstein is sooooo good in any role he does that it's hard to imagine anyone being able to measure up to him. Yeah, go to DC. There is A LOT of really good theater there, not just touring companies. The Signature Theatre in Virginia, which boasts Stephen Sondheim on their Board, is doing Urinetown beginning in August, for example. But The Studio is now doing Take Me Out and will do a few Neil La Bute plays nest season as well as Caroline, or Change. I could go on and on. (Oh, Mame with Christine Baranski at the KC in March!)

I think Hairspray is a fun show with a terrific score. But even the best show can be destroyed by bad performers...and performers who don't appear to "care" about what they're doing really need to reassess whether they should be in a business where the goal is "wow" an audience every night...IMHO...and yours, too, I guess!

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