Idina "Defying Gravity" Television

Posted: 1/23/04 at 8:32pm

Does anyone have the airing of Idina singing "Defying Gravity" a short while back? I have Kristen and Idina singing "Popular" on the today show which was featured the same week as Idina's Defying Gravity. I am willing to trade!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/23/04 at 10:46pm

Have both taped.

Posted: 1/24/04 at 12:10am

Defying Gravity from the David Letterman Show?

I wish I had it taped.
That and Popular.

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:01pm

ya from the letterman show. did anyone else see it or tape it? was it with both idina and kristen, what did it consist of? was it basically the cd version, longer or shorter??

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:41pm

I wish I had copies of both of those. I saw the Defying Gravity segment at Sidetrack in Chicago. I always miss those when they air.

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:46pm

well what did it consist of??

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:47pm

it was just "Defying Gravity" basically as it was in the show. They performed at that was it. I wish I knew what happened to my tape.

Updated On: 1/24/04 at 08:47 PM

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:50pm

so she belted the infamous "IT'S MEEEEEEEEEE!" ?????????

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:53pm

she did. and I freakin' lost my tape! *cries*

Posted: 1/24/04 at 8:59pm

she did?!?!? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 10:24pm

The Today Show appearance was terrible. They both performed wonderfully, but taken out of context of the show and without understanding the characters (as they are presented in the show, the song comes off as fluff and isn't funny. NO ONE around watching the segment taping laughed. (Plus, the song is all about Kristen and didn't allow Idena a chance to do anything but sit there in the cold). If I had not known anything about the show, seeing this particular number on the TODAY show would not have made me wanted to rush out and buy tickets.

I wish they would have sung something such as FOR GOOD, out of character, which would have been an incredible duet and made me interested in going to see the show and who these actresses portray in the show.

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 10:27pm

I watched the thing on David Letterman. My mom taped it for me. But Kristin wasn't in it, and I could have sworn she shows up in the song on the CD....... I don't know, but I have never seen the show, so I don't know if they are alike.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 10:32pm

kristin is in the show. but she isn't in enough of it for her to be on the segment. they probably shot only the singing and kristin doesnt do enough of it, like in popular with idina, kristin mainly stands there.

[tpdc]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 10:40pm

Defying Gravity was re-done for Letterman. It's shorter than it is on stage and doesn not feature Chenoweth, who does a lot more than just stand around in the number. Chenoweth was sick when the Letterman show taped (she also missed several shows that week as well). I thought Popular came off pretty well on the Today Show. Both women were wonderful and Idina's contribution to Popular is pretty important and even more so on TV when you can see what a wonderful actress she is and the nuance and feeling she brings to Elphaba.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 1/24/04 at 11:26pm

LETTERMAN: I thought was very different from the show. Kristin was not there, so Idina just sang everything from the song that she sings alone (with the exeption of "ITS MEEEEEE"). The flying effect wasn't as neat without the proper lighting. Still, Idina sang the heck out of it, and it made me want to buy tickets.

TODAY SHOW: Terrible. Nothing was Idina or Kristin's fault. The scene was just very awkward on camera, and taken out of context it wasn't funny. I was also distracted by the fact that Idina was just sitting there, green and in the rain while Kristin performed. Not a fun experience, huh?

[jcr279]

Posted: 1/25/04 at 12:07am

Yes that was correct. Kristin wasn't on the Letterman performance. I don't recall who said something about Idina singing "It's meeee" like she used to on the official site when you first arrived on the page. She didn't do it on the Letterman performance either. It was one of my favorite parts of the song too, I wish it was on the cd. She also didn't do it when I saw the show in October. I guess they took it our for whatever reason. Anyways, I have it on tape if you want to im me.

[billyweeds]

Posted: 1/25/04 at 8:28am

I saw both the Today show and the Letterman performance and there was no comparison as far as I was concerned. Contrary to most of the posts here, I loved the Today show and didn't like the Letterman perf much at all. First of all, Chenoweth was enchanting on the Today show, and Menzel was important to the number. Clearly the two ladies had chemistry to burn and the number made the show look delightful. I could not understand the hostility to the score on the basis of the charming "Popular," with clever rhymes, a catchy tune, and a terrific rendition by Chenoweth.

Then came the Letterman show and I suddenly understood a lot of the criticism of the score. "Defying Gravity" is a generic power ballad, and ENDLESS to boot. Idina has a wonderful instrument, but on television all I remember is that she has the largest mouth since the glory days of Martha Raye. I swear I could almost see her tonsils. The song is loud, tuneless, and boring.

I still want to see the show, though.

[BroadwayBaby3]

Posted: 1/25/04 at 9:41am

i have "popular", "defying gravity" and "one short day" taped

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/25/04 at 3:20pm

"Defying Gravity" on TV had some of "March of the Witch Hunters" sung at the beginning.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/25/04 at 4:24pm

To be fair to poor "Defying Gravity,": it's never been a solo, and doesn't cut well. It's an ensemble number, a fairly ambitious one, that musicalizes a crucial turning point in the story. To work properly, it requires both women, the chorus, the duplicitious Morrible character (whose announcement that shy, Jane Goodall-esque Elphaba is a wicked witch provides pivotal info--it's what freaks the girls out, drives Elphaba onward, quite literally upward). When you strip the number of its life/death stakes, it does come off as a ruminative "power ballad." Without the context, it has a Frank Wildhorn feel. Sort of "This is My Moment." I think Schwartz is much better than that, and the scene in the show is an audience-grabber. Too bad it couldn't be recorded -- or done on Letterman -- with enough elements intact to properly sell it.

Updated On: 1/25/04 at 04:24 PM

[billyweeds]

Posted: 1/25/04 at 4:26pm

Thanks for the description, Auggie. That makes sense, and I hope I agree with you when I see the show.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 10:10am

The number was re-orchestrated for Letterman melding The March of the Witch Hunters and Defying Gravity together to showcase a portion of the show. I thought the Letterman appearance was awesome and highlighted enough of the music to make a person want to buy a ticket whereas Popular on the today show just didn't come off as funny taken out of context of the show.

Also, since Kristen was showcased on the Today show they showcased Idena on Letterman. Then both were highlighted on the Macy's parade with "One Short Day".

[Elkerette]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 4:33pm

I thought it was weird how much they re-worked the song to account for Kristin not being there.

Most notably - instead of "unlimited/together we're unlimited/dreams the way we planned 'em / if we work in tandem/just you and I..." the equivalent section from "The Wizard and I" was used ("unlimited/my future is unlimited/and I just had a vision almost like a prophecy/I know/It sounds truly crazy and true the vision's hazy/but I swear someday there'll be/a celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with me") which had the last note interrupted by the arrival of the ozian guards so that Idina could rush back and get into position to fly.

My opinion: you want to showcase a song... showcase it as is or don't show it at all! :) Updated On: 1/26/04 at 04:33 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 4:37pm

I was kind of surprised by the "flying" effect. They way everyone talked, I thought it was going to be the traditional stage flying used in Peter Pan. What I saw was more like just a levitation effect with a really long cape like what was used in the original Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 6:12pm

I love the flying effect. It isn't as thrilling without the lights, so Letterman was nothing like it is at the Gershwin, but I love how she just hovers above everyone, instead of really flying around, which would be sort of cheesy, IMO. The way she just sort of "is" above everyone speaks literally and figuratively. It's very powerful in the show.