Idina's first missed performance!- Page 2

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 8:57pm

I do love Idina... but she definitely isn't a "name," no matter how much we'd like her to be. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Kristin is a "name" either, but more people know who Kristin Chenoweth is than know who Idina Menzel is. Idina is well known in the theater community. I think we often forget about those other people out there, who don't know, much less care, about theater. "Names" are people who are much more widely known than in just one group... people who can be huge box office draws spanning many different groups of people: Hugh Jackman, Melanie Griffith, Joey Fatone (as much as I hate to say it), Eric McCormack, etc.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:00pm

Exactly. And I love Idina. I wish she was a name. But so many people on this board think that Wicked and everything about it is something that every man woman and child in the country knows about. Can you imagine the people in my little dinky hometown in Texas waiting in line for the Wicked cd to be released? Maybe for the latest Faith Hill album or something but not a B'way musical.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:06pm

wonderful... someone understands what I'm saying! After I clicked "post message" I was worried that someone was going to come along and crucify me for hating Idina or hating Wicked, which I don't at all.

Updated On: 3/20/04 at 09:06 PM

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:06pm

I don't hate Idina either, but these worshippers that say that Kristin Chenoweth is nothing, Idina is everything, and the whole world knows it: THAT gets me.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:07pm

emcee, we are on the same page. i loved Wicked.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:09pm

I love both Idina and Kristin... but they both have different - and very obvious - strengths and weaknesses that the other doesn't have. Wicked is a great show, with great talent, but not something that the whole world should be in such rapture over. IMO, the book is better, story-wise at least.

Updated On: 3/20/04 at 09:09 PM

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:12pm

I loved the book. I think they were wise to make the musical into what it is now though. The book was so political and dark, the show would not be as easy as a sell as it is now. The show is definetly only based on the book.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:14pm

Even though i am a HUGE idina fan i have to agree with Shermanslave. She is a name in the NYC area but most likely if you go more west less and less people know her. I beleive that if she stays in Wicked she will make a bigger name for herself than she already is.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:15pm

I love your new signature. But I'm sure I didn't have to tell you that, lol. Check out Wicked_Elphie's new icon. I helped her pick it out... you'll enjoy it too.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:20pm

my new signature? can you tell that i hate waiting tables?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:23pm

well yes, I could... but I meant TheGirlIntheFrock's signature.
I do enjoy yours as well, shermanslave!
and I agree about the book. Probably a bit *too* dark to make a good musical, but I enjoyed the story much more. I liked the depth and politics it had that the musical didn't. I do think that they made good choices as to what to include and what not to include in the musical, though. It's also much more focused on their friendship, whereas the book is focused almost completely on Elphaba... that's one thing I like better about the musical, actually.

Updated On: 3/20/04 at 09:23 PM

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:26pm

how bored am I on a saturday night that I am reading this thread like it is a chat room?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:27pm

lol.... as bored as I am?
I edited... scroll up if you please.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:29pm

..."Unless it's CATS or LES MIZ very few shows are able to stay afloat with just the show being the star".

Well, let me add a few more to your list that have edured very well on the quality and popularity of the show vs the stars. Some of these shows set records, some tour(ed) or returned to Broadway after healthy runs of a few years or more while on Broadway.

Beauty & The Beast, Lion King, POTO, Chicago, Rent, Chorus Line, Cabaret, The Fantastics, Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler Miss Saigon...just to name a few. Let's not forget Mamma Mia, just named "the world most popular musical".

Other than Michael Crawford, who's "theater star status" was worthless with DOVT, there's not a "household name" among the these productions, yet they all "floated" well regardless of the casting.

People undoubtedly buy tickets to see their favorite actor(s). But Broadway has always made it's profit from shows that haved endured and not primarily the actors in the roles.

Actors are expendable, shows endure , at least the well written ones.

Wicked/ Oz may or may not survive beyond their "stars", but that's the fate of shows that hinge so heavily on their talent rather than their production.
Everyone has their view on this and this is just mine.

Updated On: 3/20/04 at 09:29 PM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:41pm

WICKED is a show where you don't need a name to keep it running. just great talent. I mean now, RENT had no names, but tons of talent, and they've managed to maintain that for 8 years now. A Chorus Line was really the first show to open without any big names in the cast or in the creative team. Some people were recognized but they weren't what drawed people to the box office. Idina is a definately a name now, we've established that. Kristin has been a name ever seinc CHARLIE BROWN, but honestly, Kristin has been missing perfromances lately and yet the show still manages to make overa million a week. True, Idina IS WICKED, but the show will go on without her.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:45pm

I don't understand... if Idina IS Wicked, how can you say it will go on without her? I think it will too, but that could only be true if she isn't carrying the show on her own. I do agree with you that it doesn't need names to stay open. It is a great show.

Updated On: 3/20/04 at 09:45 PM

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:47pm

emcee, what is your icon? is that you with a dolphin?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:49pm

lol, you're the second person to ask me that today. I do love dolphins, and have pictures of me with dolphins, but no, actually it's John Tartaglia, petting (and looking a bit frightened of) a stingray.
here's a bigger version:

my icon

[shermanslave]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:52pm

got it. thanks.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 9:54pm

lol, it's random, but I thought it was cute. Besides, my icon had been the same since I joined. It was time for a change.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 3/20/04 at 10:42pm

Sorry to be so late...

I'm just saying that Idina's preplanned absences should be publicly announced so that people can avoid buying tickets (or for that matter, buy) if that's how they feel. Just as Kristin's absences for Candide are publicly announced.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 1:04am

i happen to be one of those people out here in the remote wasteland that is "middle america" (now, but as i like to mention, not for long) and id have to concur that mezel is not a name (yet). my grandmother, who introduced me to the theatre, and has been seeing shows all her life, has no idea who idina menzel is. in fact, it means nothing to her when she opens up her playbill and three or four of those little sheets of paper fall out, because in her words; "the replacements are usually just as good".

it matters to me who i am seeing, because i try my best to keep in touch with the ny theatre world, but most of those out here in the outhouse of america who do attend shows dont know names like idina's and kristen's, they know hugh jackman's, and i have to agree with whoever said that fact would become apparent when he leaves the show and it proceeds to close.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 1:14am

Actors are expendable, shows endure, at least the well written ones.

Not necessarily true. I happen to think Nine is an extremely clever and well written musical, though it is, at the same time, really deep and difficult to understand. It endured countless replacements in the 80's, when people didn't see shows for names, but in the recent revival, which I thought was stunning, it couldn't run once the majority of the all-star cast had gone.

Actors expendable? Not nowadays, which is horribly unfortunate, because shows that deserve to endure just can't. Hopefully that'll change.

[alterego]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 7:14am

Incidently....I was in a show years ago, one of the two stars were out one night, they made the announcement when the house lights dimmed that the understudy was on, the overture started a milli second after the announcement. I was told that once the music had started the audience couldn't get refunds! This was back a few years when management didn't have to put a notice up in the foyer.

[SallyEW]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 10:58am

After seeing the show last week, I have to agree with the posters who have said that the show does NOT need a name to have a healthy run and be successful. BUT, what the show does need are people to replace the current names who are GOOD. I think the show itself is so strong that with quality performers 99% of the audience would care less WHO was in the roles. I unfortunately sat through most of my performance thinking about Kristin's name, because the woman I saw in the role was not as skilled enough to keep me focussed on the show. I don't think that was because she wasn't a big name. Rather she wasn't a very good singer and wasn't funny. I could have cared less if she was "famous" or not. I just wanted her to land the jokes and sing the beautiful music (I am a fan of the score- even if I am in the minority). I posted most of this in my message last week after seeing the show, so sorry to repeat. As I said, my friend saw the other understudy and thought she was just great and just loved the show. And she was not some famous "name". I think if Broadway in general focussed more on finding talented performers, like they used to, instead of all this focus on "names", we would all be much happier. Then of course the is the issue of selling tickets. But I'd like to think if the quality is there, the audience will come.
My thoughts.