Improv during Popular in Wicked

I've seen Wicked twice, and both times, Jennifer Laura Thompson and Idina have improvised different things during Popular (when the toss-toss stuff occurs). The first night people were laughing hysterically because it looked like Idina and Jennifer couldn't stop laughing. JLT did her toss-toss thing, and then when she tried to turn Elphie's dress into a ballgown she attempted it twice and then told Elphie that it wasn't working because because she was touching her dress. "Stop touching it!" They were both cracking up and it was a while before she finally tossed her wand. I loved it!

Has anyone seen them improv something different? If so, I'd love to hear about it! The second time, JLT told Idina not to move her lips when tossing. I loved the variety, even if it was slight!

PS: If this thread has already been done before, apologies (I tried to search the message boards but didn't see one)

Every time I've seen it-they crack themselves up and break character a lot. Dont know how professional that is, and many times what I thought was improv was actually scripted material-brought to light by this lovely board.

Singing- Why don't you get one then and stop clicking on threads that annoy you.

Ya the message board search engine isn't all that efficient--typed improv and Wicked and got hundreds of returns.

And I actually didn't know that JLT did the improvs more than Cheno did--I thought it was something that both did in the show! Props to JLT! I posted on your thread LittleFish!

My point, mostly out of frustration: There's way too many here (and elsewhere) so obsessed with trivial and minute details about this show in particular--(this also goes for sports nuts, video-gamers, techno-geeks...anyone who is a little too "focused" on their particular subjects) when there is SO MUCH else in the world that needs our attention. How many of you WICKED-Heads (or whatever the proper name) voted (if you are of age), encouraged others to vote, know or have read all the issues, have given to an AIDS charity, did a cancer walk, spent any time in thought/meditation/prayer (to deity of choice)over peace in the world, hunger in our country and violence in our streets, know the names of your congressman, your neighbors, your postman.....

Plus, It just floors me that so many have seen the UMPTEENTH performance of WICKED or RENT, or have lamented that they stood in the Rush or Lottery ticket for hours for nothing. So much time....

Now, it is your life and you can certainly do with it what you will. Don't get me wrong, I am also for anyone with a passion for theater--but all this makes me crazy. If you took 1/10 of that time, money and energy and put it towards any worthier conceit, how much better the world would be.

Keeping detailed accounts of small spontaneous moments in one particular scene of an eight-show-a-week 3 hour diversion seems excessive.

SingingB Out!

Updated On: 11/4/04 at 03:46 PM

Wow. So quick to judge people you don't even know. Try not to be judgmental. Not that anyone needs to explain themselves to you, but I've probably donated more money to charity, AIDS, etc. than you'd ever imagine. Maybe you could learn a lesson or two from Wicked or RENT and not judge people without knowing them?

I find it very unprofessional to break character. The director at my school said if we were in professional theatre and broke character, we would be fired on the spot...lol...not anymore!

---

Wait.

What are fags doing on a Broadway board?

---

Very true, Rath. For example, I can't even remember the number of times Cheno and Idina ad libbed during Cheno's last show. It's like they feel they KNOW the audience is there to see them, and has likely seen or heard of the show already so there's no need to, you know, make sure the story makes sense to the odd new audience member.

But you said it more eloquently than I did.

---

I never thought of it as breaking character in this situation. Personally, I have never seen any inside jokes going onstage, just slight differences here and there in the banter between Elphaba and Galinda. I've only seen the show twice, but both times they were still in character, just using different exchanges as far as "how to become popular goes." I certainly agree that inside jokes shouldn't be going on onstage, but I've never considered the two of them as breaking character since the scene calls for some comic exchanges between the two of them.

Beaverhausen

But the point was that they ARE NOT breaking character. How do you even know if the script doesn't call for small ad libs in that section of the scene?

Thanks plenty Millie. Much appreciated.

And as for the ad libs and bits stuff, thanks for the explanation and I appreciate the input.

Updated On: 11/4/04 at 04:45 PM

So she's become more of a "personality" than a performer. I'm sorry to hear that.

---