Kerry Ellis - The Idina Menzel Robot

Hello all.

Went to WICKED last night... family was in the city and my darling little niece wanted to go.

Anyway, I hadn't seen it since 2003 when it opened.

I loved everyone (especially Kendra!) and enjoyed Kerry Ellis to some extent.

But why the hell did she try to imitate Idina??? Her character's voice, acting choices, and prescence was all the EXACT SAME.

It bugged me a lot. Make it your own, Kerry Ellis!

yes. Kerry and Kendra were on last night.

I wanted to like Kerry but her Elphaba was just too forced. She resembled Idina Menzel TOO MUCH.

Yeah, she's not very good at all.

Julie Reiber is much better.

Unless she has drastically changed her performing style, I don't really see how you can say Kerry Ellis is imitating Idina Menzel to be honest. Care to elaborate?

For one, their voices are entirely different styles.

Their accents are clearly different.

Kerry, acting wise, is more subdued but at the same time, more pissed off.

Perhaps you mean Kerry is singing closer to the score, as Idina clearly did seeing as she originated?

Please to remember that 'Wicked' is a brand. If you give the audience an Elphaba that's completely different to what they're used to, they're going to be a little disgruntled. Did you perhaps consider that a director (yes, musicals have those; several, in fact, including a resident director who works with replacements) may have said "Kerry, do it like this; Broadway audiences will want you to do it like this, and you're not going to get adoration if you do it in a way that the screaming fangirls who pay both our wages don't like"?

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Is that a common stage direction given out after the casting process has finished? O_O

I think I see where you're coming from with your delightful ramming of words into my mouth and pointing and screaming "LOOK! WEEZ IS SAYING *THIS*!", but I'm very much talking about the post-casting directing; y'know, the way a role is *performed*, not cast. :P

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Sorry, Weez, I was referencing another long and involved thread which addressed that question(of old and fat) . I didn't mean anything, I was just joking.

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TDH, I thought that you hated "Wicked." So, how could you "love everyone" in it?

toanythingtaboo - have you seen both Kerry and Idina do the role? They are SO similar... it's scary. The same words are spoken (as opposed to sung), the same riffs are added, the exact same speaking tone is induced, and the exact same acting choices are portrayed.

EMMA ZAKS - I do not hated "Wicked". I hate you. There is a difference!

Kerry Ellis was Idina Menzel last night. It scared me.

I can't believe nobody agrees with me on this! Except for jazzicat (thanks)

nah, both their elphabas are completely different.

Kerry's Elphaba seems pissed off, disgruntled and growling all the time. Her acting isn't as good as Idina's, her Elphaba comes across a little, well boring. Like you know, going through the motions at times. But her voice and diction is so much clearer than Idina's.

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I think the problem of most people on here, is that you have not seen Idina for 4/5 years, I saw Idina in London and then Kerry about a month later, and, ok, there are similarities, but that is all, but because there is key similarities which stick out in your head, you presume they play it all the same, when actually, your memory will be slightly lapsing, there ARE similarities, but at the end of the day, they are singing the same songs, to the same music, with the exactly the same direction, and were given those directions at the same time (Summer 2006 in London), so OF COURSE they are similar, but they are 100% individual, and portray there own versions of the character, Idina, much more innocent and mis-understood, and Kerry, Pissed off and has had enough of everyone! So PLEASE end this, because without watching them back to back, it is IMPOSSIBLE to analys or even pick out any similarities accuratley!

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