La Wicked Cast Announced Early!

[missyrose87]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 3:31am

So it finally is official- Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty will open the LA production, from Stephen Schwartz himself:
"October 21, 2006

I am writing this on a plane to Los Angeles, a trip which will culminate in a press event for the new Los Angeles company of WICKED, opening in February of next year. Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty will be on hand to sing a few songs in their personae as Elphaba and Glinda, roles they have performed superbly on Broadway. So Angelenos can be confident of a first-rate cast.

They will also see a slightly different show than the one which opened on Broadway three years ago, though by that time these changes should have been added into the Broadway company as well. These are small but, to the creative team, significant improvements to scenes which have been bugging us a bit since we opened and that we have been able to try out in London, the first involving the introduction of Fiyero in Act One and the second, a particular bugaboo of mine, the end of the second act scene between Elphaba and Nessarose and the following scene between Elphaba and the Wizard. One of the nice things about live theatre is that, although its "liveness" means productions require constant maintenance, it also enables creators to institute improvements when they think of them."

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 4:18am

Link?

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 4:29am

I announced that Eden will be playing Elphaba 4 months ago on this board and some smart-alec who supposedly works at the Pantages posted that she was not.

[MusicalMan76]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 4:39am

Wait a minute... is it just me, or is it possible that the wording of Mr. Schwartz's statement could indicate that Eden and Megan will be on-hand to represent Wicked, but may not be the actual announced stars? I dunno, the wording seems kind of tricky... Anyone agree?

[BroadwayRandy0711]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 6:22am

I totally agree. After I read it, I thought that they were just going to sing a few songs and call it a night.

[Sparklesss]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 8:45am

But he does say that both girls acted their parts on Broadway very well so people in LA shouldn't worry because they'll have a first rate class. That def makes it sound like it's Hilty and Eden.
Updated On: 10/28/06 at 08:45 AM

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 9:29am

that is exactly what i thought. they will be on hand to sing songs. that does not mean they are playing the parts. what is the point of the event if he announces it early?

[NJRae]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:04am

You guys are right. This part, "Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty will be on hand to sing a few songs in their personae as Elphaba and Glinda" makes it sound like they are just going to be there to sing songs and then are done with the whole thing. But then he goes on to say, "Angelenos can be confident of a first-rate cast." So I think they've got it.

Good for them. I just wish they (Eden and Megan) would get their butts back to NY and into a new show here!

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:38am

Maybe, Schwartz meant a limited engagement for Megan and Eden only? The opening night or a week only perhaps?

[HatBoy]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:56am

So I assume this means Hilty will be off the tour for a few days during this event... I'm seeing the show on Halloween in Toronto and I really hope I can see her again.

[Tag]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 12:57pm

There is absolutely no way they are flying Megan in from Toronto just to sing a few songs! Ofcourse she is in the cast.

[DG]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 1:05pm

"I am writing this on a plane to Los Angeles . . ."

To whom was he writing, and for dissemination where?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 1:14pm

I hope they get Robert Morse as The Wizard. :)

[BillFinn]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 1:31pm

What changes are there for Fiyero's entrance and Elphaba/Nessarose dialogue? He should be tweaking his lyrics. Leave the book to Winnie. In London, they revised Glinda's "That's right! You take that one road... the whole time..." to just "GOODBYE DOROTHY! GOODBYE!" Horrible revision. The subtle inside joke of it all was smart.

[HatBoy]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 1:38pm

Fiyero's entrance scene is just extended, with a bit of dialogue from Elphaba. Something like..

:Fiyero's Cart almost hits Elphaba:
Elphaba: Don't you watch where you're going?
:Some more dialogue:
Fiyero: I guess my driver saw green and thought it meant go.


Which I kind of like, since Elphaba's dialogue in "Dancing Through Life" seemed out of place since she had no interaction with the "silly rich boy".

I don't know what they mean by the Nessarose/Elphaba dialogue though.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 2:12pm

I think that Galinda line along with some of the other funniest bits were actually evovled from Chenoweth's improve...

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 3:01pm

HatBoy, with the Nessarose/Elphaba dialogue, the changes are, instead of Nessarose hiding from Boq like the broadway version, she pretends to still be handicapped on the chair then shows the truth in front of him. the other is before the end;

"Elphaba: I have to go to the Emerald City, what happend to the Monkeys was my fault, I have to set them free

Nessarose: Youre not going back to free the monkeys, youre going to find Fiyero, but it's too late."

[enjolrasissex]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 3:08pm

I wonder if they're going to add the new words in WWotE?

On broadway, Boq sings "That ball that's being staged announcing Glinda is engaged."

In the London production, they add "to Fiyero" at the end of that line, for whatever reason. It doesn't fit well with the music.

Updated On: 10/28/06 at 03:08 PM

Posted: 10/28/06 at 3:21pm

I wish us LA people get Ben Vereen as The Wizard.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 3:52pm

If this is true, shouldn't Megan and Eden move onto other things?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 3:56pm

I have a feeling they are just going to be on hand, I can't imagine either of them really staying any longer with the show. Eden didn't take a full year contract, and Megan is probably getting a little tired of doing the role as well.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 4:01pm

Megain is prob. just thankful that she has a role, she is fresh out of school!

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 4:15pm

"Megain is prob. just thankful that she has a role, she is fresh out of school!"

True but, she was stand-by did the show for a year on Broadway and is now on tour. I think she is pretty tired of Glinda by now. Megan is young a has lots of opportunities. Why only stick the one role for so long?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 4:36pm

"Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty will be on hand to sing a few songs in their personae as Elphaba and Glinda, roles they have performed superbly on Broadway. So Angelenos can be confident of a first-rate cast."

I think the last sentence in that snippet implies that Eden and Megan are in the cast.

[cyril]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 5:06pm

folks you can stop speculating. it is hilty, espinosa and cusick in LA. This was announced to the chicago folks weeks back when they announced the changes they were making there; lewis leaving, cates leaving, cusick leaving for LA etc etc.