Lousy Wicked Crowds Really Hurt the Show -.-

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 10:50pm

Today I stood 2 hrs in the cancellation line to buy two overpriced tickets to the show and though I enjoyed the show, I walked away disappointed. Why? The crowd today was terrible. Where to begin...Megan did not get any introduction applause when she came down. People really did not laugh much at all, which is surprising as the six other crowds I have seen where much in it. Worse still, a couple in front of me were talking the whole show. There was a kid behind me chatting with his mother. Someone near me started singing during Popular (-.-) and WORST of all: a cellphone goes off during the trapdoor scene. And incredibly, I still cant believe it, the cellphone tune was "If I only had a Brain" from Wizard of Oz! It was somewhat loud and distracting. It really ruined the scene though Jerad (more on him in a sec) and Sho continued the scene fine. But it was terrible. I believe the lackluster audience had a bad effect on the show. The actors clearly were trying to get the crowd in it but it wasnt working. They were all too fast with their delivery as well. I saw this same cast just over two weeks ago and they were great. The crowd that night was the best Wicked crowd I have had the priviledge of being in. But now more than ever I think its safe to safe that Wicked needs a good audience for everything to click.

As for Jerad Botz going on as Fiyero.....I was very disappointed. I know people here are not a fan of David Ayers who I happen to enjoy but see Jerad Botz as Fiyero and then lets talk. I give him a pass because he is an understudy but he was pitchy, his voice cracked several times, and his interpretation was an exact clone of Joey MacIntyre. In a word, he was bland. I tried to be a sport and give him a chance but there was nothing I could find to make me disagree with the countless people who have told me how mediocre he is in the role. Oh well. I waited 2 hrs to buy tickets to a show that does so well with that powerful trioca of Sho, Megan, and David and it just didnt have the same energy or passion. Or maybe its just a tired cast on a Sun Matinee? Seriously, how can one missing lead so diminish the energy of the show that two weeks was at the best I have seen it in a while?

[PJ]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 10:55pm

Trust me, the audience wasn't not into the show because David Ayers was out. I've seen his understudy twice, and they're both atrocious as Fiyero. So either way, it's a lose-lose situation. David Ayers cannot sing and was hired because of his pretty face.

And I've seen Megan in the role seven times and she's never received entrance applause.

But I have seen the show two or three times when the audience just wasn't into it. I think that the show as a whole is losing it's spunk. That is not a slam to this cast of any kind. I simply mean that when a show is a hit and it's been running for a while, it stops feeling fresh and new. Updated On: 10/23/05 at 10:55 PM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 10:57pm

Just maybe the audience did not like the show.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 10:58pm

Why on Earth should Megan receive entrance applause? She's not a star, nor is she a Broadway star.

I've never seen her get entrance applause. In fact, with the current cast, the only ones to get entrance applause are Rue and Ben.

And yeah....there's no way Fiyero makes or breaks a show...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 10:58pm

Lackluster audience can be bad for ANY show. All of the actors work hard -- it sucks for actors in every show when the audience isn't enthusiastic or appreciative. It doesn't just go for Wicked, even though that's a show for which it's probably an uncommon occurrence.

Megan probably gets applause when she does because of her character, not because anyone knows who Megan Hilty is... either that or just because of the technical impressiveness of her entrance.

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 10:58 PM

[PJ]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:02pm

Shoshana, Ben, and Rue are the only ones who receive entrance applause.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:03pm

I saw wicked once and it was more than enough. The crowd when was a bunch of screaming kids....it was like Idina and Megan were 2 pop stars that night. Sirlir, an advice from me to you. Go see a show you haven't seen and quit paying overpriced tix to see wicked. Move on!!!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:03pm

I saw wicked once and it was more than enough. The crowd when was a bunch of screaming kids....it was like Idina and Megan were 2 pop stars that night. Sirlir, an advice from me to you. Go see a show you haven't seen and quit paying overpriced tix to see wicked. Move on!!!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:03pm

1) JLT didn't always receieve an entrance applause. And she was someone. Megan Hilty is a talented, hot nobody right now.

2) Wicked is losing my respect for a lot of reasons.

3) Why did you pay full price to see Wicked again when you just saw the same cast two weeks ago?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:05pm

I still can't believe someone has the ringtone of "If I Only Had a Brain." If you don't turn your cell phone off in the theater, it's pretty obvious that you don't.

Boring audiences suck. I hate being part of them, and I feel bad for the actors on stage, because it's hard to feel motivated to do better when you're playing to a brick wall. I keep thinking of that acting seminar when Raúl Esparza says when the audience complains that the show wasn't very good and he said "Well, you weren't very good either!" Hee.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:05pm

It really stops feeling fresh and new when you've seen it so many times.

"Stop worrying where you're going, move on. If you can know where you're going, you've already gone. You have to move on."

[Benzy92]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:07pm

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:08pm

Well these are just personal observations. I dont mean to be critical, I just happen to be very attentive to shows I see.

1) Jerad was not a bad looking guy at all. Hes the tallest and most well built Fiyero I have ever seen but his voice was very young. Looks does not mean anything though. Even my girl friend commented that even though Jerad was good looking, he was not doing a good job. She noticed more than me the cracking of his voice for example.

2) People hate to admit it but the show is the most popular show on Broadway (soon the world ><). Cleary people enjoy it or it would not sell out every day. There was just no energy in this audience today.

3) Every show I have been to has given Kristen, Jennifer, Megan introduction applause. Its just proper theater ettique. Though...I am aware Wicked is defintely marketed to non-theater fans. I guess its to be expected.

4) David Ayers has worked great with Sho and Megan since they all started. There was absolutely no chemistry btwn Jerad or any of the two leads.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:11pm

I keep thinking of that acting seminar when Raúl Esparza says when the audience complains that the show wasn't very good and he said "Well, you weren't very good either!"

LOVE IT. Love. It.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:12pm

"Every show I have been to has given Kristen, Jennifer, Megan introduction applause. Its just proper theater ettique."

There's no rule that we have to give the leads (who, in the case of Megan and Shoshana, don't even have their names above the title) entrance applause.

"Hes the tallest and most well built Fiyero I have ever seen... Even my girl friend..."

Does anyone else find that a funny statement?

"There was absolutely no chemistry btwn Jerad or any of the two leads."

This frequently happens when an actor has not had a lot of time with the understudy.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:13pm

Oh, I agree about seeing it too many times haha (course it is over the span of two years and I have seen all the other current shows as well for good prices) I just happened to be in the area and the cancellation line was so short I wanted to try my luck because my girl friend wanted to see Rue (who IS getting better in the role, thank goodness). I am the only one who knows the in and outs of getting cheap tix to the show so I have to take people (even some from this board!).
Good responses though. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:14pm

I think Shoshana and Megan do have their names above the title. They do at least in the playbill, I'm not sitting next to the theater, so I can't confirm that part.

[PJ]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:17pm

Namo: Of course the show is no longer fresh and new to me. And believe it or not, I haven't seen the show each time with the exact same audience. It's been several different ones that weren't blown away by the show. And the show is losing a bit of it's "new" show spark.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:18pm

Yeah, they're both definitely above-the-title. But mostly due to good agents and them starting in the show when they did.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:18pm

BSoBW2- Considering that Fiyero is a Munchkin- in the book, at least- I indeed find that funny as well.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:18pm

"Hes the tallest and most well built Fiyero I have ever seen... Even my girl friend..."

Um...whats so funny about that statement? He was tall and muscular. Are you implying that a man describing another man like that is funny? Okay, "Hes the tallest and bulkiest Fiyero..." *rolls eyes*

[SirLiir]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:19pm

Fiyero a Munchkin? He's the Prince of the Arkijis/Winkies. Boq is the munchkin.

[timote316]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:21pm

People are supposed to applaude Glinda's entrance. It's written into the script!

...that being said, I don't like entrance applause... but, that's another thread.

Liz -- Fiyero is a Winkie prince, both in the book and in the musical, not a Munchkin.

[PJ]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:22pm

The show is considered the star now. In the Playbills, the leading ladies are listed above the title. But in any advertisements, there is no mention of any cast member. It's just the logo.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 11:23pm

"...that being said, I don't like entrance applause... but, that's another thread."

Heh, it really was!