Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
For real?! Or are you guys wearing your mega-wicked-fan-goggles? It honestly looks like whoever was playing Madame Morrible had to take over the role last minute.
I know, Julia Murney is amazingly talented, goddess, etc. But she wouldn't ever fool me as a young student (maybe green makes people look older)
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
The characters age from probably 17 to 40. All that matters is that Glinda and Elphaba look approximately the same age - otherwise it doesn't really matter if you cast them with 25 year olds or 35 year olds. Murney and Kendra look about the same age to me, so I don't see a problem.
The thing with other Elphabas is that they had a younger look to them, than Julia Murney seems to here (even if they were just as old), but, oh well, she's doing it, and I'm sure she was cast for something...
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
Honey, Cheno and Menzel didn't look all that young on Broadway either. Almost everybody who's played these roles have been in their 30s. Updated On: 3/10/06 at 12:50 PM
The character is supposed to age from school days to much older. The transition from Act 1 to Act 2 isn't over night you know. In Act 2, Elphaba is supposed to be pretty much the same age she was in the film, since that is the time that that part of the story takes place, and you can't tell me Julia looks too old for that. You could argue that actresses like Shoshana Bean look too young for this transition.
Besides, she doesn't look that old ANYWAY. She looks and sounds terrific, regardless.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
I think she looks the most like Margaret Hamilton, the original wicked witch, which is nice for people who have never seen the show before. She looks somewhat like her but there is enough difference to dissociate them from one another. Just something I noticed and enjoyed...
She does sound great - more importantly it sounds like she is one of the better "acted" Elphabas. Sounds like the total package to me - I'd love to see her do the role.
I think the irony here is that people complain about Idina looking too old for Rent, yet nobody complained about her looking too old for Wicked. Idina and Julia are fairly close in age, and I really don't think Julia looks that old. At all. I think she's beautiful, and she looks great in green.
Anyone who's complaining about her needs to stop, and realize that getting to see her is an opportunity you should know you're really lucky to have. Get over yourselves.
I can't wait to see her in May. I actually prefer a less youthful Elphaba...and honestly, aside from Eden and Shoshana, all the actresses to play the role have been in their late 20s-early 30s. I see absolutely NO problem with Julia playing the role. She's actually the only reason I'm going to see it.
I think that the sharpness of her features makes her look perfect as Elphaba. I like it when the Elphabas come across as more fierce-- she is the Wicked Witch of the West, after all.