The Pirate Queen/ Wicked in Chicago this weekend

The reviews and general word of mouth made me not too excited about the Pirate Queen, but I have to say that I thought it was one of the best shows I have seen in a while. Stephanie J. Block gives a powerhouse performance, as does the rest of the cast. I can see where the show needs a little work, particularly the character of Donal (played by Marcus Chait), needs more development and a better song. But all in all, I really enjoyed it. If anyone has specific questions, I'm more than happy to ask.

Saturday night, I paid my 4th visit to the Chicago production of Wicked. I'm not ashamed to admit that I love this show, despite its faults, and this time was no different. Erin Mackey is absolutely delightful as Glinda, and this was the first time that I was more interested in Glinda than Elphaba. I know that she has her fervent admirers, but I thought Kristy Cates was just OK. Her voice was servicable, as was her acting, but I thought Dee Roscioli was much more powerful in the role, and I hope she takes over when Kristy leaves. Otherwise, the show is in good shape, with Rondi Reed, Gene Weygandt, Heidi Kettenring, and especially the delectable Kristoffer Cusick doing fine work. This, coupled with seeing some good friends, made for a very enjoyable weekend in the Windy City. Cheers!

You know, I've seen Wicked 8 times, and even though I live in the city of Chicago, only twice have I seen the Chicago production. Once with Ana Gastyer, and once with Kristy Cates. I completely agree with you though on your comments on Kristy Cates. To me her acting was acceptable, and her voice I suppose wasn't too bad, but overall she was just OK. I don't know if it's because I've seen Idina, Shoshana, Stephanie, Ana, and Eden also in the role before I saw Kristy, but I did leave disappointed. Again, she has ALOT of fans on here, which is almost surprising to me, but like I said I don't know exactly what I'd think if maybe Kristy was the very first Elphaba I saw, and I was reviewing her then. Funny though I've heard alot of good things about Dee. Too bad it seems like they won't be getting her to replace Kristy.

Anyway, overall though I'm not quite as optimistic about the Chicago show as you are. When I first saw the show when Ana Gastyer in it, I thought it was strong. To me it didn't live up to the New York Cast or the Touring Cast even, but still it was strong. When I saw the show for the second time with Kristy Cates I thought the whole show was a mess. I thought to myself how much the show's strength seemed to decrease in the 8 or 9 months since I had seen it the first time in Chicago, and really the funny part was only the Glinda and Elphaba had been changed. Now, I won't hide the fact that I think Kristofer Cussick is horrible, but the best looking man to be cast in the role, Gene and Heidi are just ok, and Rondi Reed has always kind of made me uneasy. Still to me I don't know what it is, but it just didn't feel like the Chicago production is anywhere in the league of the New York or Touring Casts, not even close. It's quite a shame, but really it would take new casting in pretty much all the roles, with alot of changes in the ensemble as well. As I said though, it's just my opinion though, and really I guess it partly explains why I've seen the show so many times, but only two of those times where in my actual hometown. Sadly though, with the LA Cast starting soon with a cast that should be one of the best, Chicago is definitely is going to be bottom of the list in quality for the Wickeds around the world, BUT it'll sell out for a while to come. That's Wicked for you.

Wikipedia isn't a reliable source for Broadway news because anyone (with or without credentials) can write anything.

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I saw Dee and she was excellent. I also met her (I also know a cast member) and she is delightful.

I have not been back to Wicked since April.

I have excellent seats to PQ toward the end of the run (third time) and I look forward to it!

Updated On: 11/14/06 at 10:58 PM

Is Wikipedia an actual source?

Weird! I saw both Wicked and The Pirate Queen this past weekend in Chicago, too!

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