WICKED in Chicago Review

[HeyYeah1988@comcast.]

WICKED in Chicago Review#0

Posted: 8/13/05 at 2:02am

THis contains performence spoilers and i say how the actor convayed certain lines. This is a VERy abberviated version of my full review but here it goes:

I saw it with all the respective leads, Ana, Kate, Cusick.. I will say I enjoyed the production side of it much more than the tour. IN the same seat as the tour it was soo much harder to tell how she was defying gravity and the lights were more subtle and dazziling at the same time.

I LOVED Kate Rienders as G(a)linda she played the role as cute blonde and it worked. She hits all of her high notes beautiful but can't hit the true note of "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)" to save her life but sings it an octave higher. Kate is holds the old on "Dear Old SHiz" very long to perfect comedic effect. She is probably my favorite Glinda;I have seen Kristin who just didn't act sad/mournful enough in some scene to me.

Ana. My friend really wanted to see Kristy Cates and I wish we had. ANa over muggs lines when she says "I'm beautifuly tragic" her lip quevers(sp?) as if she is going to cry, over doen in my opinon, but in "WITF" she gave THE BEST "Blonde" ever she looked at Galinda then towards the audience with the look of disgust and this certain'do I even HAVe to say it, it's Soo obvious' and said with that kind of in felcted tone. Her "toss,toss" was OVER done she did it as too mock Galinda which works once but she continues to do it even infornt of Fiyero in a mocking way. Her hlaf of the corn field scene was good. Again Ana is good not GREAT evry other perfomer I have seen was GREAT they each had their own thing that made them different and GREAT. I do believe Kristy Cates will be given the role when Ana's contract is up in Late January, i think that is why she agreed to do another Stand-by/(u/s)gig.

The rest. Kris Cusick was too nasally and prepubescent(sp?) soundign for me especialy when singing . I think he cracked several time while talking. He did act the role very well. UNlike Evry other Fiyero he seemed less interested in Galinda even intially; he intially seend more atractted to Elphie. Roni Reed as Madame Morrible was superb the best i have seen next to Carole Shelley her deep voice adds to her wickedness, she did however seem to have trouble transtioning form talking and singing. Rest of the cast same as usually

Other things. For me "As Long As You're Mine" has only worked between Idina and Norbert their voice worked well and worked well together. Here their are breif moments when I felt it was going to wrok but it never did fully. Did I mention Kate was AMAZING?-she was. THe Cat fight scene works well here that seems about it.

I am going to see it again in November and will give a review if u guys don't ahte the one.