Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Swiftynifty15
Broadway Star Joined: 9/18/04
#0Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:09amWhen Wicked first came to Broadway, was Stephanie offered anything? Standby? Understudy? Regular Ensemble? Swing? Anything?
#1re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:11amI believe she would have continued on with her part from San Francisco. Ensemble/ Second Cover. But since there was no Standby then, she might have been the Standby. I don't know if anyone knows for sure, but if they do, I'de be interested to know for sure as well!
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.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Swiftynifty15
Broadway Star Joined: 9/18/04
#2re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:13amShe was second cover in SanFransisco?
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#3re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:17amDidn't she audition for THE BOY FROM OZ and was immediately taken in after an audition session with Hugh Jackman? THE BOY FROM OZ went into rehearsals and opened earlier than WICKED on Broadway.
#4re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:29am
Stephanie was Stephen Schwartz's first choice to star on broadway. However the producers wanted someone with more broadway credits to star in the show (enter Idina Menzel). Then, when the tour was going to be launched the producers waned Eden and Stephanie to do one or the other, however Eden was in BKLYN and so Stephanie went on tour with the show and Sho got broadway, and I am almost positive that Idina Menzel played Elphaba in SF.
-Horton (the elephant)
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#5re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:41amIdina did play Elphaba in SF.
Swiftynifty15
Broadway Star Joined: 9/18/04
#6re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:47amSo wouldn't it be first cover?
bwayfan3
Broadway Star Joined: 10/11/04
#7re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:49amAccording to my perusal of the Grimmerie and Barnes and Noble, Stephanie did the early readings/workshops of the show. Due in large part to the fact that all of these took place in California and that's where she was from. Schwartz was looking for a musical theater actress in Cali and came across her. When the show was getting cast for Broadway, they held auditions in New York. I don't think Idina Menzel was necessarily the first choice.
Swiftynifty15
Broadway Star Joined: 9/18/04
#8re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 9:52amWouldn't Stephen know best, though? It seems like Idina was just so they could get a name when it came to the casting?
#9re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 10:15am
Idina was hardly a name before Wicked.
However, Block did do all of the readings. The story goes that she was the first choice of Schwartz. However, the producers wanted to recast the role with a NY actress who had a few more credits. Hence, Idina Menzel. She was actually the very first person to audition for the role (according to her) in NY.
She did San Francisco, with Block covering her. Block did not continue on as standby in NY, because she went to Boy From Oz.
FYI...you could have found your answer to this question by searching... :)
#10re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 10:25am
Idina was hardly a name before Wicked.
Definately. I mean is they wanted a "name" Idina still wouldn't be on my list to star in a show worth 14 million.
I measn prior to Wicked, her only notable stage credits were Rent, which she didn't get much attention from, and Aida, in which was a replacement. I didn't like her Amneris anyway lol.
Now, I think Idina can be good, but Stephanie is great and I want to see her on Broadway.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
#11re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 10:56am
Block was the understudy not the standby. SHe was in the ensemble of Wicked in San Fran, and in order to be a standby, you can't actually be IN the show. Here is the full WIcked San Fran cast:
Wicked San Fran
"They hear drums, we hear music."- Passion.
Updated On: 11/13/05 at 10:56 AM
#12re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 10:59am
It is really interesting the Derrick started out as a swing.
Was he ever an understudy specificly(sp?) for fiyero or did he just do it?
Broadway Star Joined: 12/31/69
#13re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 11:10amNo, he was a Fiyero U/S. I remember from my playbill. He's not very good as Fiyero from what I've heard.
#14re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 11:37am
Yes, you're right...Idina didn't get much attention for her role in "Rent." Just a few nominations, including a Tony nomination. Give me a break...
-Vincent
Broadway Star Joined: 12/31/69
#15re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 11:41am
"Just a few nominations, including a Tony nomination."
Ha. Good one Jukebox
#16re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 11:42am
Idina got the part because of her previous established work in Rent.
This isn't a big secret anywhere. The producers didn't want to gamble on a lead that had never opened a show on Broadway (Stephanie J. Block). Idina had opened in Rent and was Tony-nominated for her work. This (in their eyes) was less of a gamble for the multi-million-dollar production. Actually, they were ALWAYS looking to cast a New York theatre "name" as Elphaba. Stephanie was hired for the workshop only. There was NEVER a guarantee that she would take the show all the way into New York.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#17re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 11:56am
All I want to add since this has been discussed to death is
....BUT LOOK AT OUR GIRL NOW!!! :)
erinrebecca
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/29/04
#18re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 12:05pm
jukebox, thank you. Wickedgeek needs to learn a bit more about Idina if he/she really expects to be called wickedgeek. 
I guess a Tony nom for Rent isn't worth much anymore, nor is a Drama Desk nom for The Wild Party.
PJ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#19re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 1:55pmThe powers that be decided Block wouldn't cut it for them so they had auditions for the role. Hello, Idina.
pndmnd
Broadway Star Joined: 4/3/04
#20re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 2:07pmI could be mistaken (and please correct me if I am) but wasn't Boy From Oz Stephanie's Broadway debut? I don't think Idina Menzel was a big name before Wicked, but she did have some experience under her belt (rather good, successful experience, I might add). I think the producers, understandably, would be uncomfortable putting an "unknown" (in the Broadway community) in that major of a role in production of this size.
#21re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 2:13pm
Yes, you're right...Idina didn't get much attention for her role in "Rent." Just a few nominations, including a Tony nomination. Give me a break...
I didn't mean critical or award worthy attention. I meant that statement to refer to the common theatre goer.
It sounds strtange but there are many people that see RENT everyday and have no clue as to who the performer is and what awards they were nominated for.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
pndmnd
Broadway Star Joined: 4/3/04
#22re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 2:24pmWickedgeek--I actually remember the first performance I saw from Wicked. My mom had taped it off of The Today Show, and when she told me she had taped it for me she said that "Glinda is Kristen Chenowith, and Elphaba is this girl that was in the original cast of RENT." The general public wasn't going to recognize the name of an actress who got a Tony nomination for a show almost 10 years prior.
#23re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 2:52pmYes indeedy!!!!!! Yay for Stephanie! :)
Fizz
Broadway Star Joined: 3/8/05
#24re: Was Stephanie Offered Wicked on Broadway?
Posted: 11/13/05 at 3:04pm
The tech supervisor at my school and I were discussing this on our way back from seeing Wicked in Chicago, apparently Idina knew some people working on the show, and had a good audition(aside from her Defying Gravity crack), so those two things combined got her the part. I can't say if I think Stephanie deserved the part more, but I loved both of them.
No, he was a Fiyero U/S. I remember from my playbill. He's not very good as Fiyero from what I've heard.
I actually really liked Derrick.
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