Wicked 1-5-05

[IdinaFan34]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:35am

So this is my third time seeing Wicked and as always walking into the Gerswin has never ben more exciting. So i myself am an Idina fan and i know we are hated on this board but to be fair i have to admit that i find it very embarressing watching an Idina fan sometimes at the way they act at the Gerswin. Its having a little class that gets respect by other broadway fans so with that note i dont see myself in that area of her fanbase. Anyway on with the show, So i was sitting in the rear mezz and to my surprise they were VERY good. You really see the whole set when your up their, its very refreshing. So JLT was OUTSTANDING and this is my second time seeing her but tonight she was really in the role. I saw her the first night she came to wicked, so she was still getting into the role, but tonight she just proved to be the great performer she is. Her version of Popular was out of this world and had me on the floor. What made it so much better was when Idina started laughing non-stop which made JLT start laughing when they were doing 'toss toss' with the hair. It was really enjoyable and made the audience really believe they were turning into best friends.
Going in after reading the boards i kept my eyes and ears out for Idina and the rumors of huffing and puffing. Throughout the show she was clearing her throat now and then, but the huffing and puffing was at a minimum. The Wizard and I was her first song of the night, Nothing out of this world but it was a great way to start the night off.
I have to agree with the people on here who say George is not very interesting or fun to watch. I can not take away the fact that his voice is amazing but the acting and lack of dancing in 'Wonderful' made me not really enjoy him in the role, not that i was a big fan of the wizard to begin with but i actually enjoyed Joel Gray in it.
Carole was as always, amazing, just watching her and the way she speaks it is really letting us see a perfectionist on stage and at DIVA in the highest respect. She makes me laugh with her long pauses and great expressions. She is a true star.
Michelle Federer was okay, nothing outstanding but average, i have seen her better before but she was not horrible. But she was a breathe of fresh air compared to Boq who was played by understudy Robb Sapp, good looking? yes but singing wise he was weak in places and the acting was fair. But i cant stress enough the smile that he has can light up a room :).
Joey Mac is not bad but he is nothing special. I would much rather see him in Wicked then suffer threw a Joey FAT ONE performance of Little Shop or Rent. Joey is cute and loveable, and the chemestry he has with both ladies are audience friendly.
The Song of the night i would have to say was Popular because of Jennifers outstanding stage presence. But Defying Gravity, everytime i see it live i get goosebumps all over because it is just so powerdriven when she gets lifted up.and belts her heart out.
Idina will definatly be missed but like always the show must and will go on and i have no doubt that Shoshana will make Elphaba her own and prove just like JLT proved there is life after Cheno and Menzel. Idina had an amazing run and proved to me once again why i love her so. I will see it again after Shoshana gets settled in because i think the show itself is like no other and i have become a fan for life. All in all the show was A+ and all of the performers are on broadway for a reason and iam not on broadway for a reason. lol Updated On: 1/6/05 at 02:35 AM

[kim1061]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 6:46am

great review...did you stage door? any bloopers besides laughing? glad you had good time!

[evwicked77]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 8:49am

Thanks for the great review! I'm going going for my third time on Saturday.

[broadwayalto01]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 9:01am

Great review! Glad you had a great time !

[wickedfan2]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 9:05am

Thanks for the detailed review! Glad you enjoyed it.. especially from R Mez because that's where I'm sitting Sunday and thought I wouldn't enjoy it! Can't wait for Sunday now!

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 9:16am

Nice review. George Hearn was terribly miscast in a role that I think should have been played by a less masculine (no offense Mr. Grey) actor. Hearn is still a leading man in a supporting mans role as opposed to Joel Grey who has managed to make a career out of his role as the Emcee.

[Justice]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 9:20am

I totally disagree about George Hearn. Not only do I think he is "wonderful", but he embodied the role of the wizard, almost like the one in the movie. Also, the thing about Joel is that while he is up there people are thinking "Wow, that's Joel Grey", instead of listening to what the Wizard has to say. With George, everything is clear, and you can understand him more. To be honest, I don't care for the wizard's songs, but I'd rather see George Hearn doing them than anyone else.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 9:23am

True, the extremely weak material takes someone of Joel Greys calibre who knows his way around the sort of vaudevillesque songs and can pull them off. George Hearn is nothing if not versatile and still manages to get the songs across. I just don't feel he was the right man for the job. Maybe Schwartz and Mantello lost their Rolodexes (who even uses one anymore?)

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 9:42am

"George Hearn was terribly miscast in a role that I think should have been played by a less masculine (no offense Mr. Grey) actor."

ummmmm....Hearn played Albin in the FIRST La Cage, and won a Tony for doing so. Albin isn't very masculine.

"Hearn is still a leading man in a supporting mans role as opposed to Joel Grey who has managed to make a career out of his role as the Emcee."

Grey has done alot more than the Emcee, anyone who knows the show "George M." knows what kind of LEADING MAN he is. Also, he is a terrific actor, and part of a special class of actors who have won both the TONY and the OSCAR for the SAME ROLE!

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 10:58am

I also said that Hearns versatility is astounding. That was a nod to the fact that he played and won a Tony for Albin. But the fact plain and simple is that Mr. Hearn is a very large and dominating presence, that is part of the beauty of his character Albin who was so masculine to look at but so feminine to experience.

As for Joel Grey being a leading man I know many will disagree with me but according to the Internet Theatre Database he has played the following roles:
1. Wicked (2003) ... The Wizard
2. Chicago (1996) ... Amos Hart
3. Chicago (1996) ... Amos Hart
4. Cabaret (1987) ... The M C.
5. The Grand Tour (1979) ... S. L. Jacobowsky
6. Goodtime Charley (1975) ...
7. George M! (1969) ... George M. Cohan
8. Cabaret (1969) ... M. C.
Off-Broadway
1. Give Me Your Answer, Do (1999) ... Jack Donovan
2. The Littlest Revue (1969) ...

He really has not been in a tremendous variety of shows. He hasn't frequently played the leading man (Amos does not count as a leading man, nor does the Wizard) He is fantastic as the Emcee and George M. but do those two roles make him a leading man? I'm sure he is a terrific actor but so are many others who do not fall into the category of leading man.

Is he a legend? Yes. Is he a legend for his entire career or for one character (George M. Does not count as a legendary character)

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 11:04am

What I'm missing from Hearn's performance is the Wizard's *spark*. It's a horribly underwritten role, but at least Joel acted, sang and danced the hell out of it. Hearn's not really believable.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 12:00pm

"Wow, that's Joel Grey", instead of listening to what the Wizard has to say."

Unfortuneatley (sp?), that would def. be me!

I can't wait to see the show! I hope JLT is still in it when I see it though.

[Idina's BIGGEST fan]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 12:24pm

oh I saw the show last nite also. JLT was hytserical in popular!!!! anyway, i remember there was a blooper in it. i think before or after wonderful, Idina's mic kinda got screwed up nd you eard a screeching sound. she fixed the hat and gave everyone a thumbs up and mouthed, " I'm good." She started cracking up, it was really funny. And JLT was as sweet as can be! She took a picture with me and my friend and signed our stuff, and gave us both hugs! I love her, she's so sweet.

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 12:28pm

A friend of mine saw "Wicked" months ago, and said something cute and funny happened during a scene between Elphaba and Dr. Dillimond. He dropped his pointer, or something, and they started laughing about it, because he needed it in the scene...then Idina started moon walking across the stage. I wish I was there for that...I love little bloopers

-Vincent

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 12:39pm

The song "Wondeful" was written as a vaudevillian act typical of past-Broadway shows. Joel Grey AND (the even better) Sean McCourt were able to pull off the dancing, singing, and acting of Wonderful (and of the Wizard role). Not to mention the fact that extra lines were added so George does not have to dance as much.

P.S. They took out the hat, which was so great!

[Idina's BIGGEST fan]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 12:44pm

you do know why they took out the hat right?

[Turtlegirl]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:11pm

I too was at the Wed. evening show. It was fantastic.

I have a different opion with some points in both other reviews of the evening though.

First off, Idina is, yes, amazing. I'm a fan. However, she was not in good voice last nite. She cleared her voice all night long, her mike was turned way up, indicating how stressed her cords are, and she gasped and huffed on nearly every breath. It was especially noticable with the mike up so high. The mike screech when she adjusted her hat was LOUD -- usually wouldn't be so loud if they weren't compensating for her voice. Despite that, she was funny, loose, and clearly having fun.

George Hearn can act circles around Joel Grey, and George's take on the role is exactly what being an actor is about. His own take -- he isn't trying to be Joel. Joel, meanwhile, is a song and dance man, and that's what his Wizard was. Joel's take.

Jennifer, on the other hand, (and I enjoyed her) comes across "doing" Kristen. There is little of her own take in the role, she evens walks like Kristen... for me it turned the role into a cartoon, rather than an actor playing a role. She and Idina seem to enjoy each other, and Popular was great with the hair toss episode.

For the stage door question -- as of 11:55, Idina still hadn't exited, and there must have been 40-50 people still waiting in the rain. Her car was there, and they loaded a BIG box into it. She is most certainly packing up.
Jennifer and Joey signed before going.

Turtlegirl

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:33pm

I'd like to hear why there's no hat.

BSoBW has it dead right about the vaudeville, and the fact that Sean especially, and Joel, NAILED it. George has given very little thought to the role, IMHO.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:56pm

Turtle. I am not arguing the take on it. I am arguing the fact that Wonderful was written as a dance number. There's a reason they added extra lines in for George. Now, right after George took over, I saw Sean McCourt (Hearn was out) and there were no extra lines.

As far as the hat, i would like to know why they took it out for George - as Sean used it...i imagine it's because George doesn't dance.

I think Glinda is supposed to be a "cartoon" character. I think JLT is better than KC (saw each twice) as far as the acting goes. Vocally, I mean KC has some range! Updated On: 1/6/05 at 01:56 PM

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:11pm

Also, I don't know how anyone could compare JLT's performance to KC's. They are SO radically different.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:14pm

I am comparing it as a - which made me laugh more? and the overall energy of the performance....if that makes sense...

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:33pm

Yeah, I got that. I was responding to Turtlegirl. :)

[Idina's BIGGEST fan]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 3:08pm

ok to answer your question about the "hat" thing with George, I believe the answer is that is won't fit his head. I mean think about it--Joel=tiny George=not tiny

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 3:11pm

omg so I got tix for 12/4/05, and i Like wonder if iDiNA will be back by then!

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 3:17pm

BIGGEST fan,

Nope, not buying that as an explanation. When Sean goes on, he wears a different hat. A show that's already recouped a $14 million advance can't buy the man a hat?