Wicked Cast Recycling

[outdamnwench]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 3:03am

With Kerry Ellis coming over from the West End very soon, there's been a lot of talk about Wicked cast recycling policy. I decided to find out exactly how long it's been since a new principal Elphaba stared on Broadway.

Three and a half years!!!!! Shoshana Bean, the girl who replaced Idina, was the last original.

Eden Espinosa was on tour in place of SJB.
Ana Gasteyer was the original Chicago.
Julia Murney replaced Eden on tour.
Stephanie J. Block was the original tour Elphaba.

With Kerry Ellis leaving in late November, it will be almost 4 years since there's been a fresh girl.

[winston89]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 4:16am

I didn't realize that its been over three years since someone new came in and played the role of Elphaba on Broadway.

This show is doing a lot of recycling within the different productions.

To be quite honest with you I wouldn't be suprised one bit if either the actress playing the role in Germany or the actress playing the role in Japan learned the part in english just so that they could do it on Broadway.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 4:36am

To be fair, Eden wasn't an official Elphaba on tour. She was just a temporary replacement for one of the stops.

[Quasi]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 5:23am

I know for sure that the producers wanted Willemijn Verkaik, our Elphaba in Germany for Broadway. So I wouldn't wonder if she goes to Broadway some day.

[outdamnwench]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 3:13pm

Yeah, but considering she went on for an entire month on Broadway as a standby and another full month on tour, she was pretty much a principal.


I'm pretty sure the producers wouldn't go through the entire hassle of teaching someone on of the most difficult languages in the world just to have her play Elphaba, too much work.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 3:17pm

how sure are you?

it's WICKED. all they do is recycle... are you surprised.

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 3:21pm

who cares?? why not cast someone that you already know will do a good job in a role.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 3:32pm

I think they should give some newbies the roles, some unknowns. Annaleigh was sort of an unknown but she was in the show already! They need to get some new people, they are starting to recycle the other roles as well. So Annoying!

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 3:37pm

With so many productions in the States and other countries, is it really a suprise that this happens. Look at Phantom.

[broadwayboy522]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 4:12pm

Could you count Shoshana as new since she was a standby first?

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 4:13pm

I'm pretty sure the producers wouldn't go through the entire hassle of teaching someone on of the most difficult languages in the world just to have her play Elphaba, too much work

In most countries they actually teach their students foreign langauges, rather than go through meaningless verb and vocab exercises for years on end. Many German/Dutch actors are fluent in English, and they can skillfully hide their native accents. Examples: Pia Douwes, Uwe Kroger, Maya Hakvoort, Maike Boerdamm, Susan Rigava-Dumas, Serkan Kaya.

Updated On: 5/11/08 at 04:13 PM

[arielle_<3sjb]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 5:53pm

I don't know why everyone cares that they recycle. The women who play the roles are all so good and it's like one of the roles of a lifetime. I personally like how they "recycle". I'm also very excited for Lisa to become full-time Elphaba in Chicago and for Kerry and Kendra to come to broadway. They would be something to see together

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 5:57pm

Willemijn does speak english, I belive she has done some shows in the UK.

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 7:01pm

I think Phantom is even worse with recycling cast members. They have people like Rebecca Pitcher playing Christine when she can't even sing/look like Christine should anymore! I think it's just laziness, and it really pisses me off.

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:35pm

Willemijn's never done a UK show, but she is trilingual (Dutch, English, and German). She's originally Dutch. She is in talks to come to NY/London, and Hamada Megumi is in talks to open the San Francisco production. I think she speaks limited English, but will learn some to do Elphaba in San Francisco. I would love it if the whole Japan cast came to the US to do "Wicked" (in Japanese) and it would be kind of like a foreign exchange like when Tel Aviv Hamlet came to DC, I think it was last summer, and when Shanghai "Love, Perfect, Change" came to NY. It will probably never happen, but it would sure save me money for a trip to Japan (also will probably never happen).

[emo_geek]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 8:41pm

Both Eden and Sho were standbys.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 9:34pm

I don't know why everyone cares that they recycle. The women who play the roles are all so good and it's like one of the roles of a lifetime. I personally like how they "recycle". I'm also very excited for Lisa to become full-time Elphaba in Chicago and for Kerry and Kendra to come to broadway. They would be something to see together

It's not that people don't enjoy them, people just like new and fresh and a new take on the role. I have seen Rent a few times (13) and I have loved some performers and only saw them maybe once or twice but loved when someone new came in, it's like when people love seeing Becky in Legally Blonde over Laura (She is better but that's beside the point) They like a change, and a new take on the role.