Wicked Closing- Page 2

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 9:25pm

Sounds like an amazing show to be at, wish I could have been there to see them off.

Also can't wait to see Jennifer Laura as Glinda!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 9:38pm

Agree !!! Have tix for the 30th to see our new Ga-Linda....

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 9:43pm

i wanna see j-la too. i went to the lotto today, but didn't win. grr. there were 1,983 people at the lotto and more on cancellation.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 9:53pm

Hope this link works...

http://www.kristinchenoweth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 9:59pm

hahahah that's so great! i wish i was there.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:26pm

*hits head* if i had waited to go to nyc (on vacation) i could have been there!!! Because, this weekend was our original date. Oh well, seems like it was a great performance. haha there must be a lot of new posters going up all over the theatre district now with the new star billings.

[shesings]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:30pm

my friend actually won at the lottery today. i couldn't believe it. i don't think shes ever lost ... its ridiculous!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:31pm

We were commenting on that at the theater on Friday. There are SOOOO many KC posters around the Gershwin that are going to have to be changed !!!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:35pm

I just read that post on Talkin' Broadway that testing posted. TOO funny, some of that stuff. Sounds like it was great. Shame about Joel Grey, though. Even though it's not a great role, that's still sad.

Cheno and Norbert, you'll be sorely missed!!!

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:46pm

that's soo awesome. i wish i won.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:56pm

I was at the show today and it was by far the best time I'd ever seen it. The energy was amazing and everyone gave it their all. When Kristin came down in her bubble there was a standing ovation that must've lasted nearly five minutes. When everyone finally sat down again Kristin goes "WOW! It's good to see me, isn't it? You can respond, that wasn't rhetorical!" Then at the end of the song she hit this INSANE high note that I've never heard her sing before. I don't even think I want to know what it was.

The audience was unbelievably responsive to all of the actors. There was a standing ovation and applause break out the second Idina hit the last note in "The Wizard and I." You could barely hear her finish the song, the applause was so loud. I noticed that she had tears in her eyes for mostly the whole show.

Norbert was having so much fun. The audience clapped for so long when he came out, he made a motion with his hand for every one to stop. He and Kristin were hysterical when they were dancing together. Both will be sorely missed.

Idina, and I believe Kristin a little bit, cried during Dancing Through Life when they are dancing together. It was very moving.

There was a hilarious ad lib in Popular. At the part where Kristin is supposed to show Idina how to toss her hair, she says something like "I've written this book, called "How to Be Popular" and she pulls a pink book out from under her pillow and starts flipping through it. She starts to read the "Top 10 ways to be popular." I don't remember the order, but it was something like this:

#1: Shower every day. Maybe some of that green will come off! (Idina cracks up)
#2: Deodorant, Elphie! No one likes a stinky witch.
#3: Wear clean undergarments. That's all I'm gonna say.
#4: Keep your bed clean. I think we've already done that.
#5: Keep your hair nice. We'll fix that later.
#6: Make sure you are always color-coordinated. (Kristin stares at Idina for a long time and then continues: hilarious.)
And the most important rule to be popular, always keep your beautiful smile. (At which point the whole audience goes "Awwwwww!" and Idina says "Thank you" really quietly and smiles)

Idina also had a very sweet ad lib rigt before "One Short Day" when she is hugging Kristin. Normally she says "Come with me." However, this time she said "Stay with me." There was a short little pause and she got all these tears in her eyes and said "I'm really going to miss you." (Audience: AWWWWWW!) Kristin and Idina broke out of their hug and Idina says "Oz won't be the same without you!" to which there was laughter from both girls and the audience. There was an awkward pause and Idina goes "Well, why don't we go to the Emerald City!" and Kristin goes "Let's go shopping!" It was very cute.

Defying Gravity was the best I had ever seen it. The belting at the end was PERFECT, beautiful, powerful, not a single faltering note. During the part where Idina sings to Kristin: "Unlimited, together we're unlimited, together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been," the look on her face was so genuine and sincere, you could tell she really meant it. It made Kristin cry, and she choked out "If we work in tandem," causing both of them to laugh and cry a bit during that short duet.

Kristin didn't get as emotional during "Thank Goodness" as I had expected from what other people posted from the Saturday performances, but it was still amazing as usual. The lyrics at the beginning of the song were a bit ironic, but it was still great.

For Good was unbelievable. The audience all clapped after Kristin finished her solo at the beginning, she was trying so hard not to burst out sobbing. Both girls were crying throughout the song, and during the part where they are singing their own solo parts in harmony at the end and they away from each other, they held hands, which they have never done before. Their hug after the song lasted five minutes, as did the standing ovation. From that point and on, the cameras never stopped flashing. It actually got quite annoying...

When Kristin picks up the witch hat and is crying, you could literally see her tears falling onto the stage. Very powerful. She was crying very hard for the rest of the show. It took her a long time to finish her line during Finale "I would like to try to be...Glinda the Good," and the audience clapped after it. Idina also started losing it during their final duet during Finale.

The curtain call was very emotional. Kristin and Norbert took several bows together, and then Joel came out onstage. Idina made her speech in tears, saying how hard it was that she was losing her "father, lover, and best friend all in one night." She made an individual speech for each of them, and each received a HUGE bouquet of flowers. It was a fabulous performance.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:01pm

Thanks for the great review! But I'm curious, Joel Grey actually performed tonight??

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:03pm

Sorry if I was unclear...Joel did NOT perform tonight, but he came on for curtain call. Sean McCourt played the role, and while I though he was okay in the role, I strongly preferred Joel. The only other understudies were for Chistery and Boq.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:04pm

Where was Randy? At a bar watching QAF?

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:06pm

Thanks so much for the review. It sounds like Kristin, Norb and Joel got the send offs that they deserved.

There was an understudy for Boq today? I know people who bought tickets just to see Randy Harrison.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:08pm

Just thinking about Kristin being sad (though of course she would be) hurts me, simply because she's so damn cute. Great review, NYCbabe.

[J.]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:25pm

So, the real last performance for Kristen and Norbert was last night's show? It sounds like this afternoons show was just a big sappy-photo-shoot-good-bye party? I'm sorry, but I hate it when actors change things and step out of character whenever it's a milestone performance. It's sounds like Idina and Kristen were involved with themselves on stage more than the people in the audience who might have paid to see a Tony-winning performance. Thanks for the review, babe.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:36pm

J.... you are always so positive !!! This one WAS for the audience. By all accounts, they loved it !!!

[NYBroadwayNY]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:39pm

"It's sounds like Idina and Kristen were involved with themselves on stage more than the people in the audience who might have paid to see a Tony-winning performance."

Well, duh!!! Of course they were involved with themselves. EVERYBODY knew who was there today, that it would be like that, and you can't blame them. After all, they both have been with this project for what, 4 years now??

And also, I think what happened on stage today, with the breaking of character and crying and such, is EXACTLY what people expected and EXACTLY what they wanted to see. Today, the story was about real people more than the characters. But it's my guess that ANYONE WHO WAS THERE, is not going to be complaining about it.

[BalletGirl85]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:42pm

Maybe if the people who saw the show 200 times from 2nd row seats and STILL try for lottery seats (because 2nd row isn't good enough, you don't want to sit too far back or Cheno won't play the show for you!!!) lit themselves on fire in protest of the world would be a better place. At least now the psychotic Cheno fans won't be storming the theater anymore now that she's gone..

[NYBroadwayNY]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:47pm

"...the psychotic Cheno fans..."

There's been much talk from the Cheno fans of late, because of her leaving, but Idina is the star of the show and always has been. No matter how they do curtain call.

This is only going to spark new interest in WICKED and it's popularity will rise even further. As for your comment on psychotic fans, what's wrong with people liking a performer? After all, she was REALLY good in WICKED. If people want to see the show 200 times, what does it matter to you!??

[cvapb]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:49pm

NYCBABE: thanks so much! I am so jealous that you were there!

[J.]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 11:59pm

The prblem with this board sometimes is that too many people's opinions are coming from people who are deep in the BroadwayWorld instead of the perpective of a normal sane theatre goer. Yes I am very positive! Someone here has an opinion about actors changing the show for every performance but since it's the last WICKED show with Kristen I guess it's different.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 12:10am

NYCbabe~ that was a great review of today's show! A very emotional time for both gals. Final performances are always very special for the actors and the audiences, who absolutely expect a few twists and turns and always lots of flowers, flashes, speeches and tears. Final performances are the best!

Casts go through a lot together. Some are together for years! With final perfromances,emotions run very high and like a family about to let someone go, well anything goes. I give these girls a lot of credit. They both created wonderful roles and were in the spotlight competing to some extent all the time.

Wicked is certaintly not my favorite show. But I think Kristin & Idina make it fly. Kristin should have a wonderful future and never worry about being "Popular" for a long time.

Updated On: 7/19/04 at 12:10 AM

[Paul LW]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 12:43am

Sounds amazing.
I think those girls have the liberties to any quirky special thing they felt like on closing night.
All the posts were so emotional!
So sad!
This seems like a truly historical night.
Best of luck to the OBC of WICKED.