Wicked - Pantages in LA July 15th

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 3:30am

So I have heard all of the Wicked bashing on this board and also the crazed Wicked fans going into this. So I was pretty much expecting to either fall in love with it - OR - walk out feeling let down. Well I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and definitely put it as one of the top musicals I have seen ever.

So I am going to give little snippits of things and characters I liked and did not like.

KENDRA KASSEBAUM: (Galinda) Her comic delivery was spot on. She was hilarious and there were some moments in popular where her and Stephanie would look at eachother and just laugh - it was really great. And when she says in popular "Don't make me laugh" she added a dont and put her hand out...it was great. While I would of liked to see more of an opera voice - she did great. Truely hilarious. She was so entertaining - I cannot say enough nice things about her.

STEPHANIE J. BLOCK: (Elphaba) Acting was spot-on. She was so engaging and really great. Loved her take on Elphaba - different from Menzel but i liked it...a lot actually. I have this thing where a lot of times I hear a recording and when I see the tour I compare too much and come out dissapointed. But not here. She made it her own and stole the show if not by Defying Gravity then by No Good Deed it was clear. Best part of the night would have to be Defying Gravity from her. No Good Deed was a close second.

CAROL KANE: (Morrible) Magnificantly evil. Talked more than sing but was a really really really evil person...great

DAVID GARRISON: (Wizard) I do not like the Wizard role at all. I think the only reason it is even big is b/c Joel Grey was in the OBC. It is boring - the recording is boring. Just do not like it. He did well with what was there -- which is not much.

JENNA LEIGH GREEN: (Nessa) Great job. Loved her open voice.

LOGAN LIPTON: (Boq) Really funny. Had that poor little kid thing working for him.

DERRICK WILLIAMS: (Fiyero) What to say what to say. I still have not decided if like the soulful edge he brings to the part. He hit the notes and did well...but it was different. Great acting though...and by no means is different bad - but - I don't know if soul is really fit for Fiyero...

DILLAMOND AND ENSEMBLE: Great job beside there is one soprano...SHE BUGS ME. I can hear her and she has this really odd vibrato. I don't know who she is. But everyone else great job. Good energy and love the accented notes and the heart in it.


All in all it was amazing and I loved it. And to close my review Diane Keaton sat 3 rows ahead of me. I just wanted to point that out. Goodnight!

[Popular]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 3:37am

Glad you liked it!

[sabrelady]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 10:51am

Good review!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 11:52am

yay for Diane Keaton!

[LA Guy]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 1:17pm

I was at the same performance, and have to say I concur with all that has been said above. However, I have to say the Fiyero was awful, really seemed out of place against the other actors who were truly spectacular.

One thing you did not mention in your post was that Elphaba almost didn't defy gravity! I had been looking forward to this moment since I downloaded the cast album from iTunes the day it was released, so when the time came and she was still very much caught up in the earth's gravitational force, I was getting nervous that I wouldn't see her take off for the western sky. But after some very noticable jiggling of the safety bar that triggers the computer to say all is OK and she can fly, she finally took flight to the delight of the audience!

[dotmarie]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 1:47pm

Thanks for the review!! That makes me kind of sad I didn't see Kendra... but I did see her amazing understudy, Emily Rozek, and she didn't disappoint!! =)

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 1:57pm

Yes I was scared! She kept looking at her bar and even though she was not up high for too long. They lifted her at a perfect word "fly" hehe. But Yeah i was like...NO FLY FLY! And she did I bet she was worried.


Oh and btw. I hear there are problems with entrance applause in other tour cities..NOT LA! Glinda / Elphaba / Morrible / Wizard all got terrific entrance applauses.
Updated On: 7/16/05 at 01:57 PM

[Thenardier]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 2:01pm

"'Don't make me laugh' she added a dont and put her hand out"

JLT and Megan both do it. So does Kate Reinders. I think Kristin did it as well....or something to that affect.

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 2:06pm

Reason I pointed it out was because...I brought someone who watched the show on Broadway w/ Kristin and Idina and they were like...She told me that the extra Don't was not in when she saw...so Maybe not. But it was hilarious.

[Elphabuff2]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 2:12pm

Just a note - Kristin only used "Please," that I have ever heard of. She might have at the end- don't think so, though. Thanks for the great review.

[Whiteguy2088]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 4:07pm

Oh and btw...it was wierd watching Nessa...I kept seeing the evil Sabrina the Teenage Witch Girl...funny nostalgia with that

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 4:19pm

Most of the members here don't bash the show WICKED...

Glad you enjoyed it! I adore Kendra's voice. I keep listening to her songs on ASSASSINS.