Wicked Readies for London...- Page 2

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 12:59am

Annalene Beechey as Nessa!

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 7:56am

I am so saddened to see that the 3 names I have been bandying around as both a joke and a demonstration of how narrowly London thinks when it comes to casting (Friedman, Riding, Henshall) are all being put forward as genuine suggestions on here.

[JakeB]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 8:18am

I'm sorry, but Joanna Riding is an exceptional actress (as is Maria Friedman) and she would suit Elphaba perfectly. When I see Idina Menzel's fiery eyes on the publicity photographs for Wicked I can see Riding entirely. But Maria Friedman would be wrong as Glinda.. I'm not sure who could do it though, IMO Chenoweth is irreplaceable, I can see no-one else come up to her standard.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 8:26am

It'll probably be Scarlet Strallen.

[Khashoggi]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:05am

There is, in my mind, only one person who could play Elphaba in London, and thats Jenna Lee James. She is one of musical theatre's biggest up and coming talents.
I saw her in We Will Rock You, the show may be average, but that girl has one of the best voices I've ever heard. She sang "Defying Gravity" and "The Wizard and I" in the BBC's Voice of Musical Theatre competition, and her renditions of the songs were fabulous. She HAS to play it.
-James.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:06am

As much as I LOVE Ruthie, Linzi & Joanna and not Maria or Frances... I have to say... COME ON!!!!! They are not like the ONLY British performers over here!!!! I mean... I personally think they are far too old for the roles! I think there are ALOT of actresses that are VERY suitable for the roles and MUCH younger (hopefully bringing more life into the show)
But I would not mind them bringing either Julia McKenzie/Judi Dench/Maggie Smith to play Mdm Morrible !!!!!!!
Cannot think of anyone now for Fiyero except for the EXTREMELY talented Ramin Karimloo....
Who should play the Wizard?

[ozbwayfan]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 9:24am

Surely Dames Dench and Smith would sooner do a six month stint in Eastenders than sign a contract to play Madame Morrible.
*shudders* Updated On: 7/5/05 at 09:24 AM

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 2:49am

I always saw Caroline Sheen as Glinda. I haven't been a fan of her performances so far but always thought she was campy enough to play Glinda.

I have no idea who could possibly play Elphaba but really don't think that Riding, Friedman or Henshall should be an option. I would love to hear Josie Walker sing the crap out of these songs but it'll never happen. Laura Michelle Kelly might be an option, an option I would not be happy with at all.
Hannah Waddingham has a good rock voice but don't really see her as Elpaba either....

QM

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 3:17am

A thought of Wicked with British accents just popped into my head. It made me giggle.

Um, but yeah, if Frances Ruffelle is in the show, God help us all.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 5:06am

No funnier than Les Miz or Phantom with American accents - Patrick Wilson and Emmy Rossum in the film still sounds odd to me...

I'm with Khashoggi - Jenna Lee James would be an amazing Elphaba. As much as I love them, I don't really think that Riding, Henshall et al have ther required rock-belt sound to pull that roll off.

Julia Sutton for Madame Morrible!!

[Urban]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:17am

Well nobody does a death scene like Frances Ruffelle

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:24am

Her Roxie was the worst performance I have ever seen on stage. Ever.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:25am

"No funnier than Les Miz or Phantom with American accents - Patrick Wilson and Emmy Rossum in the film still sounds odd to me..."

It's no odder than those two shows with English accents, since they both take place in France.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:01am

Well quite, though I think the whole cast wondering around talking like Miranda Richardson (or even better - anyone here ever seen 'Allo 'Allo?) might have even more potential for amusement...

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:12pm

I always thought Michael Crawford would be a good Wizard, but i know he would be unavilable, and maybe some would think thet the role is "beneath" his "star" power, but i think it would be perfect for him.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:32pm

maybe some would think thet the role is "beneath" his "star" power,

By "some" I take it you mean "Michael Crawford himself".

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:43pm

Caroline Sheen is atrocious... i can't abide her voice and the girls acting is less than am dram good. It would be a catastrophe if she played her. Sophia Ragavelas would be a good Nessa! Emma Williams would be a really good Glinda thinking of it... she's young, funny and could pull it off. I dind't like her much as Truely but she's developed a lot since then and now i think she'd be brill!

[Sant]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:44pm

I'd love to see Nicola Hughes as Elphaba!
She's got the pipes, she played the Acid Queen in TOMMY and she's got charisma for it too, she was an outstanding Velma in CHICAGO.

Mary Millar (orig. Mme Giry in POTO) as Morrible - or Jenny Galloway (Rosie in OLC of Mamma Mia!).

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:47pm

Jenny Galloway would be good as Morrible! Oliver Thornton would be pretty good as Fiyero but i reckon Niklas Andersson would be superb!

[Flight0017]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:55pm

Oooh yes, loved Nicola Hughes in Chicago, BUT isn't she a little too old to play Elphaba?

[theatreboi11]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 2:49pm

I have heard that Kristin Chemoweth is booked solid for a while. What all is she doing?

[Sant]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 3:22pm

"loved Nicola Hughes in Chicago, BUT isn't she a little too old to play Elphaba?"

Well she's younger than Ruthie Henshall or Joanna Riding... I don't know exactly how old Nicola is, but my guess is that she's in her mid-thirties. Ana Gasteyer who's playing Elphaba in Chicago production is now 38, Idina Menzel was born in 1971 so I don't think Nicola would be that much older than these ladies.

[Flight0017]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 4:30pm

"I don't know exactly how old Nicola is, but my guess is that she's in her mid-thirties."

I just looked it up, and OMG, it says that she was the youngest woman to ever play Velma Kelly. She was 23 at the time ( 1998 ). That means she's now 30 years old. I'm not gonna say how old I thought she were. I'm just glad I was wrong.

I hope Nicola didn't read my previous post :-/


http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:McmdNBttYs8J:chicago.allinfoabout.com/nicola.html+%22nicola+hughes%22+age&hl=en

Updated On: 7/6/05 at 04:30 PM

[Sisi]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 4:41pm

Sant - Mary Millar died of cancer in 1998.

[morebroadwayplease]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 4:47pm

I'll go to London just to see Menzel do the show.