Wicked Saturday night - who the heck hired Annaleigh Ashford?

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:42am

OK, first of all, I thought Ashford was fine in Blonde. And I had a very good time on Saturday night at Wicked (gotta love that lotto). Lisa Brescia and Michael Seelbach were INCREDIBLE as Elphaba and Fiyero.

But from the first moments of the show, it was very clear to me that Annaleigh Ashford doesn't get the character of Galinda/Glinda. Her line readings were flat, she didn't land any laughs (inuendo, outuendo is an EXCELLENT joke, it's hard to screw it up, but she did). My friend who had never seen the show before said it was hard to understand the emotional aspect of For Good, because he didn't care what happened to Glinda.

I don't know if she's just too young, or that BLONDE is as far as her talents go, or what, but boy, what a painful performance.

[Grand Motel]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:51am

I haven't seen her yet WaltSummers but between you and WAT it seems Ashford doesn't stand a chance. She's 22 years old and up until now, for the most part, they've had women pushing 40 playing both roles. It's a big role and maybe she's finding her way and by all accounts, improving daily. I didn't know the character was so "complex" to begin with. It's broad, it's schticky and from what I have seen from Ashford, that seems to be what she's good at. I can't put too much stock in the "reviews" till I see it for myself, but it's an awful lot of bashing of someone everyone was so in love with mere weeks ago.
Updated On: 10/22/07 at 09:51 AM

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:55am

Grand Motel, playing Glinda as shticky is the first mistake. That's totally fine for everything through Popular, but unless the character grows, you don't buy that Elphaba would be friends with her. The success of Glinda's big second act number, Thank Goodness, hinges on the actress's ability to play two layers, the lyric and the subtext. Ashford sang it straight through with no hint that there was something actually wrong.

[Grand Motel]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:58am

As I said, it's something I have to see for myself. But you'll have to admit, these sized roles are for more seasoned actresses.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:02am

Agreed.

As an aside, Michael Seelbach as Fiyero... first of all, ADORABLE. Second of all, he took the optional vocal riff up during As Long As You're Mine (but you've got me seeing/through different eyes)... it was insane.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:17am

I saw her Saturday night too, with my 60 year old father (who had never seen Wicked)

I thought she was cute - and that she had a lovely soprano (I'd never heard her use it before so that was a surprise) - some of her scenes were stronger than others - but I really feel like she's going to grow into being a great Glinda. Was she my favorite? No, but I've seen several. Did I think she was bad? No, and I've seen Glindas before that were. I found her very present - she was really focused and reacting in every scene, whether or not what she was doing was a traditional choice.

My father who had never seen the show (or actually, didn't know anything about it) adored her and told me he wanted to go find her and shake her hand...which he did.

I'm no champion of Ashford's (actually I was fairly sure I'd hate her in the role) but I just don't get all the vitriol - or maybe its because I'm not especially attached to Wicked but... I thought she was just fine!

Agreed though on Seelbach's riff on "it's up that I fell" - that was beautiful. I enjoyed him a lot.

And Lisa Brescia being brilliant is a given, she always is. Love her.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:23am

Lea, who have you seen go on in the role that was bad? I hadn't seen the show since early 2005, so I'd only seen Chenoweth and Thompson go on before.

I don't know if it's vitrol... just it was clear she didn't understand that Glinda isn't a cartoon.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:34am

Thank you, WaltSummersPI. I agree with you 100%.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:37am

I didn't especially care for Kassebaum or Reinders in the role, but I'm always willing to hope that I saw either or both on a bad night. Both were too over the top for my taste.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:39am

Lea, that's how I felt about Ashford during "Popular". After awhile, the antics aren't funny anymore. And during the one scene where she really should have gone overboard (the wand fight), she looked completely lost.

PS - Lea, where you in lotto seats? We were seated right next to an actress from a recent Broadway show who spent the ENTIRE three hours talking to her friend next to her. Updated On: 10/22/07 at 10:39 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:40am

I saw Kassebaum more than once. It wasn't an off night, LeaGirl. Her performance grew more schticky and manic the longer she was with the show.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:48am

Oh Withoutatrace, you need to find something else to do besides bash a lovely young actress every chance you get. Really, we get your point.

In my opinion, the only Glinda that was actually great to watch (obviously after Chenoweth vacated) was Jennifer Laura Thompson, many others were, well, pretty mediocre at best. I have a hard time believing AA is *that* much more painful to sit through than Hilty, who IMO was far from humorous and didn't sing well either. To answer your original, albeit sarcastic question Walt, Telsey casting.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:51am

I wasn't in lotto seats, we were sitting back in the orchestra (row G) - now I want to know who it was that was talking!

And Bree - Jennifer Laura was my FAVORITE, I don't feel like anybody has ever lived up to her, I thought she was brilliant.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:52am

LOL, Bree. I was, of course, being rhetorical.

Glinda is not a hard part to play. Elphaba is a MUCH more difficult role, and yet, most actresses with that part seem to do fine. The key (and this is my wild theory) is that Chenoweth and Menzel created FULL, interesting characters, and while you wouldn't want anyone else to give THOSE performances, you DO want them to be playing the same character. Because there is such familiarity with Oz and with the entire Wicked phenomenon, Glinda and Elphaba are characters you can't take liberties with. Not to say that Ashford did, because I don't think her acting was that clever.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:54am

I agree with you 1000%. They should have begged her to stay as long as possible instead of hiring a slew of unidentifiable "poor mans version" of Chenoweth. So uninspired.


*in response to Leagirl but i agree with you as well Walt Updated On: 10/22/07 at 10:54 AM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 11:04am

BreeDaniel, have you seen her in the role??? I have seen every Glinda who has played Broadway (not including understudies/standbys) and I am still puzzled as to why Annaleigh was hired. The five Glindas before her were all in another league. It was painful to sit through her performance and while I will not start my own thread, I will certainly comment about it on other threads all I want.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 11:12am

BreeDaniel, where in this thread does WAT go out of his way to bash Annaleigh? He agreed with the original poster, as do I. I've seen Kendra Kassebaum, Jennifer Laura Thompson and Annaleigh Ashford as Glinda. The only one I truly enjoyed was Kendra. I saw Jennifer during her last week in the show, and I didn't know what all the fuss was about (also about Wicked in general as that was my first time seeing the show). It wasn't until I saw the National Tour in Washington, DC with Stephanie Block and Kendra in the leads, that I was able to see Wicked from a different perspective. I actually enjoyed it.

My problem with Annaleigh is that she didn't land any laughs. I will admit that Act 2 was the better of the two for her.

[Popular]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 11:13am

If it's OK to interject the unneccesary bashing for a minute, I'd like to hear more about Lisa and Michael.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 11:17am

Lisa NAILED the role. Her vocals were outstanding. I hadn't heard that they'd cut the dance break in Wonderful, so that was a fun surprise. She was great to watch.

Michael was also very good, very similar to Joey McIntyre's performance.

ALAYM was the highlight of the show.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 11:30am

Lisa was brilliant when I saw her...good to hear she is improving. I love her.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:00pm

I saw Annaleigh about a year and a half ago in Atlanta, and I was less than impressed. I was hoping she'd improve by the time she took the role on Broadway. Maybe she will.

Kendra has actually been my favorite to perform the role. I felt she injects the role with the right amount of comedy and sadness.

Agreed though on Seelbach's riff on "it's up that I fell" - that was beautiful. I enjoyed him a lot.

I saw Michael in the summer perform with Julia, and he was AMAZING. I was absolutely blown away. He did that riff when I saw him too. I'm not a fan of riffing at all, but that one is incredible. He is my favorite Fiyero that I have seen.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:04pm

I did not care for Annaleigh Ashford's interpretation of Glinda either. But I thought she was delightful in LB.

Just because you don't care for someone in a particular role, it doesn't mean you are "bashing" them.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:04pm

No WAT, I have not *yet* seen Ashford. You simply seem have a lot of spite and vitriol towards someone who really has nothing whatsoever to do with your life unless your life seriously does revolve around and ONLY around Wicked. I have seen my share of the Glinda's and without every having to see Ashford AS Glinda, I know she can sing Hilty, Reindeers and Kessenbaum under the table.

I'm not a huge Wicked fan, I don't scrutinize whether or not Elle and Emmett can actually hear eachother through the door during the Legally Blonde ballad, I don't read the understudy schedule website, in other words, much as I like and enjoy Broadway and some of it's current and past stars, I'm not "obsessed". I do however find your one man campain to smear someone so young and new who just started in a monster role 2 weeks ago just because she doesn't live up to your armchair "expertise" odd and unecessary.

I've said all I need to, if you want to carry this further, save it for pm. It's ridiculous that I'm wasting so much time on this, of all topics.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:06pm

Bree, while she might have started on Broadway a few weeks ago, she's done the part on tour before, as people have mentioned here. It's not like she's coming at the role for the first time.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:10pm

I understand that Walt but there's just something relentless about the way WAT goes on and on about it while exhaulting the show and other actors in it, as if they were demi Gods. It's a Broadway musical with some interesting characters, that's all. It's not the answer to disease and war. Know what I mean? I promise to post an honest opinion of Ashford when/if I go but bad or good, there will be no personal stake in her performance for me.