OK, I just got back from seeing it. WONDERFUL!!! (And I thought that before I realized there was a song with the same title. :) )
Dee Roscioli was fabulous, and so was Erin Mackey. They both sound remarkably close to their OBC counterparts. (I never got to see them in NY but I've seen enough TV and YouTube clips to know how they sounded together.) I thought that Dee sounded so close to Idina's voice and was so good that she even might have been holding back. Either she's settling into the role (she's new, right? Not sure how long she's had the part here) or maybe was just taking it easy since it's a vocally demanding role and hey, they have 2 shows today. When she sang, she sounded similar to Idina but when she spoke certain lines, her voice has sort of a lower timbre or tone to it, and it sounded like it was a relief to her throat for those brief moments. But there were times that she was just a powerhouse, especially, obviously, "Defying Gravity." You just can't take your eyes off her in that scene and the audience just erupted when the stage went dark. Erin gave the character a very cute personality, but then again, it's written that way. She gets most of the funny lines.
And that Fiyero! There was note in the playbill saying it's no longer Brad Bass and is now played by Derrick Williams, and he rocked. Macho, charming, sweet, and seems to have that 'something' that should make him a star some day, with all that personality and versatility.
Heidi Kettenring plays Nessarose, and unfortunately there's not much for that character to do, but she's cute and has a pretty voice. Other than in "The Wicked Witch of the East," we don't get to hear enough of her.
Also, having not yet had the chance to read the book, I was really impressed with the story in general and how the author tied everything together into the prequel. I saw Nessa's striped tights and shoes and suddenly remembered Glinda chirping in the movie, "that 'twas her sistah, the Wicked Witch of the East" before they started singing. Duh. The house fell on the sister! Guess we didn't get to see too much else about Nessa's witching activities in this show.
Oh, and I've seen Rondi Reed in various Chicagoland productions for many years, was thrilled that a local gal would this kind of gig...and she didn't even have to leave home! She was just great. The only one who didn't seem to have as "larger than life" a personality as the rest was Gene Weygandt as the Wizard, but he sang well.
*SPOILERS*: It was also cool to see how the lion, tin man, and scarecrow came to be. Quick question: I don't know if it was the sound system or the fact that I was up in the balcony, but I think I missed or mis-heard a few plot specifics. When Elphie sings "No Good Deed," she says something about making sure Fiyero never dies...but does her spell have something in it to remove his brain, somehow?? He returns as the scarecrow--a puppet, really--but obviously can still think, walk, and talk to her. Also, in the book, was it a plot point for her to fake being melted and coming up through a trap door to meet Fiyero so they can run away together?
Thanks! All in all, it's quite a spectacle, a beautiful show. Can't wait to see it again sometime.
"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had the practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." --Alice in Wonderland
Updated On: 1/20/07 at 07:43 PM
