Wicked's Kristen Chenoweth Promoted more than Idina?

"WICKED is charming, irreverent, elegantly theatrical and filled with talent! Idina Menzel, as the Wicked Witch of the West, is stunning, and Kristen Chenoweth, as Glinda the Good, is flat-out, wrap-up-the-Tony-and-take-it-home-now great!"
-Contra Costa Times, From a Promotion Brochure For Wicked's Run on Broadway

One word to describe Idina's performance. I didnt know you could desribe the heart and soul that Idina pours into Elphaba as "stunning." But Kristen Chenoweth should get a Tony just because she has the part built on great comedic timing. I know this has been debated back and forth over this board since WICKED has opened on Broadway, but do you think that WICKED is promoting Kristen over Idina and pushing her more as the attention-getter?

Okay, Kristen is amazing and I dont feel she is an "overated blonde" as some have said about her here. She is the perfect Glinda. Her voice is so powerful and beautiful, sweeping elegantly and with ease through a four octave range. And she is adorable. You can't help but laugh at everything she does. And "Popular" is a show stealer. BUT! Idina'c character is so much more difficult than Kristen's. She displays so many emotions and really nails Elphaba. She brings Elphaba to life and she seems like a real person you could hold a convesation with. Her voice is filled with passion when she sings, and o god, the notes she belts! I think Idina was robbed in this review. She's not a Tony-award winning performance?

Tell me what you think about this review.

---

I still think Idina deserves a little more than stunning.

---

The women get equal promotion in all print ads, radio ads (the famous snippets), and outside the Gershwin ("Menzel is the news here!" next to her Defying Gravity defiant pose). In fact, other than SIDE SHOW, I've never seen such care taken to keep the focus on two stars. There are debates raging at boards like this about which woman's performance is more difficult to sustain, which is more accomplished, etc.etc, but in the real world practice of the biz of theater -- including the shared curtain call -- there has been painstaking attn paid to make sure this is seen as a show featuring TWO young stars. That Chenoweth already had a higher profile cannot be ignored. But it's not being exploited by the Wicked producers.

---

Amen, Robbiej. 'Wish someone would call me stunning.

---

Updated On: 1/28/04 at 10:58 AM

Not every ad is going to compliment Idina to death, there's plenty of ads and reviews that give attention to each girl individually as people have said...

And Elphie- what gave you the idea that what Kristin does on that stage is any easier than what Idina does? What makes you believe that the role of Elphaba is harder than Glinda? Both roles have their meat to them and comedy is as hard to play as tragedy. I think both women are wonderful and that "stunning" is an extreme compliment. What is better than "stunning"? Well maybe only "flat-out, wrap-up-the-Tony-and-take-it-home-now great!" And if I do say so myself I agree with this reviewer in theory, although I believe the Tony will most likely go to neither because of the split votes and go to Donna or Tonya instead.

Of course Kristin is the perfect Glinda. They wrote the role for her! Originally Glinda was a supporting role. But Kristin was so great in the reading they redid the role to make her a lead. And the wrote it specifically to what Kristin could do. Idina is equally amazing. I think that the Wicked quote is there mainly because Wicked opened to mixed reviews. So they are trying to dig up as many positive reviews as they can.

---

Do we know for sure that Sutton was once Elphaba? I know why Stephanie didn't get the role in the end, mainly because Idina had more experience orginating roles so they took the safer (and i think smarter) turn and went with Idina. Some costumes and sets have been changed. Such is the case with Kristin's in popular, in San Francisco it is whit and plue, here it is pink. And also Kristin's hairstyle as Glinda (in the ball gown) is different to what it is now.

---

And if you were such a big fan of Idina going into this, you are obviously going to like her better and feel for her character, because your mindset is that she is the best.

For someone who has never seen or heard either of the girls, they may tend to lean a different way.

You're not wrong in posting it, its only opinions. There's not real facts involved.

There was an article back saying that Idina and Kristin would both be entered as leading actresses. As much as I want a tie, I don't really think it would be fair for Kristin to be entered into the supporting category, because her role just isn't supporting. My first choice for the tonys this year would be for there to be a tie between Idina and Krisitn. If not, give the tony to Idina!

Was this post started by Idena's publicist?

Absurd!

I think you all worry more about this stuff than THEY do....

---

I have read alot of reviews for this show and was suprised to see them focus more on Kristin. For what reasons? I dont know. What i do know is that the show is doing amazing!! As for the Tony's i don't think it would be right for Kristin to be nominated as Supporting Actress. If it was up to me i would nominate both for Best Leading Actress but give the Tony to Idina. Like the curtain call, the two bow together. i dont think it would be appropriate for one to be put as a supporting actress, just how they cudnt make one go out before the other for their bows.

---