Wicked, 1/4/05- Page 3

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:24pm

Well then why dont you and some of the other people on this board "deal with the fact" that Wicked lovers will continue to post about it? I just dont get it.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:24pm

they wanted an explanation and I gave one. That is all.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:26pm

Preist, i enjoyed reading that....

Idina may have bad technque, that doesn't mean she is a bad singer, it means she may become a bad singer....

As for saying the role isn't very demanding? Ok, it isn't the most demaning role ever written, but it is not easy. Especially the fact that so much of the power of the show relies on her singing - ex: No Good Deed, Defying Gravity (sure the flying helps, but once she's up there - it's all her)....

As for breaking character - if you mean in popular...then i think she should laugh. She is getting suckered in to Galinda's "charm," not to mention the fact that she is supposed to laugh when she looks in the mirror. I saw the show this past Sunday and she started cracking up when JLT began spinning. I thought that was great. It helps to show the difference btwn "Elphaba-pre-Wizard" and "Elphaba-post-Wizard."

Also remember, Idina is getting worn out. She has been with the show for a few years now. Everyday she has to watch what she eats and do Yoga. She has hundred of screaming fans as she leaves the theatre - not to mention a few death threats. The fact that she is even better now, then back in April when I first saw the show means something....

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:29pm

Well Im questioning the explanation bc how can one say its "ok" to post about how much they hate Wicked when they cant stand people who post about how much they adore it??

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:29pm

there is a HUGE difference between the character laughing and the actress laughing!

[chasing_rainbows43]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:30pm

I never told you to stop posting, and I never said that you should not have your opinion. I didn't post my review trying to start a fight. I posted a review of a show just as many, many others here have done. The fact that it spiraled down into this type of discussion was not my decision or intention.
I have no problem with people liking Wicked - in fact if you read my original post, you'll see that after yesterday's performance I am actually gaining an understanding of what people like about the show and why.
I'm happy for you if you like Wicked (no sarcasm. I'm glad so many people like this show and hope it will encourage them to branch out and explore more theatre). I happen not to like Wicked. But I do understand why so many people do. Again, I never told you to stop posting about liking Wicked. All I said was that when someone posts that they don't like Wicked, a good number of people who do will jump on them and defend this show to the high heavens, and that is not the point of a message board. Trying to supress negative opinion is not the way to have a discussion. Accepting the fact that other people do not agree with you, is.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:31pm

Not to burst broadwayguy's bubble, but shoshana laughed just as much as Idina does during the Popuular scene. It's just the nature of the scene...Jennifer always does something different and whoever's on as Elphaba reacts.

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:32pm

I don't really get what the big deal is when she laughs at Galinda. Does it really take that much out of the performance for you? To me this whole thing is stupid. Galinda is supposed to be funny, therefore, why wouldn't Elphaba laugh? The audience laughs...why? Because Galinda is making a complete fool of herself in a cute helpful way, so I'm sure Elphaba feels the same way.


Let it go guys...

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:33pm

Exactly, LittleFish. It's two roomates fooling around.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:35pm

I agree with Little Fish as well.

And, just a question: if you dont like Wicked, why would you pay $100 for yourself for Chanukah if you didnt enjoy it when you first saw it?? Updated On: 1/5/05 at 05:35 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:35pm

once again, there is a HUGE difference bwetween the character laughing at Glinda and the actress laughing at the actress/Glinda. Elphaba should laugh. Not the actress.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:35pm

bwaygirl, lilfish - that's what i was saying - it's two roommates fooling around...

i don't know how anyone could not enjoy idina in wicked - i don't think she ever screams in the show. she is a great performer and a great person off stage. i think BG2 has his own demons to deal with...

[chasing_rainbows43]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:36pm

Read it again: The tickets were for my mother. She's wanted to see the show for quite some time, so for Chanukah I got her these tickets and took her out to dinner. That is my third time saying that in this thread.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:37pm

I know. I asked why YOU would go again. If you didnt like the show, couldnt you have given her the two tickets and told her to bring a friend or something?

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:38pm

"Elphaba should laugh. Not the actress."

And that's exactly what both of them did. The character laughed. It doesn't mean they pre-planned laughing at that moment, but neither of them slipped away from their own character.

[LittleFish8386]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:38pm

I just don't understand the character laughing and the actor not laughing thing. It is really confusing to me...


WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL? It doesn't take out of her performance...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:41pm

In my opinion, breaking out of character is what Tovah Feldshuh did one day at Golda. She told someone in the audience to turn their phone off when it started ringing and she alerted the audience that she would start the show again from the beginning. I mean, come on! Having your phone ring it VERY VERY rude but thats what the ushers are for...you cant just start talking to someone in the audience and start over.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:41pm

"I just don't understand the character laughing and the actor not laughing thing. It is really confusing to me..."

If either of them were to slip away from their character's manuerisms, whatever they may be...or if they laughed long enough to disrupt the flow of the scene or they couldn't control themselves...that would be the actress laughing, quite clearly. Other than that...as long as its in an appropriate moment, there is no problem...he's just overreacting. There IS no big deal.

[chasing_rainbows43]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:45pm

No, I could not have her bring a friend "or something". This is what we do. On most major holidays and/or birthdays, we buy each other show tickets and make a day out of it. I didn't badmouth the show to her or ruin her evening. Please do not tell me how to give a gift, especially not one to be given to my own mother.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:46pm

You need to calm down. All I did was ask why if you hated the show so much why you would go again. Im not telling you how to give a gift. Dont take it so friggin personally. I love that you got your mom tickets for Chanukah. Updated On: 1/5/05 at 05:46 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:53pm

well, i saw Nathan and Matt break character laughing for a while, interupting the flow of the scene. I thought it was funny that such actors were laughing - and after all, the producers is a comedy. but i mean, it did interupt the scene. I guess Nathan and Matt are just two really bad actors...


the great thing about live theatre is that it IS live...Idina has never interupted the scene with her laughing - besides, popular is supposed to be a crazy scene....

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:57pm

Well I guess I might as well jump in! I saw Wicked on April 30th, 2004. I was very excited as I had been listening to the OBCR every day since it was released. I will admit I became a little obsessed with the show. But it was nice to hear some new, fun and original music. Got to the show and it was just about everything I had expected. Very enjoyable. No masterpiece but very entertaining. Yes it has it flaws and I found the Dancing Through Life segment to be quite sloppy. As far as the spectacle. Well Yes, it was big. But outside of the set that spills out into the orchestra section and a few other things, I found most of the spectacle to be in the lighting. The lighting at the end of Defying Gravity actually took my breath away. That's just my opinion. As far as Ms. Menzel, she was quite good. She hit every note (Cracked ever so slightly near the end of Defying Gravity but held on). She broke character just a wee bit at one point when Chenoweth was taunting her. And it worked. We were on the floor laughing. And we knew Kristin was working hard to get Idina to laugh. Their chemistry onstage was absolutely wonderful. AS far as her voice, I like it. She may be working her voice hard but I would assume she has a vocal coach (Which was mentioned here). Her voice is what it is. I see people post things like "every time I see her she did this wrong or that wrong". Well, if you don't like the woman, why continue to go see her?!!! For me, I enjoyed Kristin more than Idina. (The people that I took too see it would disagree with me!) Did she deserve the Tony? In my opinion, no. Not that she was bad but there were 2 performances I liked better. (Kristin and Tonya Pinkins) As far as the rest of the cast is concerned, I thought they were wonderful (pardon the pun!) What impressed me the most is that I could actually pick out vocals and voice inflections during songs in the theatre that I can hear on the CD. I was lucky enough to see Joel Grey and yes, it is kind of a thankless part. I feel it could have been written better. But I didn't care. I saw mr Grey live onstage and that was enough for me! Would I see the show again? Yes. I may see it while in New York this Spring and I will see it when it opens in Denver next fall. And I too think it is great that it is probably getting people into the theatre that don't usually go or have never been. I think it is a great 1st show for someone to see. Maybe they will venture out and see other shows. So there are my opinions!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 6:01pm

except for the tony part, good post cageg...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 6:02pm

Great post. I have a few things in there that I disagree with but Im so glad you liked the show, overall.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 6:04pm

<---- i will stay a big fan of hers, even when she looses her vocal abilities and has to resort to working for Hollywood...::shudders::...only