Wicked, Stephanie, Idina, Shoshana, and Saycon Review- Page 2

[Derek]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 3:20pm

My favorite No Good Deed is def. shoshanas!

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 3:21pm

Thenardier---I've never seen Sho, but I didn't like Saycon in the role...I loved Steph and Jenna though :)

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 3:25pm

When did you see Saycon?

Her first show was brilliant. But I know her other shows weren't as good.

[58012dude]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 3:35pm

shut up everyone, i will not continue this thread


...@$$holes

[Effie1]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 3:39pm

Updated On: 6/8/05 at 03:39 PM

[bella cantato]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:06pm

Idina is great when she's on... She really is, but the problem with her is that she has had a number of off nights, where she goes flat, screams too much, or sounds like she is losing her voice. The thing that I love about Sho is that she doesn't seem to have those nights... or at least from what I've heard. And Stephanie? Well she was born to be Elphaba. I mean, she just was.

[Parks]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:23pm

I personally am not a huge fan of Shoshana's voice. I think she's an excellent trained vocalist...but she sounds kind of nasilily to me. I wasn't dissappointed when I saw the show (with Shoshana) at all though. She has great stage presence in my opinion (well, I wouldn't really know on a Broadway stage seeing how it was only my 2nd BW show). I wasn't a fan of Idina's screaming...but on Kristin's last day, I heard No Good Deed and she sounded like she nailed the high "Fiyero" which I always thought was an extremely tough note for her-often causing her to sound like crap...but she sounded good that day I guess. Her Defying Gravity from Kristin's last day was pretty awful. Just screaming. I have only heard Defying Gravity with Stephanie on one recording-and it was mostly washed out by the orchestra. Couldn't really hear her. One thing that kind of upset me was the "It's me" part was just her screaming "It's Me!" really fast. Hm. But she looks INCREDIBLE in that video from the Chicago news.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:26pm

saycon's voice is like butter.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:36pm

Sho doesn't have those nights because she doesn't take as many chances as Idina.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:42pm

Stephanie, who the part of Elphaba was written for, doesn't have an "Elphaba voice"? That's... interesting.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:42pm

speaking of chances, eden took them. and yes, her range is higher, but sometimes they were grating on ears.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 5:12pm

Does anyone have audio of Stephanie?

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 6:27pm

I don't know, everyone has their opinions, that's what this board is all about, I suppose. Some people can take things too personally, and sometimes it's okay or "cool" to hate something that other people love, or whatever, whatever. I, personally, find something enjoyable about all the women that have taken on this role, except for Saycon. She's the weakest link, for me. Not for everyone, but for me. Am I saying one is better than the other? Nope, not really. I'm an Idina fan, yes, have been since "Rent." Am I a stage door hunter, not really. She was the first woman I saw in the role, she won the Tony for it, so to me, she'll always be "Elphaba," to a degree. I really enjoyed some of the things that Eden did, that Shoshana does and that Stephanie does. There are certain aspects to their performances, that I don't care for. Hell, there were a few things that Idina did that I said, "maybe that could have been done differently," but who am I?

-Vincent

[ShuQ]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 6:54pm

What cracks me up is that people are trying to argue with him...he's clearly an idiot. He's clearly biased...and obviously the way Elphaba "should" sound is Idina...he's the first one she heard...so don't listen to the chump.

[star2be]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 6:57pm

I've only seen Stephanie Block live and she stole the show with No Good Deed, which surprised me because i figured nothing could top Defying Gravity but she almost got a standing ovation after that song.

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:31pm

The role was written for Stephanie? How come she didn't do it on Broadway... although i have only heard the cast recording but Idina is superb on it... i love her No Good Deed and her I'm Not That Girl is so moving!

[Jwei123]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:32pm

The role was NOT written for Block...the only part that was written for a specific performer was Glinda for Kristin.

[zoran912]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:39pm

They changed some of the music for Idina. The de-FY-ing gravity wasn't originally there. There is an audio file from the Curran Theatre production of Wicked on idinamenzel.net. You can hear how that part of the song originally went. It was Idina's suggestion to take the "FY" up the octave. However, I wouldn't go as far as to say that the role was written for Idina.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:48pm

The part WAS written for Steph.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1111791040336&call_pa

Idina got the role on Broadway cause she was considered a bigger name.

[Lucifer]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:55pm

I saw Stephanie on the chicago news and I thought she was awesome as Elphaba, from that little clip... now I'm trying to convince my parents to let me see the tour when it comes to D.C.

[sassypanz]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 8:15pm

I agree with your review. Exept I dont like Saycons squeaking thing. Anyone else notice this??

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 8:18pm

I just wanna say (and I do love Saycon) that Saycon is played the role the least of everyone.

[gustof777]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 8:18pm

um yeah saw steph on sunday and she was AMAZING very real elphaba and very layered unlike someothers mentioned before. Steph was not the problem in that show it was kendra whatshername ....she was AWFUL!! My mom who knows nothing about theater and lvoes everyone was like WTF were they thinking casting her at intermission. horrible just horrible...steph was incredible though

[Adjie]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 8:26pm

I'm new here, fab. site. Reason I joined was because I saw Stephanie as Elphaba - and want to follow her career from now on - she is BRILLIANT and I've seen a TON of shows, both here and in the West End. Kendra - in my opinion was not bad but who could notice anyone else on the stage when Ms. Block was present.

[Parks]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 11:24pm

The set looks so different on that video..I guess it's the colors...Glinda's costume looks awfully different in Popular. Maybe it's just her whig...or the face is so different... I hope Kendra does well by the time it comes to Dallas...I haven't heard too many good reviews about her. Poor girl...she has to compete with Kristin and JLT. VERY tough competition.