i heard that in the wicked in LA when it had just opened or what ever, that Elphaba didn't fly at all? is that the only difference?
No, she flies.
The only other difference is...
One is in NY
The other is in LA
With different casts
no i know that they both fly now, i mean like when it first opened in LA or whatever, wasn't it different?
No. As of reviews that I've read, at least Toronto, the only difference between the two casts is the lack of the big witch hat in the opening scene.
there's no big witch hat in the opening.
Elphaba does not come up from the trap door at the start of "No Good Deed."
the Pantages stage doesn't have those two side platform type things that the NY stage has, so rather the side platform things are on wheels and roll out/back.
Those are the differences that I can think of off the top of my head.
During the song "No Good Deed" on b'way, Elphaba enters through the floor on a rising platform, but on tour, she comes on through the wings.
Some sets are scaled back, the lights turn purple instead of green at the end of DG, and on B'way, monkeys fly over the audience. On tour, they fly onstage.
Elphie, however, has always flown in the same spot, the same way. The end of "Defying Gravity" would make very little sense w/ out flying Elphie.
I can't imagine Morrible not making her speech in DG on the balcony. That must be interesting on the tour.
yeah Morrible's speech, etc. all happen on these litle platforms that are about five steps up from the stage, and just get rolled out and back. Makes it feel much smaller than NY, but it's worked for all my friends who have only seen it here in L.A.- it's pretty much just a distraction to me. :)
Also, the broom flies to Elphaba in the tour (in Defying Gravity)
that's not in the bway correct?
Correct. On B'way, it comes up from the pit, cuz they have staircases. Oh, one more difference. On B'way there are stairs leading into the pit. The guards enter from here during "Defying Gravity"
Do you think the side platforms will be added back for future tour dates?
It's SO cool too.
very visable strings?!? I've sat 1st row, 2nd row two times (directly in front of the broom), and 5th row center and SEARCHED for the strings, never saw them once out of the 4 times.
that's funny, cuz that's where I've sat 2 times! I looked really hard the last two times too..hmm
one part that always annoyed me for lack of realism was the smacks! it's like *light clop noise from mouth* and hand WAAAAY away from face!
I was in front row, very stage right one night and watched the whole broom/wire process- I had a good view out of the corner of my eye of the two guys dressed in black off of stage left clipping the wire onto the broom, and then they tested it out a couple of times, pulling it up and down offstage, then it finally 'flew' out over the stage to Elphaba.
I actually for some strange reason totally enjoyed watching that happen.
(Got to see all kinds of fun stuff that night- watched them take down all of Glinda's shoes, set up Fiyero for his vine swinging, the lion's tail, etc.)
I havent seen the tour yet, but just by watching the "trailers" for the tour, some of the blocking is different. Like at the beginning of "What is This Feeling" -- instead of the girls standing on the two seperate platforms over the pit, they are center back to back writing their letters.
thats not how they do it in the show though. they just changed some things for the trailer.
my bad --- thanks for clearing that up whiskedaway. Actually, I thought that it was pretty effective that way. I liked how you can tell they are in two different places, but it is easy for them to look at each other.
"(Got to see all kinds of fun stuff that night- watched them take down all of Glinda's shoes, set up Fiyero for his vine swinging, the lion's tail, etc.) "
they actually take all the shoes off that set piece? i always assumed they were glued on
I have seen the show but do not remember Fiyero swinging on a vine.
When and where in the show does he do this?
After the song 'Wonderful', when the guards come to capture Elphaba, Fiyero swings in on a rope and shouts "Let the green girl go!"
Whatever changes they've made (and I've seen it three times on Broadway and once here) don't hurt at all. Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear I saw Derrick Williams open a trap door and Stephanie J. Block rise from it at the surprise twist in Act 2.
Well, i'm sure all the changes that they made are good ones, because the show is good, both the Tour and the Broadway
re: shoes- they're glued together, (maybe sets of four pairs each or so?) but not glued to the piece that they're on, so it's like chunks of shoes being taken off a shelf. If that makes any sense visually? :)
And then the shoe shelf is just a plain old tiktok again.
Yes there's still the end trap door, but no "No Good Deed" trapdoor- at least that's the Pantages setup for the tour.
Featured Actor Joined: 10/24/04
Yikes, I can't imagine no trap door in No Good Deed. When I saw Idina come up screaming "Fiyero" my heart stopped and I froze in my seat as little shivers went from my head to toe. I can't see that happening if Elphaba walked onstage.
Ah well. Sacrifices must be made.
The broom affect must be cool though.
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