My own 2 cents of Wicked's Casting:
After reading each and every one of your responses, here's what I have to say. I don't post on this board very often. I know enough people in the business to know what I'm talking about. But Wicked is something I enjoy immensely and I'm glad someone finally piped up and said something about the current state of it.
Can we just get a list of every actress whoever played Amneris in Aida and stick them in the role of Elphaba? Because that seems to be the pattern this board is giving and it's just making my very long day amusing. Thank you, guys. Honestly now. Mandy Gonzalez as ELPHABA?!?! Do you want to make another "Green Bean" mistake?! Mandy doesn't have the power to defy gravity. Mandy is more suited for Nessarose. Most defintely.
I heard that because of Kendra Kassenbaum, they (1) revised some of the harmonies to fit her voice and (2) the ensemble member standing on the bridge sings the high note at the end of "Thank Goodness" for her now. I was appalled when I heard this. I mean, casting Kendra in this role. Just, why? Kendra is so talented and needs to be used more, but we all knew she couldn't hit Glinda's notes with enough power and now she has ensemble members covering up for her? She lipsynchs? It just really disturbs me that's the quality of theater we're getting. If I'm paying $100 to see lipsynching, I mean. Come on.
For WICKED to work - ACTUALLY work - those girls need to exude RADIANT star-power. Thank you, ColorofFire. The voice of reason. We are talking about
THE Wicked Witch of the West and
THE Glinda the Good Witch. Two of some of the most prominent literary figures in Children's Literature. They need to give presence. Power. Meat to the roles.
A few of my friends have auditioned for
Wicked and the problem basically is the casting team is a mixed bag. They don't have a set thing in their mind of "Who" is Elphaba or Glinda. The only reason Idina Menzel got Elphaba was because she had RENT on her resume'. Stephanie would have been Elphaba if she had a Broadway credit to her name, but alas. I was talking to some people who are very close to Shoshana Bean and when the entire "Who's the next Elphaba? Eden or Sho?!?" was occuring, they told me "Trust me, Shoshana won't do it. She wants to focus on her recording career." So I mean, with a show like Wicked. It's an instant hit. You can put Frenchie Davis in the role of Elphaba and Britney Spears in the role of Glinda and you're still making money. No matter how much those two leading ladies suck, the show's going to make money. Everyone wants to hear the story of the Witches of Oz. Everyone. These people don't do their homework about performers and such. They go in blindly and it seems to me in the U.S., it's all about the special effects. They will praise her if she can fly. Stick someone like Celia Keenan-Bolger in the role of Elphaba and the show would still make money! LOL. It is that insane. So I don't think the casting team cares too much about whether or not the lady they're choosing can "act" and "sing" the role the way it should be.
Another thing you guys need to learn to stop doing is comparing people to Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. I remember this happening with Aida. "Oh Idina's so much better than Sherie!" / "Oh Felicia's vocals suck! She can't act! Sherie was so much better!" / "Oh Mandy's too infantile for the role." Learn to take each performer as a slice of lemon to a lemonade. It's one role and every performer brings something new to it. Idina will always be
THE Elphaba as well as Kristin. But instead of sitting here and going "Oh Shoshana sucks" , why don't you say "Well Shoshana's riffing is something interesting she brought to the role" or "Oh I didn't know Elphaba could be played so meekly. That's interesting." Personally, I'm not a fan of Shoshana Bean in the role, but I do appreciate the new riffing techniques she brought to the songs. Riffing that Idina, Kristy, Saycon, Eden, Stephanie, and Jenna hadn't used yet.
Just because someone's in Wicked, doesn't mean they worked to get there. Trust me when I say this. "It's all about who you know and how you blow." Cruel yet honest truth about getting cast. I'm not saying people don't get cast based on good, honest talent and hard work, but I'm just saying don't assume EVERY ONE of those actors (chorus boys...) got there based on it.
And don't be surprised if Eden Espinosa is announced as the next Elphaba. I know they're already having auditions for it so Shoshana must be leaving soon...
Bill Finn rocks. Woot.
