(wicked thread) I *finally* got to see Eden tonight!

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 12:50am

So I have seen the following people play Elphaba so far: Idina, Stephanie J., Maria, Jenna, Shoshana, Saycon. (I am not playing 'which Elphaba is the best' right now- that's actually just in the order that I saw them.)

I missed seeing Eden when she did a couple of shows towards the end of the L.A. tour, and I missed seeing her last week when we won the lotto for double understudy day (when Eden and Megan were both out). But tonight (Sat 1/21) we won the lotto again and I finally, finally got to see what all the fuss is about.

And all I have to say is- Oh. My. God!!

This woman is amazing! Y'all, it was as if I was seeing Wicked for the very first time ever tonight. All of her songs were spot on (and I could not believe the notes she holds at the end of "The Wizard and I" (we were in the center front row, right behind the conductor, and he seriously made an arms up 'touchdown' sign with his hands to her at the end of that song), and her second Fiyero in "No Good Deed" especially, but all songs were amazing), but her acting was just incredible too- there was an actual Elphaba growing/transformation happening on that stage.

And I've been reading bits of the Patti/audience behavior thread on here, and just had to share: we did the stage door afterwards, (which was completely fine, I'd say maybe 25-30 people max, and no singing tweens), and when Eden came down the line my friend and I got a "yeah I saw you in the front row" from her. Not in a bad way or anything, just she mentioned that she saw us. They're totally watching from the stage!

(And- I was wearing jeans. :) But they were nice jeans, and I was totally wearing a button down sweater and cute boots with my jeans!)

Ok there were a couple of tweens at the stage door, but not singing though. It was actually very cute- when Derrick Williams came out these three little girls (roughly 8-12 years old, I'd guess- looked to be sisters) screamed like they were at a... I don't know, what do the kids scream at these days- a Hilary Duff concert? They only let out the one scream, though, but it was so funny- they were fine with Megan and Eden, but Derrick got a scream.

Anyway, if anyone has a chance to check out Wicked with Eden in it, believe the hype, you must go! It was honestly like seeing the show again for the first time- I was so involved that I cried a little during "For Good," like I did the first time I saw it over two years ago now.

[PJ]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 1:03am

:)

[wickedly_addicted]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 2:21am

Yep, she sure is amazing!

Hopefully I can go back to NYC again and watch her while she's playing Elpahaba.

Does anyone know how long she's going to be in the show?

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 2:27am

yay! glad you enjoyed, yea Derrick always gets screams when he comes out--of the stage door that is...glad Eden is getting recognized the way she deserves it

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 2:39am

Oh, and one last story, and then I'm done- while working her way down the stage door line a car drove by and all the people in it were screaming "we love you Eden!" all the way past the line, down the block. Screaming tweens? Nope- Eden looks up and goes "and there go my friends, trying to embarrass me." She's too funny.

I'm sure someone here who knows better than I do knows how long she'll be in the show... would it be a least a year, or could she have contracted for less?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 3:54am

there is a thread that is a direct quote from eden on here somewhere...i think its titled "eden evita rumor"..something like that...ANYWAY...eden herself said that she plans on staying through october. i hope i get to see her but i kinda want to see julia too..harumph..

[Horton]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 8:39am

Does anybody else realize that there has not been a negative comment about Eden so far in her run from anybody that has seen her; Even though I saw her on vacation in SF I have got to go try the lottery again. I remember in SF when she was there I completely agree with what you are saying, when I heard those lyrics, it was like I was hearing them not only for the first time, but she gave them a new meaning. She did this with lyrics such as “I’d sooner buy defying gravity”; Now, I have never been a fan of this lyric. For me, I don’t really get it, but when I heard Eden sing it something just clicked and wow, it was amazing. And I was sitting front row plus at the stage door, something really funny happened, well really two really funny things happened,

1. Jenna Leigh Green came out in 15 min, now I did not stage door, so I was just standing there and this woman is talking to her and they are both being quite polite. So the woman finally says, "wow, you were just amazing in that defying gravity song" and Jenna said "No that wasn't me, but Eden will be out in a second, and just as she is saying that Eden Espinosa walks out and was talking to the woman. So the woman’s kids come over and were so cute and like "You weren’t the Wicked Witch, your white, and Ms. Espinosa took off her hat (she was wearing a hat) and showed how her scalp was green and kinda scared the little kids.

2. So this woman was talking to Eden as was telling her how much she loved her voice and how when she looked over at her husband who apparently never cries, and who the wife thought was dead inside, so during the second act, when the woman looked over at him he was balling in tears, and when Eden heard this, she ran back into the theater and within 2 minutes, came out with the BKLYN original. Broadway cast recording, and she signed it. She was just so nice.

[defygravity2]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 11:34am

Ana...congrats on the lottery win! I'm going to NY in April, and had not planned to see Wicked AGAIN (5 times is a bit much!), but now I may reconsider. What else did you see?

[halyiaganitefiz]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 11:46am

All the positive fan energy about Eden is encouraging; I do hope I'll get to see her at least once.

...Derrick got tweeny bopper screams? *shakes head* Why am I not surprised. That's awesome. Oh, Derrick.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 12:13pm

Hey DG- do you mean what else as in what I'm loving right now?
Before last night I would have said that my top favorite shows were The Color Purple, Sweeney, Spelling Bee, and Avenue Q, but after last night Wicked def goes into that mix again... If you're coming to NY with kids I would really recommend Drumstruck at Dodger Stages- everyone in the audience gets a drum, and it's just so. much. fun. to sit there and drum along for 90 minutes... or also Altar Boyz at Dodger Stages- N'sync meets God... oh, and I love Norbert in DRS, but I haven't seen it since John left...

I *heart* that story of Eden showing kids her green scalp, I can totally picture that!

[defygravity2]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 12:49pm

Ana, I've seen DRS...loved it! I'm planning on seeing Color Purple and Sweeney, and possibly Spelling Bee...my kids are staying home this trip...although my 13 year old isn't happy about it! (Actually, she was cast in "Into the Woods" and has a brutal rehearsal schedule the week I am going...so she can't be too mad!)

[wickedly_addicted]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 7:56pm

I didn't know who Eden was until last week. After seeing her last Tuesday (1/17), she made a fan out of me. I had to go back and watch it again. I got lucky and was able to get tickets for the Thursday (1/19) show (4th row center orchestra). I was happy to be that close to the stage since I was able to see their facial expressions. She just blew me away! Megan was wonderful too! Her and Eden seem to have great chemistry on stage.

I did the stagedoor thing after the Thursday night performance. She seems to be a very nice person. A guy asked her to sign his cheek and she was saying that no one has ever asked her to do that but she still signed it.

I would watch her on any show in a heartbeat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll be on Wicked for a while so that when I go on another trip to NY, I can watch Wicked again with her in it.
Updated On: 1/22/06 at 07:56 PM

[C is for Company]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 8:16pm

Wickedgeek won the lotto last night with me and I agree she was dead on last night. It rekindled the wicked goodness again having the new cast in. What did you think of Carol Kane?

[emo_geek]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 8:37pm

Thaks for your review. I agree with what you say about Eden!

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 10:56pm

What did you think of Carol Kane?

I like Carol. Then again, I am 'used to' Carol and Derrick from seeing them on the tour, so I think that could also be part of it too. But I've never had a problem with Carol's Morrible.

I like the new Nessa, too- it's like Nessa has life again! (Jenna is great on the tour, but the last time I saw Michelle- wow, talk about a textbook case of "phoning it in.")