"wicked" touring production - first show in chicago

[Lorelai]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 7:25pm

I was lucky enough to catch the first performance of the touring production of "Wicked" in Chicago last night (Friday the 29th) and thought I'd post a mini review.

First of all, the theater is perfect for the show, just like the Gershiwn, there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. I thought Stephanie Block was terrific as Elphaba. I know she was with the show in San Francisco so she's not totally new in the role but she really blew me (and it seemed the audience as well) away. Of course there will probably be comparisions to Idina, but all I have to say regarding that is that she definitely has the chops for the role and I'm sure as she continues to perform she will start holding notes longer and so on.

As far as Kendra Kassebaum in the role of Glinda, the one complaint I (personally) have is that she kind of made Glinda come across as dumb, especially early in the show. I've never really thought of Glinda as dumb, just perhaps a bit..."sheltered", if that makes sense. Then, throughout the show she goes through a transition and starts to see things "a different way". But that's just my opinion.

Carol Kane was entertaining as Madame Morrible and Derrick Williams was fine as Fiyero but I really think Stephanie stood out. I think it would have been great to see her take over Elphaba on Broadway but that's just me.

[Jera]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 7:26pm

I dislike Derrick Williams.

jera

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 7:28pm

Glinda is supposed to be a blonde - aka dumb...-ish (no offense)

[Jera]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 7:30pm

I agree that Kendra played Galinda much dumber than Kristin did.

Thanks for the review!
jera

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 7:34pm

I don't think G(a)linda is really "dumb," I think she's more witty and big-headed, if that makes sense. Kristen didn't play her as dumb, but as funny, light-hearted, and kind of full of herself. I thought she was hilarious.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 7:41pm

"I don't think G(a)linda is really "dumb," I think she's more witty and big-headed, if that makes sense. Kristen didn't play her as dumb, but as funny, light-hearted, and kind of full of herself. I thought she was hilarious."

EXACTLY. That's how I see the character. Kendra just played her off as plain STUPID.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 8:02pm

dumber isn't a word

[Derech2]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 8:06pm

dumb     P   Pronunciation Key  (dm)
adj. dumb·er, dumb·est
Conspicuously unintelligent; stupid: dumb officials; a dumb decision.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dumber

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 11:10pm

Woah! dumber is a word! NAH...

I got the dumb Glinda from JLT too...she came off dumber *hehe* than I expected Glinda would be anyway.

Yeah for WIcked in CHI-TOWN pray I win tickets for Thursday guys!!

[apdarcey]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 11:18pm

i had fun with the whole original cast. kristin was fantabulous.

Posted: 4/30/05 at 11:42pm

We lost the Matinee Lottery (Oops, the lady at the box office snapped "It's a DRAWING NOT a Lottery). Anyway we lost. But happily, the cranky at lady at the box office said "I got regular tickets" and so ended up sitting 5th row center. I can't imagine a better spot.

And yes, this is the PERFECT theatre for this show. The Oriental is a very beautiful, over the top extravaganza and the Dragon fits right in!

I saw the original cast at the Gershiwin and I think this show is every bit the equal of that one; Stephanie is spectacular. People screamed (yes-- Screamed) at the end of "Defying Gravity." It seems like the company has been instructed to step on the applause at the end of certain scenes--which is good because the crowd would have clapped for 3 or 4 minutes at the end of "Wizard & I" to name but one. I thought Kendra has a great spin on the character: Glinda goes on more of a journey here. Kristen was spectacular, but Kendra shows a growth and REALLY works those laughs. I liked her a lot.

I even liked Derrick Williams as Fiyero, but that might have been that he is just so good looking in those pants. He does make Norbert look kinda pasty. I can see why Shiz goes wild for Fiyero in this show.

The two real treats are Carol Kane as Morrible-- she got laughs I never knew existed. Wonderfull--she needs to move to Broadway. And The Wizard was fantastic! I can't recall his name but he really did great. I love the "Wonderful" scene with he & Elphaba now. They really work well together.

And Chicago loves Wicked. In addition to the screaming mentioned above, the theatre boomed with applause at the end of each act. It was the first, real, solid standing O I've seen in Chicago in years.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 1:52am

I was at the matinee today too. What a great cast the tour has! IMHO, the ONLY weak link in this cast is Kendra. Her acting is perfect, but her singing made me wish they cast a girl who can really hit those high notes and beyond. She is not horrible in the role, but I missed hearing those high notes that go out to space. Oh yeah, it was also nice that Stephanie J. Block got entrance applause when she came out


I still miss the witch hat in the beginning, but the monkeys in the beginning are kinda cool. I also think the flying monkey release scene is missing the excitement it has on Broadway. I understand that it would be very hard to put the bungee chords in all the theatres Wicked goes to, but I think they could have put it back in just for the Chicago run since it is having a sit-down production. Another thing that irked me during the show was Elphaba's green body suit. During "Popular" it was very obvious that Stephanie was wearing a green body suit beceause A) it wrinkled everytime she moved, B) you could see the zipper on the back of her neck, C) the sleeves were too long, so they reached down to mid-palm, D) it was a different color from the face makeup.

I think Wicked will be staying in Chicago for awhile. The audience went crazy after every number, and at the end of the show, everyone gave a standing ovation right away.

Updated On: 5/1/05 at 01:52 AM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 10:00pm

I am re-posting this:

These are some of my thoughts:

I saw the Matinee on Saturday 4/30. I took my seven year old son, we had upper balcony seats. (We saw all original principals at the Gershwin in April 2004.) The Oriental is perfect and it seems like home for Wicked already. There are several Oz Boutiques with short lines and plenty of refreshment stands. (For my Mojito friends, I was third in line at intermission. My son was a little slow getting out of the seat so I missed my usual place in the front of the line.)

The atmosphere in the theatre was that of a rock concert or maybe even a political convention. I sensed much anticipation. When the house lights dimmed (not an empty seat in the theatre) the audience cheered, not polite Opera claps, but a joyous release. My impression is that many in the young audience were finally having the opportunity to see a show (or cultural phenomena) that is familiar and dear to them. I would guess that 30% of the audience was pre teens and teens. The cheers also accompanied the entrance of Glenda, Elphaba and Madame M.

From the upper balcony, the set fit well at the Oriental (with the exception of the banner in “Thank Goodness” which was obstructed.)

From the opening number I realized that we were not seeing a secondary national tour, but a lavish endeavor that spared no major Broadway production value with the exception of the missing opening scene hat (the seven year old told his sisters that there was no hat, but it had the “same director.”)

The chorus vocals were rich, strong and clear. Also, the chorus reminded me more of a Greek chorus commenting on the action. I do not recall that as much on Broadway.

I was reminded why I liked Sweet Charity so much – Cilento. I simply find his choreography fascinating.

The highlight to me was Kendra – she is hilarious. Yes, she is trite at time, but uses a very funny musical comedy style that made my son and I laugh. Her voice was wonderful and her transition in Act II worked for me.

Stephanie blew me away with Defying Gravity and from the upper balcony it was truly an awesome spectacle - worth the price of admission alone.

Carol Kane was excellent as MM. Something was missing for me from Derrick (Fiyero) – he is tall and handsome, but his voice seems a little wavering at times. This was highlighted at the end of “As Long as you Mine” whiched seemed to be off.

I loved Lipton as Boq – very funny. Garrison’s depth of experience was apparent.

Maybe I expected less than I did when I was at the Gershwin last year, but I absolutely loved it and recommend it to anyone that is not Wickedly jaded.

It is a stunning production representing a talented cast.

It will be smashing success and I am excited for yet another cast in June.

[fliboi78]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 12:35pm

Well all of you that liked the 4/29 performance of Wicked in Chicago are going to hate me. Stephanie was very lackluster. I have seen this show 6 times on B-way with 3 different Elphies and 3 different Glindas. Stephanie did NOTHING with Defying Gravity. I don't know if she wasn't feeling well or what but I was totally dissapointed. I guess I should not have pumped myself up for that song. She didn't go up at all. I think she might have hit an F for about a sixteenth note or so but she kept the entire flying scene below a middle D. She also spoke most of it and did not sing it. The reason I am peeved with this is because it is suppose to be the show stopper and as for the applause, I've heard performances with Saycon, Shoshana and Idina where the audience was more captivated by the performances of Defying Gravity. But I know that this girl, Stephanie, has the chops and gusto to pull this role together....No good deed. FANTASTIC! It was the best I have ever heard this song sang. She teared me up. And They did these filters with the lights when she begins the line, "One question haunts and hurts". She starts from the rear of the stage and slowly walks forward as the only thing illuminated is her face so it looks as if she is almost floating to the front of the stage as her face turns these different colors. I was balling. She also might be the best actor to have played this role. She was very believable during the whole show. Btw, if anywone else was there, I was the one to start the welcome by applauding when she entered during dear old shiz.

As for Glinda....I love this woman's acting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She had me and everyone in stitches!!!!! She could really do a one woman show with just the material from this show! She took things that I really didn't know was funny and sort of gave a Megan Mullally quality to it. She used a lot of "Karen" in her comedic rep. Her voice wasn't the best i've heard but her acting more than made up for it! And their rapport was great, I thought.

Derrick, I was VERY impressed with! He has a very full tenor voice. Great color and clarity. Even the acting was ok. The Wizard...FANTASTIC as well. He sang, danced and entertained. I thoroughly enjoyed him. His songs in other productions were boring and uneventful (or maybe I was just not interested in them) but I was drawn to his performance. Carol Kane did not sing one bit. Maybe one line or two. I know she doesn't have that much vocally but she really took this role to an acting role instead of a vocal one. Nessa, who is this girl????? She should not be singing Nessa but something more. I want to hear her sing more. She was a strong mezzo! Beautiful vibrato and her acting was superb. I would pay just to see her perform in concert.

Disclaimer: This is my UNPROFESSIONAL critic of this show. Sorry if I offended anyone in any way.
Updated On: 5/4/05 at 12:35 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 12:48pm

Someone mentioned monkeys in the beginning of the show. I don't remember that at the Gershwin when I saw it last Spring. Is this to make up for not using the hat? I know they need a special trap door for the hat, but it seems they could have come up with another way to do it. Can't wait for it to hit Denver in Sept.

Oh, and thanks to everyone for the reviews. It's fun reading everyone's opinions as the show moves from city to city.

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 12:48 PM

[fliboi78]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 12:52pm

Also I love that they kept the Wicked Witch silhoute at the end of No one mourns the wicked! That is such a nice touch! It's so scary the way she moves! I also noticed the lack of movement from the "jumping/climbing but not flying" monkeys.

OHHHHHH. And was it me or was this Ensemble phenomenal or what!!!!! I have never seen an ensemble as strong as this. Its like they all were really classically trained dancers and singers! This ensemble needs to take over on Broadway and show them how to sing. I mean, they actually sang in tune in that huge theater every time. Also well balanced. On Broadway the ensemble totally looses it at the end of Defying Gravity and they are all over the map with their harmony. But this touring cast is very strong and has great energy for what they are doing! Updated On: 5/4/05 at 12:52 PM

Posted: 5/4/05 at 12:57pm

Uncage I didn't remember the monkeys being such a big part of the opening as they are here-- but maybe I was busy looking at the hat! I do miss the Monkeys flying all over in the release scene- they just sort of "Ooook" ed and wiggled in place here.

Fliboi- it's always good to hear another view, but it sounds like like you really liked the show despite your dismissal of it as "Performing arts High School." You seem to really like Stephanie even though you called her Lackluster. I couldn't disagree more with your critique of "Gravity" but that's what makes this site fun-- seeing other opinions.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 1:02pm

I saw the third performance of the show in Chicago. I wasn't impressed with Stephanie's "Defying Gravity", but I thought she was PERFECT in everything else. She has a great interpretation of the role. Kendra was fine as Galinda, some things I liked, some I didn't. I think it's mainly her voice. She sounds too harsh to be a dumb blonde much of the time. Madame Morrible barely sings as it is, so the fact that Carol Kane barely sings is hardly noticeable. In fact, I enjoy the way she plays the role better than Carole Shelley. The only problem is her diction. Once or twice she mumbled lines that were supposed to be funny, but because she mumbled no one got the joke. Derrick Williams was fine as a singer and an actor, but he just didn't quite seem to fit the role. I can't say he had any flaws, but he just seemed wrong for the part. The actor who plays Boq is so cute I loved him in this. Better than both the current Broadway Boq and the original. He played it just right. The actress playing Nessarose is fine (at least she doesn't look as mean as what's her name on Broadway). Sorry I'm blanking on names at the moment...I'm at work ;o).

All in all, it's a great show, the sets are noticeably different, and some of the blocking has changed. I'm wondering if they are adding in a few of the Broadway elements from the Broadway staging when the tour cast leaves though. They could easily have had the tech rehearsals during the day when the theater is empty, so I'm wondering if they will restore the hat and maybe put in the trap doors (I have to admit, those scenes are a little awkward to watch).

[fliboi78]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 1:04pm

I just didn't enjoy Stephanie's singing of the "big moments". Nor Glinda's. Kendra's upper range does not ring free! This role you can't have a mezzo pretending to be a soprano. She has to many dark colors in her range and it isn't right for this part. But it does give a different dimension to the character having someone with a darker soprano voice sing the part. I thought she was going to crack a few times. I also don't think they were well balanced. It is hard having two very different voices balance each other in duets like these. Like there are parst in each duet where one time the high coloratura is suppose to go down lower than the lower voiced elphie and it was horrible. There was no balance. I think the supporting cast was great. Just not the two headliners. But Stephanie's No good deed did win me over. But their performances as a whole sucked. sorry.
Updated On: 5/4/05 at 01:04 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 1:07pm

I was thoroughly impresses with the ensemble in New York. I saw it in April of last year. So I saw all but one of the cast members on the OBCR. (If I am not mistaken. The evening I saw it, a new person had joined the ensemble and it was their 1st night) I was floored at how much they sounded like the recording. I could actually pick out certain voices. Hope the ensemble on the tour is just as good.

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 01:07 PM

[MissElphie]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 1:30pm

Just curious: did they use trap doors in the beginning of DG and NGD? They didn't in Toronto...

[got-a-light]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 2:24pm

I am eagerly awaiting the "Wicked" tour to arrive in LA. So I am always interested in reading the tour reviews. After reading these handful of reviews I have to say that after weeks and weeks of raves for Stephanie coming out of Toronto it seems like Chicago is not having the love affair that Toronto did with her performance. I was a little surprised to read these negative comments, but I am still loooking forward to seeing her.
Updated On: 5/4/05 at 02:24 PM

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 2:33pm

Galinda isn't dumb -- she's self-centered. Any dumbness should be from (initially) not realizing that there is anything outside of her own world. The growth is in her ability to begin to see the TRUE world as a result of her experiences with Elphie and being somewhat ashamed that she doesn't have the internal strength that Elpie does in fighting for what is right.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 2:36pm

Fosse "Derrick Williams was fine as a singer and an actor, but he just didn't quite seem to fit the role. I can't say he had any flaws, but he just seemed wrong for the part."

I couldn't agree more. That is exactly what I thought.

I want to restate that I loved this production and look forward to taking the entire family for our Wicked party with friends and family.

[metoog]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 2:56pm

We saw Derrick in the next-to-last show in Toronto and thought he was definately the weakest part of the show. We were not impressed vocally, acting or with his chemistry. He really brings nothing Fiyero.