WICKED.....

I just bought tickets for April. I'm excited to see what it's like!

The London production is having a major cast change in March. Rachel Tucker as Elphaba and Louise Dearman as Glinda have sort of been confirmed. Someone hacked into the latest issue of the newsletter (apparently) the link was working earlier (and did direct to the London website) but has since been removed.

Fiyero seems to have had every name under the sun being rumoured Daniel Koek (confirmed via twitter he won't be taking on the role) Daniel Boys (also confirmed via twitter he won't be taking on the role) Ben James-Ellis (is apparently going into a play and that rules him out) and even Simon Bailey (of course currently in Phantom however...) have been rumoured. So basically, no one knows who Fiyero is ha!

So Lee Mead is confirmed as Fiyero. Can't really picture him in the role but it might be interesting.

I can actually picture him as Fiyero quite well! I think he has everything the role needs. But oh dear... Wicked fans + Lee Mead fans all combined?... I can only imagine the stage door hysteria

Open auditions for Det Ny Teater's 2011 Wicked:

http://www.detnyteater.dk/auditions/

I saw the new London Cast last Tuesday.

Rachel Tucker: Incredible. just fabulous. I saw her in WWRY so I expected her to be good, but she blew me away, especially as she's coming into the role. I reckon so she could be the next Kerry.

Louise Dearman: I had my doubts, because I loved Dianne Pilkington so much, but she was insanely funny and her voice was fantastic! She and Rachel were incredible together (if both VERY short!)

I saw Lewis Bradley as Fiyero. I wish I'd waited for Lee Mead, to be honest. His singing was OK and dancing was OK. His acting was rather naff and he had NO chemistry with Rachel in ALAYM.

I can't remember the names of the actors, but the new Wizard was great, as were Nessarose and Boq. Nessarose had one of the most powerful voices in the show! And Madam Morrible was a good singer, but was singing in an entirely different key to the music, which was a little offputting! I really want to go back and see it again in a few months when they've settled into the roles and when Lee Mead is in it.

Copenhagen leads has been announced:

Maria Lucia Heiberg Rosenberg (Elphaba) (a bit whatever for me, though people rave about her)
Annette Heick/Katrine Falkenberg (Glinda)
Steen Springborg (Troldmanden)
Marianne Mortensen (Madame Morrible) (she is fantastic as Mrs. Andrews in "Mary Poppins")
John Martin Bengtsson (Fiyero) (he's one of the best Enjolras I've ever seen)
Kristian Boland (Dr. Dillamond)

So has anyone been to the show recently? I'm curious to know the opinions on Lee Mead's Fieyro. If he's any good I might go and see the show again.

Finnish non-replica production just opened, and I'm not sure to buy tickets, as it's not my favourite musical and the fact that it's non-replica; it can poison the show for me.

And as a side note; My friend saw it and said that the Wizard looked like Stalin; and it seems that it's intentional.

Danish "Wicked" goes steampunk... For the design, that is. Costume sketches here:

http://www.detnyteater.dk/forestillinger/wicked/show-selected-wicked/kostumer/?utm_source=detnyteater-nyheder&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Sidste+chance

Danish Wicked had its premiere last night. The reviews so far is very, very good! Only one lukewarm reviewer not digging the music (too predictable) and the storyline (messy). Other than that, both the musical, the design and the cast gets lots of praise. The design sounds cool - steampunk with various projectors, very different from the original.

http://www.berlingske.dk/scene/musical-magi-alle-pengene
http://kpn.dk/teater/teater/article2303829.ece
http://www.skanskan.se/article/20110113/NOJE/701139935/1008/noje/
http://gregersdh.dk/?cat=4


ETA: tons of pictures here:
http://www.detnyteater.dk/forestillinger/wicked/fotosvideo/

Backstage tour at Danish Wicked coming up on Sunday, February 13th at 12:30 (military time).

Includes a backstage tour, showing costumes and some sets, the green room, and also the flying tricks of Elphaba. The tour lasts approx. one hour, afterwards sandwiches and cakes are served. You have to buy a combi ticket for backstage and the performance to be able to join.

Prices range from DK 633,- to DK 712,-.

http://www.detnyteater.dk/vinterferien/

A very exclusive look behind the stage at Wicked in Copenhagen. Det Ny Teater treat their musical fans well! The article is in French, with lots of pictures and info:
http://musicalsineurope.com/Danemark/Wicked%20au%20danemark%20les%20coulisses.htm

I think you should get a Google translation of the page through this link:
http://translate.google.no/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=no&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fmusicalsineurope.com%2FDanemark%2FWicked%2520au%2520danemark%2520les%2520coulisses.htm

Seeing Wicked in Copenhagen with Josefine tonight. REALLY looking forward to that. As far as I can tell, it's the first professional musical production using steampunk for the design. Cool design for musicals makes me so darn happy.

Anyone wants a brochure?

Ahem.... hm.... amusing affaire. So OK, Wicked at Det Ny Teater, Friday 27th 2011.

Originally I was to go with Josefine, but she didn't feel to well and returned home. But I went anyway. To my very big and very amused surprise I ended up next to Mia Karlsson AKA my favourite Christine in the whole world. It was SO nice to see her again.

ELPHABA: Maria Lucia
GLINDA: Anette Heick
FIYERO: John Martin Bengtsson
WIZARD OF OZ: Steen Springborg
MADAME MORRIBLE: Marianne Mortensen
NESSAROSE: Anaïs Lueken
BOQ: Kim H. Henriksen
DOCTOR DILLAMOND: Kristian Boland
CHISTERY: Joel Brekke



Visually stunning, like WOW. I rarely get WOWed by a whole production any more, but this was innovative, creative and beautiful all through. Pure eye candy. The brochure and pics in the official site doesn't do it justice. Gone is the giant dragon and the more fairytale approach to Wicked. In comes a more challenging visual package, with gears and screens and whatnot growing out of the stage, embracing the proscenium and parts of the auditorium. For once a successful use of projections too, using it partly as showing what could sometimes not be shown on stage, and sometimes to project what went on on stage in multiple screens in multiple locations. The design overall was true Steampunk with Victorian and Edwardian basis, but with fantastic glittering and bell shaped creations for Glinda. I like this design better than the original, to be frank.

Musically, top notch. Excellent casting throughout, and precise and rich orchestra as usual. Placing the orchestra over the stage was a bold move, and could easily have failed, but they were only viewable for some selected scenes, and when they were it was a part of the story. Worked very well. Cast... Maria Lucia was a splendid Elphaba, Anette Heick was a most positive surprise as Glinda, and John Martin Bengtsson has a voice to die for and a phenomenal stage presence. Seeing him as the slightly more goofy Fiyero was amusing; last time I saw him he played Enjolras (some might remember my Enjolras! review... ). Only complaint would be that the mics for the female leads were too low, especially in the first act.



Despite all this I still think Wicked is a slightly... boring musical. I don't think there's too many songs standing out. I think there could be less focus on Elphaba's sister and on Boq. And I don't quite see what the musical wanted to tell me. Friendship schmiendship. Dare to be different. Save the earth. Green is in. Not sure... I guess the main theme is the power to define good and evil; how it can be used and misused.

That said, there were moments I thoroughly enjoyed, whether it's due to the actual musical or the staging of this particular production. Popular, Defying Gravity, opening of act II and As Long As You Are Mine is the ones feeling the most memorable now. But there were also so many fine design moments filling me with bliss. Cred to Paul Fornsworth (sets/costumes) for a most amazing job. Also, I like the concept of turning the whole "Oz myth" totally around.

The ensemble got a well deserved standing ovation, which I happily joined. Afterwards I was invited to the "Friday Beer" gathering they have on stage. 't was cool to see the sets up close, and to talk to various of the cast. I then strolled out of there, without taking a million pictures and without asking everyone for autographs...

Updated with some pictures...

Wow...I sometimes get annoyed when productions go non-replica, but in this case I think it actually works. Looks great. I have long found most of the ensemble costumes in the original production to be obnoxious to say the least (except for the Shiz costumes and those from the Oz Dust Ballroom scene, I love those), so I guess Steampunk is a vast improvement over the Emerald City craziness.

Phantomfett and I saw one of the touring companies yesterday, with none other than Mark Jacoby as the Wizard. Great cast!

Phantom on a Budget wrote:Wow...I sometimes get annoyed when productions go non-replica, but in this case I think it actually works. Looks great. I have long found most of the ensemble costumes in the original production to be obnoxious to say the least (except for the Shiz costumes and those from the Oz Dust Ballroom scene, I love those), so I guess Steampunk is a vast improvement over the Emerald City craziness.

Phantomfett and I saw one of the touring companies yesterday, with none other than Mark Jacoby as the Wizard. Great cast!

Wow, a bit jealous now! How was the performance (not just his, but in general)?

And yeah, glad you liked the Danish take on it. I'm usually not a fan of non-replica productions either. I HATE the Polish Phantom one, the design of Les Mis as Det Ny Teater left me cold, and I've seen way too many horrible "cat" costumes to enjoy non-replica Cats... But this one truly worked. Which made me very happy.

According to the Gina Beck site on Facebook, she is to star as Glinda from Decembe this year and until September next year. Wow, I'm sure she'll be perfect in the role. Go Gina!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gina-Beck/179203715549