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It's been a little over a year since I last made a post about fresh blooded principles in Wicked and look how much has changed since then! We got fresh blood for the roles of Fiyero, The Wizard, Madame Morrible, Boq, Nessarose and Dr. Dillamond. Unfortunately we still have no fresh blood in the roles of Elphaba or Glinda. I really don't understand why casting directors find it so difficult to cast fresh blood in the roles of Elphaba and Glinda. There are so many amazing women who could do these roles and they just keep bringing back the same often mediocre people or only promoting the most mediocre standbys. It's time for some fresh blood in the two lead roles Wicked. I'm getting tired of seeing the same people. Again, I've listed dates of the latest fresh blood in a role meaning they were never an understudy or standby and/or weren't in a prior production of Wicked before. If a person's name is underlined that means they are currently in the show. (I have included Gizel who takes over as Nessarose on Broadway this March.)
Broadway
Elphaba: Lindsay Mendez (May 2013-Feb. 2014)
Glinda: Jenni Barber (Feb. 2014-Nov. 2014)
Fiyero: Ryan McCartan (Sep. 2018-Dec. 2018, Feb. 2019-Current)
The Wizard: Michael McCormick (Feb. 2019-Current)
Madame Morrible: Nancy Opel (Nov. 2018-Current)
Boq: Robin de Jesús (Dec. 2014-Feb. 2016)
Nessarose: Gizel Jiménez (March 2019-Current)
Dr. Dillamond: Jamie Jackson (Nov. 2018-Current)
2nd US Tour
Elphaba: Jessica Vosk (Sep. 2016-Sept. 2017)
Glinda: Carrie St. Louis (Nov. 2014-Dec. 2015)
Fiyero: Jon Robert Hall (Sep. 2017-Jan. 2018, March 2018-Feb. 2019)
The Wizard: Jason Graae (May 2018-Current)
Madame Morrible: Sharon Sachs (Feb. 2019-Current)
Boq: Cole Dolman (March 2018-Oct. 2018)
Nessarose: Mili Diaz (April 2018-June 2018, Aug. 2018-Current)
Dr. Dillamond: Harry Bouvy (Feb. 2017-Feb. 2018)
West End
Elphaba: Rachel Tucker (March 10-Oct. 2012)
Glinda: Sophie Evans (July 2017-Current)
Fiyero: David Witts (July 2018-Current)
The Wizard: Andy Hockley (July 2017-Current)
Madame Morrible: Melanie La Barrie (July 2017-Current)
Caroline, or Change Theatre: Playhouse Theatre (West End) Opened: November 28, 2018 Closing: March 2, 2019 Olivier Awards:
Best Musical Revival [Pending]
Best Actress in a Musical for Sharon D. Clarke [Pending]
Best Costume Design for Fly Davis [Pending]
Choir Boy Theatre: Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (Broadway) Opened: January 8, 2019 Closing: March 10, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
True West Theatre: American Airlines Theatre (Broadway) Opened: January 24, 2019 Closing: March 17, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
Company Theatre: Gielgud Theatre (West End) Opened: October 17, 2018 Closing: March 30, 2019 Olivier Awards:
Best Musical Revival [Pending]
Best Actress in a Musical for Rosalie Craig [Pending]
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Jonathan Bailey [Pending]
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Richard Fleeshman [Pending]
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Patti LuPone [Pending]
Best Director for Marianne Elliot [Pending]
Best Theatre Choreographer for Liam Steel [Pending]
Best Set Design for Bunny Christie [Pending]
Best Lighting Design for Neil Austin [Pending]
Anastasia Theatre: Broadhurst Theatre (Broadway) Opened: April 24, 2017 Closing: March 31, 2019 Tony Awards:
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for Mary Beth Peil [Nominated]
Best Costume Design in a Musical for Linda Cho [Nominated]
When I first heard that a stage adaption of Disney's Hercules was in the works I was very excited, but also nervous. Hercules has the potential to be an amazing musical with the potential for wonderful character depth, a beautiful script, some great Disney magic and a killer gospel score by Alan Menkin and David Zippel. I knew there were a million ways this could go right, but also a million
Promotional Poster
ways this could go wrong. A little over a year later Playbill made an announcement that Hercules would receive a premier staging at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park from August 31 to September 8 of 2019. This is when my worries shot up. I'm not sure how they plan on doing this show not only outdoors, where they are victim to the elements and not only that they won't have any fly space and are severely limited to what they can do design wise since they are outside. I really only have 3 opinions on how the designs should be done. First and foremost don't add costume changes for the sake of costume changes. (I'm looking at you Frozen) They also should not be Hercules in a muscle suit. All of his muscles should be natural. Putting him in a muscle suit would be super cheesy. They also need to make sure that the special affects such as the Hydra and the final battle between the titans (If they opt to keep those elements) need to be well done. I would recommend getting the puppeteers who designed stuff for King Kong and the special effects people from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child together to design all of this stuff. This is why I'm confused as to why they are doing this in the Delacorte an outdoor theatre with no fly space and no wing space. I should mention that before the Delacorte their is supposed to be a workshop in June or July. I have many concerns for this stage adaption and specifically about how fast Disney is putting it out. I
Hercules and Phil
think they should do a workshop before declaring there will be an out-of-town tryout. What if the workshop needs lots of reworking? Are they planning on doing that that in the month or two before the Delacorte run? However, I have many concerns other than just the pace at which this project is moving. (Considering that Disney will probably try and rush it to Broadway for the 2019-2020 season or they'll go for the 2020-2021 season.) My other concerns are that they need to keep what made the original movie so great. (I.E. It's supporting characters) The movie Hercules was a huge part of my childhood I would watch it on repeat on VHS. (I just dated myself I know.) First and foremost don't overuse the Muses. While the Muses are definitely the best part of Hercules seeing too much of them could get old and grow tiresome. They should stay as narrators and out of world type characters. They should never fully interact with the characters (The closest they should be to the story line is during "I Won't
The Muses
Say I'm In Love" when they are convincing Meg she is indeed in love. However, they shouldn't have physical interaction with her. They should almost be like voice in her head.) In addition to those story elements the Muses not only need to have killer vocals individually, but they need to have killer chemistry and be able to sing as a group. They need to be able to play off of each other without upstaging each other. However, while they shouldn't be made major characters they also shouldn't be doubled up as ensemble members. The other thing is they should not try and feminize the role of Meg. (Voiced perfectly by Broadway veteran Susan Egan in the movie.) They shouldn't try to glamorize Meg either. What made her so great was her natural beauty and great spunk. They shouldn't try and give Meg skin tight clothes or have her wear 20 pounds of makeup. The actress who plays Meg should simply wear as much makeup as they would on a normal day (Just don't forget her dark eye shadow.) They also shouldn't worry about getting that large volume of hair she has in the movie unless the wig looks very good and isn't too heavy for the actress to wear. They also need to make sure that they keep Meg as the dry witted, spunky tom boy she is in the movie. She
Meg and Hades
can be sassy, but no too sassy. I would also love for them to go more into Meg's backstory (As long as it doesn't detract from the overall plot and fits naturally.) I would like to hear more about Meg and her boyfriend and why she made that deal with Hades. Another important thing KEEP MEG AN ALTO!!!!!! (Dream Meg's for me are Jessica Keenan Wynn or Krysta Rodriguez.) The other important character is the role of Hades (Who is played by James Wood and is one of his most favorite roles he's played.) They need to cast this role with someone similar to Meg. They need to have that excellent dry wit and and fantastic comedic timing, but he should also be extremely terrifying. Don't turn him into the campy villain like they did with Ursula in The Little Mermaid (As much as I love that show they did make Ursula more campy.) Anyway, those are my thoughts (So far) on Hercules. I will be on the lookout for more news at it surfaces. Most importantly is the casting of this show. If even one actor is off it could ruin the whole show.
Note: Wowza. By now ya'll know that I'm a terrible editor. So be prepared for me to be editing this AFTER I upload it. Also, I'm not a professional reviewer nor do I try to be in these. I'm simply stating what I thought.
"Rent... was over the top and did not really... grasp the message that Jonathan Larson had envisioned"
My first experience with Rent was when my mom bought me the movie for Christmas one year. It was eventually lost in the depths of my messy room for a few months before I started cleaning it. I eventually found it and said: "Okay let's give it a shot." So I put the DVD into the laptop and I watched it and I was changed. I have no idea what, but something inside of me clicked and I was hooked. I would watch it over and over. I then watched the Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway performance and I also saw a local high school do a production of it. I was enamored with the show. Fast forward about 8 years and Fox announces
Company
they are going to do Rent Live! (Well now more like Rent Pre Recorded!) and my first thought was "Well f*ck! They're gonna ruin this." Guess what? I was right! The production was absolutely awful! First and foremost what needs to be talked about is the annoying screaming coming from the audience that drowned out everything. Then there are the absolutely atrocious changes made to the script by Kristoffer Diaz. As soon as Mark, portrayed by Jordan Fisher, said "December 24, 1991" my face went still. Seriously? You can't change one of the most iconic lines of dialogue in this show. Then we had all of Mark's unnecessary monologues and that awful new dialogue between Collins and Angel before "I'll Cover You" that did nothing to advance their relationship. I understand that they changed some of the lyrics to make it less explicit, but there were many things that Diaz changed that should not have been touched. While the show was helmed by original Rent director Michael Grief his directing turned the show into a circus and Sonya Tayeh was trying to turn Rent into a dance musical with the Bohemian ensemble popping and locking during some of the most inappropriate times, such as the drug dealer section of "Christmas Bells." To make matters even worse there was the atrocious production design by Jason Sherwood which was in no way effective. Rent is supposed to be simplistic and there was too much going on with the maze style jungle gym he designed.
Vanessa Hudgens
Next, is the completely over the top lighting design by Al Gurdon who clearly was trying to induce seizures. However, what was really the stale icing on this moldy cake was the camera work by Alex Rudzinksi who clearly had diarrhea of the camera angle considering it changes every five seconds. I was getting motion sickness during "Christmas Bells" and how many times can you have the camera go in a 360 movement? (I'm going to make a compilation of those later.) The more simplistic Rent is the better. Clearly, the above people didn't get that memo. The only good production element of the night was the costumes designed by original Rent costume designer Angela Wendt. Wendt managed to update the costumes and brought new things to the table while still keeping the spirit of the original production. My personal favorite change being Maureen's cow pants. Now, before I go any further I would like to say that up until the final scene everything was pre-recorded from the night before's dress rehearsal. It was obvious that people were holding back to save their voices for the big night, but since Brennin Hunt, somehow, broke his foot during the dress rehearsal, that night never came. (THIS IS WHY YOU NEED UNDERSTUDIES PEOPLE!!!) This is a shame because what was
Jordan Fisher, Valentina, Brandon Victor Dixon
and Brennin Hunt
shown was an unfinished product and I'm sure had we gotten the real show it would have been much different. However, I think instead of showing us the dress rehearsal footage they should have showed us the concert that the cast performed for the live audience. I think that would have been much truer to original show then the over the top showing we recieved. Despite the medical problems, I'm still going to review the actors for their performances. The supporting roles of the parents, homeless, life support and other soloists were played by many stage veterans (Most memorable were Keala Settle, Alton Fitzgerald White and J. Elaine Marcos) all of which had exceptional vocals and acting skills... except for Matt Saldivar who played Gordon. His voice was clearly struggling to hit the notes and even when he did hit the notes it was not pretty. One of the better performances of the night is accredited to Mario as the douchey landlord Benjamin Coffin III. While I don't normally pay attention to Benny Mario had strong vocals and good acting chops. Kiersey Clemons portrayed a vocally weak Joanne Jefferson who didn't really challenge Maureen at all during their duet "Take Me Or Leave Me" and her acting left much to be desired. Joanne's on again off again girlfriend Maureen Johnson was delivered by a surprise standout from Rent alum Vanessa Hudgens (She previously played Mimi in the Hollywood Bowl production.) Hudgens vocals have improved immensely and she opened her mouth and out of nowhere, she had this strong belt. Not to mention her acting which was a huge improvement from Grease Live! It felt like I was looking at some brand new human being who acted and sang like she was in a Broadway show.
Tinashe
Hudgens managed to find her own comedic elements in "Over the Moon" and she truly raised the bar on my expectations of her. She especially surprised me with her strong vocals during the ultimate diva-off "Take More Or Leave Me." Unfortunately, not all the performances were as good as Hudgens. Valentina was a huge disappointment as the fabulous drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard who did not handle the score at all. She clearly struggled with all of it. Her performance of "Today 4 U" was incredibly lackluster and I wish I could say her acting made up for it, but alas she hit all the wrong notes in every way possible. Angel's love interest Tom Collins is portrayed by Brandon Victor Dixon who again just was lackluster to me. I didn't think he was anything special he was rather bland and didn't stand out in any way. Just like in Jesus Christ Superstar his high notes sounded like screaming as opposed to good clean belting. The most memorable performance, in my opinion, goes to Tinashe as Mimi Márquez. She thoroughly surprised me delivering strong acting and absolutely sublime vocals. Her rendition of "Out Tonight" was powerful and sexy. If only the same could be said for her scene partner Brennin Hunt who delivered a mediocre Roger. Where he had some strong vocal moments it didn't make up for his overall blandness as Roger. I could tell that Hunt was trying to
Brennin Hunt and Jordan Fisher
deliver to all the fans, but he just fell short. Finally, we have Jordan Fisher who clearly did not understand his character at all. Fisher portrays the dorky, geeky, awkward, camera lover Mark Cohen. However, Fisher rather decided to play Mark as someone who is dipping it and doing it as well as crawling sexually across the floor instead of being a lovable dork. I'm not saying that dorks can't be sexy, but Fisher was doing the most with his sexual moves and that simply isn't Mark, in my opinion. Fisher also seemed to have cared less about his camera from some of the ways he was holding it. Fisher did have strong vocals and was a good actor, but he wasn't the dorky and lovable Mark Cohen. Overall, Rent Live Pre-Recorded was over the top and did not really seem to grasp the message that Jonathan Larson had envisioned. If you want to watch a production of Rent either go see a local community theatre production, the tour or just watch Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway it will be a much more enjoyable experience than whatever Fox was trying to accomplish last night.
"There's only now, there's only here. Give in to love or live in fear. No other path no other way. No day but today."
Note: This review is going to be a little different. It's not going to be as long and detailed as previous ones. Also, again I'm horrible at editing my thoughts.
"Johnson's performance as Glinda the Good is not only a triumph in shattering racial barriers it is a triumph in acting and skill."
My first experience with Wicked was when I was in the 5th grade. It was my first Broadway show (meaning the first time I saw I show on Broadway) and I saw it with the amazing Dee Roscioli and Katie Rose Clarke in the lead roles. It was absolutely amazing and an experience I will never forget. Even if it was a "no-fly" show. My next experience with Wicked was winning the lottery for the tour when it was in Philadelphia and starred Jessica Vosk and Ginna Claire Mason. I knew my next experience with Wicked had to be seeing Brittney Johnson as the first P.O.C. Glinda on Broadway. My wish finally came true and I planned out my day for January 10, 2019. I went to NYC to witness her debut as the blonde witch. First and foremost I have to say that Joe Mantello is a brilliant director and has directed an absolutely gorgeous production. The design aspects are absolutely brilliant. Featuring some wonderful sound design by Tony Meola and the absolutely
Nancy Opel
brilliant and inventive costume designs by Susan Hilferty. The world of Oz is created by the genius Eugene Lee and his utterly spellbinding set design and when paired with Kenneth Posner's lighting design you get the most brilliant designs ever to grace a stage. The cast has strong supporting roles from the fantastic Jamie Jackson as Doctor Dillamond and the wonderful Jesse "JP" Johnson as Boq. This was my second time seeing Kristen Martin as the "tragically beautiful" Nessarose and to be quite honest she had more depth the first time I saw her. Then we have the brilliant Nancy Opel as the devious Madame Morrible who was absolutely wonderful. Then in an amazing turn as The Wizard there is 3 time Tony Award nominated actor Kevin Chamberlin who seems to be the first Wizard in many years who can actually sing. It was a refreshing change because most Wizard's I have witnessed in the past did have that great a voice. Chamberlin delivered a wonderful performance with great acting chops and again a wonderful, rich singing voice. Another good performance was Jake Boyd as Fiyero who is a temporary replacement for Ryan McCartan who is on medical leave. The next woman I am going to talk about is the reason I went to
Brittney Johnson
see Wicked and she made history. Over the years there have been several people of color in the roles of Elphaba, Fiyero, Madame Morrible, The Wizard, Dr. Dillamond, Boq and Nessarose, but there has never been a P.O.C. as Glinda and after 15 years Wicked has finally cast its first P.O.C. Glinda. On January 10th, 2019 Brittney Johnson debuted as Glinda and she was mesmerizing. Johnson's performance as Glinda the Good is not only a triumph in shattering racial barriers it is a triumph in acting and skill. Johnson gave a performance that proves why understudies should not be scoffed at and should definitely not be underestimated. The moment that Johnson descended in the bubble for her very first entrance she received 30 seconds of straight applause, cheering, hollering, yelling and whistles. You could see the joy on her face and the minute she opened her mouth the room fell silent and people were hung up on every single word. Johnson's vocals were top notch and strong and because she had classical training she had this gorgeous rich operatic tone during the soprano parts. Not only were her vocals top notch, but so was her acting she portrayed Glinda in a new light finding humor and sadness in new places. I had three favorite parts of her performance 1) Was during her hilarious "Popular" Glinda says "Your whole life is about to change and all because of me"
Brittney Johnson and Jessica Vosk
and Johnson started to go into a trance and bow as if envisioning an audience applauding for being so nice. 2) During the train station scene where she says "Well it's Glinda now!" 3) During "Thank Goodness" after Fiyero leaves during that scene you can see that Glinda is holding back tears and she is trying to stay strong, but she misses her best friend and she feels Fiyero slipping away from her. I have no doubt in my mind that Brittney Johnson will become principle one day. She is truly magical. I could go on and on about Johnson's absolutely stellar performance, but I have to keep this review moving. The only person left to talk about is the stunning Jessica Vosk who delivered a vocally stellar performance as Elphaba. Vosk, but her acting was not as good as when I saw her on tour. Wicked has solidified its place in history not only as a record-breaking show but as a diverse show packed full of talent. The performers are top notch and the understudies are just as good as the leads. If you have the chance to see this show then go see it. It is truly magical from the wonderful design elements to the phenomenal performers.
"I do believe I have been changed for the better. And because I knew you... Because I knew you... Because I knew you... I have been changed for good."
42nd Street Theatre: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (West End) Opened: April 4, 2017 Closing: January 5, 2019 Olivier Awards:
Best Musical Revival [Nominated]
Best Theatre Choreographer for Randy Skinner [Nominated]
Best Costume Design for Roger Kirk [Nominated]
Bat Out of Hell Theatre: Dominion Theatre (West End) Opened: April 2, 2018 Closing: January 5, 2019 Olivier Awards: N/A
Chicago Theatre: Phoenix Theatre (West End) Opened: April 11, 2018 Closing: January 5, 2019 Olivier Awards: N/A
Head Over Heels Theatre: Hudson Theatre (Broadway) Opened: July 26, 2018 Closing: January 6, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
Once On This Island Theatre: Circle in the Square (Broadway) Opened: December 3, 2018 Closing: January 6, 2019 Tony Awards:
Best Revival of a Musical
Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Hailey Kilgore [Nominated]
Best Direction of a Musical for Michael Arden [Nominated]
Best Scenic Design in a Musical for Dane Laffrey [Nominated]
Best Costume Design in a Musical for Clint Ramos [Nominated]
Best Lighting Design in a Musical for Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer [Nominated]
Best Sound Design in a Musical for Peter Hylesnki [Nominated]
Best Orchestrations for AnnMarie Millazo and Michael Starobin [Nominated]
The Play That Goes Wrong Theatre: Lyceum Theatre (Broadway) Opened: April 2, 2017 Closing: January 6, 2019 Tony Awards:
Best Scenic Design of a Play for Nigel Hook
Torch Song Theatre: Helen Hayes Theatre (Broadway) Opened: November 1, 2018 Closing: January 6, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
Dreamgirls Theatre: Savoy Theatre (West End) Opened: December 14, 2016 Closing: January 12, 2019 Olivier Awards:
Best New Musical [Nominated]
Best Actress in a Musical for Amber Riley
Best Actor in a Supporting Actor in a Musical for Adam J. Bernard
Best Costume Design for Greg Barnes [Nominated]
Outstanding Achievement in Music for Henry Krieger [Nominated]
Kinky Boots Theatre: Adelphi Theatre (West End) Opened: September 15, 2015 Closing: January 12, 2019 Olivier Awards:
Best New Musical
Best Actor in a Musical for Killian Donnelly [Nominated]
Best Actor in a Musical for Matt Henry
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Amy Lennox [Nominated]
Best Theatre Choreographer for Jerry Mitchell [Nominated]
Best Costume Design for Greg Barnes
Outstanding Achievement in Music for Cyndi Lauper and Stephen Oremus [Nominated]
The Lifespan of a Fact Theatre: Studio 54 (Broadway) Opened: October 18, 2018 Closing: January 13, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
The Inheritance Theatre: Noël Coward Theatre (West End) Opened: September 21, 2018 Closing: January 19, 2019 Olivier Awards: N/A
Summer and Smoke Theatre: Duke of York's Theatre (West End) Opened: November 10, 2018 Closing: January 19, 2019 Olivier Awards: N/A
School of Rock Theatre: Winter Garden Theatre (Broadway) Opened: December 6, 2015 Closing: January 20, 2019 Tony Awards:
Best Musical [Nominated]
Best Book of a Musical for Julian Fellowes [Nomianted]
Best Original Score for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater [Nominated]
Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Alex Brightman [Nominated]
American Son Theatre: Booth Theatre (Broadway) Opened: November 4, 2018 Closing: January 27, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
The Waverly Gallery Theatre: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (Broadway) Opened: October 25, 2018 Closing: January 27, 2019 Tony Awards: N/A
