Fan Reviews
I saw the tour cast of Wicked on April 21st, 2005 at the Canon Theater in Toronto. Stephanie J. Block was an absolutely amazing and breathtaking Elphaba and Kendra Kassebaum was a super funny, amazing Galinda! My mom and I went downtown Toronto early that evening because we were trying to get lottery tickets. You see we have been on vacation when the tickets went on sale and they all were sold out!! All the names were being drawn for the lottery then the lottery name caller man said last pair and my name was called I started FREAKING out, even crying and I think I may have scared some people. I wore my green "I WON THE WICKED LOTTERY" button very proud that night! My mom and I went into the theater and I bought a program, cd, and popular shirt! HEHE! Then the show OMG I was obsessed from the very first note! Words can't even describe it! I was even brought to tears in For Good - Wicked really did change me for the better and the tour cast is absolutely amazing! Then after the show my mom and I went to the stage door. When we got out I found out Kendra Kassebaum is a big meanie! She walked right back all of us waiting for autographs with some guy (I am guessing her boyfriend/husband I dunno) I was upset by this cause I wanted her autograph and a picture but hey then Steph came out and made it all better! She is so amazing and we talked for a few minutes, I got some autographs, and a picture and then sadly kissed the best night of my life goodbye!
by Sarah
My Reviews & Experiences
Wicked Tour in Chicago: May 28th, 2005
The show was great! Elphaba was played by the amazing Maria Eberline. She was the perfect person for the part. Great acting and singing. Kendra Kassebaum was very good also. She was a bit off during "No One Mourns the Wicked" and "Thank Goodness", but other than that she was great, especially "Popular". Derrick Williams was moderate. I didn't really feel that he was into the music, and was a little monotone. He also tried to change the beginning of "Dancing Through Life", but I think it made it sound worse. Jenna Leigh Green was an excellent Nessarose. She has a great voice and played the character very well. Carol Kane was a wonderful Madame Morrible. She added a few laughs that weren't there with prier Madames. David Garrison was also wonderful. He kind of reminded me of George W. in a way. The ensemble was also very good. They were energetic and were together the entire show. Overall it was my best theater experience.
The Facade of the Ford Center/ Oriental Theater
My Playbill.
Wicked On Broadway: August 3rd, 2005
The show was pretty good. It was the entire cast with no understudies. Shoshana Bean was pretty good. I think she might have been sick because I had heard her before I saw the show and she sounded a lot better then when I saw it. Also she forgot a few of her lines and her hat kept on falling off during the second act. Megan Hilty: funniest Glinda ever! She was great! She played an excellent older Glinda in "No One Mourns the Wicked" and played a great youthful Galinda in "Popular". Nothing bad to say about her. David Ayers was ok. He has a pretty good voice, but didn't have much emotion. Nothing much to really say about him. Michelle Federer was great Nessarose. She sounds even better live than she does on the Original Broadway Cast CD. "Wicked Witch of the East" needs to be longer! Rue McClanahan was a pretty good Madame Morrible. She moved her voice around a lot and I couldn't always here what she was trying to say. Ben Vereen was one of the best Wizards! He made the character more naive to what was actually happening with the animals. I also liked the way he jazzed up "Wonderful". The ensemble was very good. They seemed a bit tired, but considering some of them have been there since the show opened it is understandable. Overall it was an amazing show!
The Time Dragon Clock In The Lobby Of The Gershwin Theater.
Shoshana Bean At The Stage Door.
Megan Hilty At The Stage Door (and my head to the left).
Ben Vereen At The Stage Door.
Ben Vereen Signing My Playbill.
My Playbill.
Wicked Tour in St. Louis: November 19th, 2005
The Tour has to be the best cast! This time there was no understudies besides Elphaba's father/ Ozian Guard. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the theater was how small the set looked. The Fox Theater in St. Louis is giant and has nearly 6,000 seats. I have been to a ton of shows there, most sets seem to be swallowed up. The set probably took up 2/3 of the stage then the rest was covered by red curtains. But other than that it was fine. Kendra Kassebaum couldn't have ever performed better! She was completely amazing. She never missed a note or line. "No One Mourns the Wicked" was amazing and "Popular" was once again hilarious. This time I saw Stephanie J. Block. I had heard here on recording and watched the Denver video of her and wasn't impressed at all. This night however she was amazing even though she was sick. "The Wizard & I" was great, but "No Good Deed" was by far her best song. She was amazing on thats song. During "Defying Gravity" at the end she only held "bring me down!" about 2 seconds then she had to cut off. I wasn't angry, I just felt really bad for her. Jenna Leigh Green was once again extremely good. Derrick Williams really improved from the last time I saw him. He sang the songs differently and I liked them alot more like that. David Garrison wasn't as good as the last time I saw him. Nothing much else to say. Carol Kane was once again good also. Logan Lipton was much better than the last time I saw him and reminded me alot of Christopher Fitzgerald. The ensemble was very strong and energetic. I don't think you could have seen a better performance. Then after the show I ran down the stairs to get to the stage door to meet Maria Eberline because she was going to take me on a backstage tour. Once I went backstage I overwhelmed with all the sets, costumes, lighting, and just everything. I was kind of jittery and light-headed because I couldn't believe I was actually on the stage and everything so I don't remember much unfortunately. But I do remember seeing the "Defying Gravity" lift. It was HUGE! I'm guessing it was around 15 ft. long. It was a great night!
This picture didn't turn out well because it was so dark on the stage. It is the view from the center of the stage looking to the left wing.
This Is The View From The Stage Looking Up Towards The Map In The Flyspace. Also You Can See Glinda's Bubble Near The Center A Little To The Left.
The Yellowbrick Road, Cornfield, & "For Good" Torch Light Thing.
Costumes In The Gondolas Backstage (Maria Eberline's are to the left).
More Costumes.
The "Defying Gravity" Lift
Maria Showing Me The Mechanics Of The Lift.
The Long Black Thing To The Left Is The Actual Thing Elphaba Stands In During "Defying Gravity" (the purple thing is a bag containing the black curtains that attach to the side of the stage).
After The Theater Was Closed And The Map Was Raised And Everthing Had Been Taken Off Stage My Friend And I Went Back In To Look At The Raw Stage.
My Playbill Signed By Jenna Leigh Green (Once I got out from backstage everyone had left or went out the back door so I only have Jenna. She is really nice though).
Wicked Tour in St. Louis: November 26th, 2005
I decided that seeing Wicked two times when it is in your home wasn't enough times. So I decided to try and go again. I went up to the box office around 11:00 am when none of the lottery people would be there. I walked into the box office and asked whether they had any tickets. The lady said they had only a couple seats left and she didn't know if they were any good. When she looked it up she said there were two 9th row seats. So I decided to take them. It was a great decision. I went to the matinee. I got a playbill and saw that Kendra Kassebaum was out and Emily Rozek was her understudy. Also Carol Kane was out so Barbara Tirrell took over for Madame Morrible and Kristen F. Oei took over for the Midwife. Emily Rozek was a very good Glinda. She didn't do as many funny gestures as Kendra but she had a great voice. Stephanie J. Block was still very good this time. She wasn't as sick and held all of her notes longer. She is truly talented. Jenna Leigh Green was just as good as the other two times. Barbara Tirrell was a good Madame Morrible. She didn't have as many laughs as Carol Kane but still did as amazing job. David Garrison was once again good. Same with Logan Lipton and Derrick Williams. Over all the show was amazing! Can't wait 'til I see it again!
My Signed Playbill Signed By Emily Rozek, Maria Eberline, Jenna Leigh Green, Barbara Tirrell, David Garrison, and Stephanie J. Block.
Wicked Tour in St. Louis: December 4th, 2005
It was a sad day! I wanted to see the show right before it left St. Louis and I did. The show was very good though. Kendra was once again out because she doesn't do matinees but I saw her understudy, Katie Adams. I thought she was alright. Not as good as Kendra, or Emily, or Megan Hilty. But she did have comedic charm and an ok voice. During intermission I heard that it is was her last performance as Glinda in the tour (she has since become the stand-by for Glinda on Broadway). I immediatly felt bad for thinking that she was bad. During 'For Good' Steph and her both started crying. It kinda bummed me out but I got over it. Stephanie J. Block was once again amazing. She had her voice back more than the other two times I saw her here. Carol Kane seemed extra funny at the performance. I don't know why. David Garrison was also good. Derrick Williams once again kind of dry. I still don't know why they picked him for Broadway. Jenna Leigh Green was excellant. Same with everyone else. The ensemble was very good too!
It has been my mission to see the 'Defying Gravity' lift before it rises. I saw it in New York and have been wanting to see it on the tour ever since. I looked almost then entire song for it with my binoculars. Then finally I realised that a black curtain was covering the entire back part of the stage so you couldn't see anything. But in the curtain there is a slit right down the middle. Right when Katie said "I hope you're happy, now that you're choosing this..." I saw the lift pop out between the curtain. I was very proud of myself. But they cover up that lift so well. I doubt anyone else saw it, but that's their goal. I couldn't go to the stage door because I went with my friend and his sister and she didn't want to go. Then as we were walking out of the theater I saw 7 trailers waiting to start hauling sets, props, and costumes away. It was pretty depressing.
Wicked In Chicago: April 8th, 2006
I once again made a long drive to Chicago...and once again it was completely worth it! The experience didn't start off very well because there was a 20 min. delay, but once the overture started to play by the amazing Chicago orchestra I was happy once again. I could tell the ensemble was good based off the first note they sang. They blended extremely well, which some casts have trouble with. When Stacie Morgain Lewis came down in her bubble I was annoyed by how her dress looked, it wasn't circular, it was ovular and just looked awkword. Her singing was okay, but a little shacky. I liked Kristin Chenoweth, Megan Hilty, Emily Rozek, and Kendra Kassebaum more. She didn't seem to have as much of a comedic charm as them either. Another person besides Kristy that I was impressed with was Kris Cusick. I had never heard him before and I thought he was the best Fiyero I've seen live for both singing and acting. Heidi Kettenring and Telly Leung were both pretty good. I liked Jenna Leigh Green and Logan Lipton more though. Rondi Reed and Gene Weygandt were both very good. I like Rondi Reed's portrayal almost as much as Carol Kane's. I really enjoyed the show.
Wicked In Chicago: April 9th, 2006
Yes...I saw the show again the next day. I lost the lottery for the April 8th evening show so I decided I would try it for the Sunday matinee...I lost it again. Then I remembered you can buy tickets in the box office for that day's show. So I sprinted from Borders to the Ford Theatre's lobby and ran to the ticket window to see if they had any tickets. I got the 2nd to last one. It just happened to be 5th row. It gave me a completely different perspective of the show in Chicago. The orchestra was once again perfect along with the ensemble. Kristy was even more amazing than she was the day before, which I didn't even think was humanly possible. She is one amazing actress/singer/dancer. Stacie also was much better. She sang better and was just plain hilarious. Kris seemed a little tired but was still very good. Heidi was the same as the performance before, but Telly got better like everyone else. You couldn't ask for a better show. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Wicked In Chicago: October 22, 2006 (Stacie Morgain Lewis' Last Performance)
What can I say? The show was amazing! It seemed very fresh, and there were almost no errors. Everyone just seemed to click at this performance. There were no understudies besides Jacqui Graziano for Nessarose, who I felt was stronger and understood the character better than Heidi Kettenring. The ensemble was not near as strong as they were in April and they didn't really blend. I don't know...I just felt very let down by them. Kristy Cates was even better than she was in April. I couldn't believe it. Stacie Morgain Lewis was also much better. She really seemed like Glinda. It was sad to see her leave. Kris Cusick was same as he was before; perfect. I thought that Gene Weygandt and Rondi Reed also improved quite a lot. The new Boq, Adam Flemming, was also very good. I liked character portrayal of Boq, but not his voice as much. He had a lower voice, which I didn't think really worked for Boq, but I think he would be great as Fiyero. But what stuck out most was the orchestra. They were so powerful and on the ball. I really enjoyed this performance and can't wait to see Wicked for a 9th time.
Pictures Signed By Cast Members...
My Picture Signed By Maria Eberline
My Picture Signed By Stephanie J. Block
My Picture Signed By Megan Hilty
My Picture Signed By Ben
My Picture Signed By Rue
My picture signed by Kristy
Letter on the back of the picture from Kristy
Top: Letter from the Broadway cast.
Bottom: Letter from David Stone. A producer of WICKED.
Please Do Not Take Pictures!
Newspaper Reviews
Wicked
by Judith Newmark
St. Louis Post Dispatch Critic
11/17/05
The Fox Theatre is so large that Kendra Kassebaum couldn't possibly know more than a tiny fraction of the people who packed the house on Wednesday night, when "Wicked" opened.
But you wouldn't guess that from the ardent cheers and applause that greeted her when she floated onto the stage - in a bubble.
The actress - who stars as Glinda, the Good Witch, opposite Stephanie J. Block as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West - seems to shimmer with a silvery glow from within.
Or maybe it's the same everywhere "Wicked" tours. Brimming with imagination both in story and style, this musical casts a potent spell all its own.
A retelling of "The Wizard of Oz" from Elphaba's point of view, "Wicked" has been a big hit in New York since it opened two years ago. This tour marks its St. Louis debut.
One of the biggest surprises: Instead of focusing on a romance, "Wicked" focuses on a different kind of love, the deep love of friends. In "The Wizard of Oz," Glinda and the Wicked Witch are worlds apart. But Winnie Holzman's "Wicked" script, based on Gregory Maguire's best-selling novel, explains that wasn't always the case.
Block and Kassebaum make us believe it.
Glinda and Elphaba have grown up in the Land of Oz, where animals speak English and collegians study magic. Elphaba, who was born with green skin, is a phenomenally gifted student but a social outcast. Glinda, the belle of every ball she ever graced, asks their history professor why he must dwell on the past. Naturally, they loathe each other on sight ("What Is This Feeling?," a hilarious duet).
Over time, however, they become cherished friends. Their affection survives both bizarre issues (Elphaba's bold defense of Oz's persecuted animals) and familiar ones (their romantic rivalry for the handsome charmer Fiyero, played by Derrick Williams). By their farewell, "For Good," Kassebaum and Block have established an emotional bond that their complementary voices make concrete.
They both command the stage. Kassebaum clowns her way through "Popular," Glinda's signature song, with physical abandon and vocal brio. And, in a show loaded with references to everybody's favorite movie, she brings wit and poise to "Thank Goodness," a number that takes a well-aimed shot at "Evita."
Block, with her big voice and lithe frame, brings heat and light to the song in which Elphaba embraces her "wicked" identity, "No Good Deed." She does much the same in "Defying Gravity," a number in which her soaring isn't strictly vocal. Carol Kane joins them with an ornate comic turn as Madame Morrible, a college dean even more awful than the one who told you that math class was, indeed, required.
"Wicked" is one show (one rare show!) where women get the good parts. Williams and Paul Slade Smith, who plays the Wizard, manage lukewarm performances - nothing wrong, but nothing special, either. It's not their play.
But they, like everyone else onstage, benefit from the production's enchanting gears-and-gauze style, devised by set designer Eugene Lee, who won a Tony for his work here; costume designer Susan Hilferty (ditto); and lighting designer Kenneth Posner.
Obviously, they and director Joe Mantello realized that most Americans think they know how Oz looks. But their superb design makes us see things differently - which is, after all, the play's whole point.
For those singing along ...
Stephen Schwartz's "Wicked" score spins plenty of lyrical gold, loaded with smart allusions and rich double meanings. But that won't mean much if you can't make out the lyrics.
Some songs - especially those performed by the chorus, rather than soloists - are difficult to understand. Besides, it's usually easier to enjoy music you already know, at least a little. If you're seeing "Wicked," it's probably a good idea to pick up the show's CD before you go. In a situation like this, familiarity breeds content.
"Wicked"
When: Through Dec. 4
Where: Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand
Source- St. Louis Post Dispatch www.stltoday.com
Tampa Review
Published January 19, 2006
TAMPA - Wicked has been breaking box-office records, and you have to wonder why. Is this elaborate spin on The Wizard of Oz a truly great musical? Or is it just the perennial appeal of Oz that is packing them in? It opened Wednesday night at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
There are times when Wicked soars with the best of musical theater, thanks to composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz's knack for power pop hooks. The show has a marvelous matched pair of leads for women in the two witches of Oz: Glinda, a blond Goody-Two-Shoes, and the emerald green Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. And there are elements of greatness in the production, notably Eugene Lee's industrial-strength set, with its remarkably atmospheric Dragon looming over the proscenium.
But let's face it. The reason Wicked is such a smash is because of its concept, the back story of The Wizard of Oz before Dorothy blew in from Kansas, as adapted by Schwartz and book author Winnie Holzman from Gregory Maguire's novel. And the show often founders on the challenge of trying to work in all the twists and turns of its source material that make the concept work but also to streamline the material.
For example, there's an animal rights theme to the story, meant to suggest an allegory with racism or fascism, but if you haven't read the novel, it probably seems pretty obscure onstage. A subplot about Elphaba's sister, the wheelchair-using Nessarose (Jenna Leigh Green), never really clicks in the musical.
The concept holds together more or less through the first act, although there are some labored stretches, but the second act is almost completely incoherent. Fortunately, a catchy tune is never too far away, and the snarky references to the 1939 MGM movie always get a laugh.
Stephanie J. Block, playing Elphaba, gives her big numbers plenty of punch. The Wizard and I is terrific, and Defying Gravity has become the show's signature song, complete with a high-flying witch. But Block also brings an appealing tenderness and vulnerability to the misunderstood Wicked Witch in her soliloquy I'm Not That Girl.
As Glinda, Kendra Kassebaum's descent in a bubble gets the show off to a witty start. Kassebaum doesn't have quite the coloratura soprano that some of her songs need, but she's got the flouncy, kewpie-doll homecoming queen mannerisms down pat. Her perky Popular is a showstopper.
In a delicious piece of luxury casting, the incomparable Carole Shelley plays Madame Morrible, chewing the scenery all the way as a sorcery professor who becomes the Wizard's press secretary.
The Wizard, played by David Garrison, is the weakest of the principal characters, with predictably genial little tunes and a rather strained plot line that he was Elphaba's father. Sebastian Arcelus is the heartthrob Fiyero, and he and Block are great in the pulsating duet, As Long as You're Mine.
Schwartz's score is full of tricky rhythms and tempo changes, and sometimes the orchestra, conducted by Robert Billig, had trouble meshing with the cast in ensemble numbers like What Is This Feeling? Wayne Cilento's musical staging doesn't have a lot of dance except for a little disco twirling in the Ozdust Ballroom.
Wicked is virtually sold out for the current run, but it will be back at TBPAC from Feb. 21 through March 11 in 2007. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale Feb. 6.
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