Film and Theatre Lover!
Cast
Elphaba – Ashleigh Gray
Glinda – Emily Tierney
Fiyero – Samuel Edwards
Madame Morrible – Marilyn Cutts
The Wizard – Steven Pinder
Nessarose – Carina Gillespie
Boq – Richard Vincent
Doctor Dillamond – Steven Pinder
Show Dates
Saturday 4th April 2015
Wednesday 15th April 2015
Saturday 25th April 2015
In 2014 I managed to go and see 15 musicals and plays on stage in both the North East (Sunderland Empire or Theatre Newcastle) as well as trips to London to see them in the West End. I also caught Monty Python and a concert of Elaine Paige. It has been an incredible year for going to see plenty of shows and live acting. I honestly didn’t realise I had seen so many until getting ready to do this blog post.
Along with seeing an absolute icon in Elaine Paige in her farewell concert, I also managed a last-minute trip to see the legend of Angela Lansbury on her return to the West End after 30 years in Blithe Spirit. But it doesn’t stop there, I got to meet one of my favourite actors Bill Nighy after the incredible Skylight and an added bonus of Carey Mulligan! What a day that was.
Cast
Elphaba – Kerry Ellis
Glinda – Savannah Stevenson
Fiyero – Justin Thomas
Madame Morrible – Sue Kelvin
The Wizard – Martyn Ellis
Nessarose – Katie Rowley Jones
Boq – Sam Lupton
Show date: Wednesday 1st October (Matinee performance)
No one mourns the Wicked . . .
This is the second time I have seen Wicked. But the first time I have seen it in the West End. It had been over 3 years since I saw it on Broadway. Obviously I know all the words to the songs from listening to the soundtrack, but I had forgotten all about the little things. How funny the show is, how heartfelt and emotionally it is from start to finish. How some of the songs are staged as well, this is something you forget while just listening to the soundtrack. Although Defying Gravity you remember from start to finish, that doesn’t stop the tingling all over your body when it’s being sung. It really is the ultimate show stopping moment in a musical and an incredible way to end the first act and leave the audience sitting thinking wow and knowing what they have just seen is something very special.
After the release of the Les Mis trailer and Rock of Ages coming to the cinema very soon. It has inspired me to think of the musicals I have seen on the stage and those I would love to see adapted to the big screen.
In the Heights
I saw this on Broadway the day before it won the Tony Award (I was also at the Tony Awards that year) and it really is just incredible. It’s so different and has rap style to some of the songs, you would have never seen anything like this before. It does have a 2014 page on IMDb but nothing has been updated on that for a few years now. So I guess it’s still watch this space.
This has been an obsession of mine for quite a while now, and I am so glad that I have eventually seen it and that it was on Broadway !!!
Cast
Nicole Parker as Elphaba
Alli Mauzey as Glinda
Rondi Reed, Madame Morrible
Kevin Kern, Fiyero
Brynn O’Malley, Nessarose
Alex Brightman, Boq
Timothy Britten Parker, Doctor Dillamond
P.J. Benjamin, The Wizard
It is a show which really does have everything, drama, romance, comedy and pretty much life. At so many points and moments in the show I related with how a character was feeling as I either feel like that now or have felt like that in the past about someone or something that has happened. I found it a very emotional experience and felt myself wanting to cry in parts, but then laughing. The friendship which came about after so much hatred between the two. So many twists and turns throughout the show, one of which I had no idea of from listening to the soundtrack over and over. But I know like that I have pieced together the full story from seeing the show.
I think the biggest show stopping moment is “defying gravity”. Which takes place at the end of the first act, just before the interval and it really is just incredible and fantastic.
Coming second to “Defying Gravity” in favorite songs from this musical (yes I love them all but have favorites, haha) as to be “As Long As Your Mine” the love song between Elphaba and Fiyero. Its just incredible, two people that you would never put together have fallen in love. Its quite a dark love song in terms of how love songs are in other musicals, but it is so lovely. “Just for this moment, as long as your mine . . . say theres no future for us as a pair . . . ” they both know that it will be difficult for them to be together forever, so they are happy just for this moment, as long as they are together. I find that so refreshing in entertainment where in movies and musicals the whole happily ever after, forever and ever thing going on.
The main story is focused on before Dorothy came to Oz. Although towards the end it kind of overlaps a little bit. But all of the characters are in there and I think its just fantastic how it all fits together so well. Just little details that have been put together, to make everything flow so well. I had attempted to read the book “Wicked” two years ago now. But I never really got into it, however I really do think that I will get it more now and understand more having a background to the story.
I now want the movie version to be made even more than I did before. I also want to see the show again, yes I did say this is an obsession of mine. “Everyone deserves a chance to fly!” I think everyone should go and see Wicked.
So yesterday I went on a nice day trip to New York. I went to see Wicked on Broadway and was incredible, I had the best seat 10 rows from the front and right in the centre.
I also went up the Empire State Building as it was a lovely day (plus I love that because of An Affair to Remember).
Also took random pictures of shops because of SATC haha.
Will post some pictures soon !!!
I love Wicked and a movie is planned for a 2010 release, although none of the cast has actually been confirmed it is just rumours at the moment. However, I hope these rumoured people take on the film roles, as they were in the original broadway production of the musical. This includes: Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenowith and Joel Grey. Two of these won Tony Awards for there performances.
I am sure I will have many more posts about Wicked as I really cannot wait to see it on the big screen in movie format. (But hopefully I will get to see it on Broadway before that happens . . . that really is on my to-do list).
Let's Go To The Movies 