Post by FlyingHigh on Jun 25, 2005 15:07:31 GMT -5
Being the the 2nd row was so amazing. I really got to see everything. I barely even noticed that my eyes and throat were burning because of the smoke machine. It was 100% worth it. Maria Eberline did an outstanding job as Elphaba. Her acting was extremely strong. She really owned the part. She had a great voice, but was clearly holding back vocally. The few times that she did belt, it was amazing. I just wish she'd done more of it. Overall, I'd say she was stronger in the 2nd act. She seemed a bit nervous at first. Her cackle was awful, but other than that I was very impressed. Kendra has a lovely stage presence. Is it just me or does she look like Kate Hudson? Anyway, I couldn't take my eyes off her when she was onstage. I thought her acting was very weak in the first act and very strong in the 2nd. I've noticed that about all the Glindas actually. At first, Kendra played her like a dumb blonde, instead of smart and seemingly shallow girl. But later she was very solid, strong, and confident. She and Maria had a sweet chemistry. Derrick as Fiyero wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected. He was a bit wooden at times, but I'd say in general he did a pretty good job. He had chemistry with both of the girls. I did not like Carol Kane's interpretation of Madame Morrible. She was a complete ditz. It was like she was so ditzy that she didn't even realize she was cruel. Still, she had strong presence. Jenna is clearly very talented. Amazing voice! I feel like she's too good for Nessa. I can definitely see how she'd be an excellent Elphaba. David Garrsion as the Wizard was good. Didn't really leave a strong impression. Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond was ok, except he sounded constipated when he did his baaaaaaaa. The only person I didn't like was Logan Lipton as Boq. I found his portayal very weak. The ensemble was good and strong. As for the production, I loved just about every aspect of it. The Time Dragon was directly over my head, which was cool. I did miss the monkeys flying over the audience in the very beginning, but I loved how the broom actually flew across the stage. You know how, at the very end of Defying Gravity, it goes completely dark except for Elphaba's face for just a second? That's my favorite moment in the entire show. I call the the flash. Anyway, they did it PERFECTLY. It was like a billion volts of electricity going through my body. There are no words to describe the feeling. The audience was pretty good. I was leading the applause the whole time. I was the only one who clapped when Elphie came out of the floor at the end. I got a little nervous during the melting scene, but of course it went fine. I gave entrance applause to both Kendra and Maria. Although I knew in advance that Steph wouldn't be performing, I'm sure as hell glad I gave Maria a chance. I'd still love to see Steph (and Jenna) and Elphie someday though. After the show Derrick talked about the BC/EFA thing and when he said "buckets," I of course thought of JLT. It was hilarious because his mic wasn't working. He said "Is this thing on?" So instead he used Kendra mic, and it looked like he was talking into her forehead. Maria was literally laughing out loud. At the stage door I got autographs from and pictures with Jenna, Derrick, Maria, and Kendra. They were all incredibly nice. Maria is quite short. Not much taller than me, and I'm 4'11". Maria and Kendra thanked us for being such a great audience and I'm like, "I was in the 2nd row screaming for you guys!" Maria asked if we were disappointed about Stephanie not being there, but we all said she did great. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend the tour to anyone and everyone who likes Wicked. You will not be disappointed.
