I saw Wicked last night at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit. I had really been looking forward to seeing Wicked for... well, years, since I first saw a scene performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in 2003 (all true musical theatre lovers really get into the Macy's parade and the Tonys, just to see the production numbers). I have to say that this production was a little disappointing. It's my own fault for getting "cheap seats," but I don't think of $40 as cheap. Well, we were in the back row of the balcony. Yes, we had a clear shot of the stage, unobstructed by support beams or big heads, but everything was so far away, and I like to look at the costumes. Worse, though, than our seats were the audio difficulties. There was definite microphone feedback a few times, and sometimes, I couldn't understand what the singers were saying at all (lucky for me I already know the music). I don't know if it was mic levels or poor diction. The first Glinda/Elphaba duet was really quiet and garbled, and Glinda stayed that way for most of the show, although Elphaba got better. I was really impressed with Julia Murney, the lady who plays Elphaba. She has a hell of a voice. Kendra Kassebaum, who plays Glinda, was a disappointment. She just doesn't have the chops of Kristin Chenoweth, and I think that, a few times, the high notes that she's supposed to be singing, she wasn't - some hidden chorus girl was. Even from far away, I could tell that Kendra's mouth wasn't open as wide as it would need to be to hit those high notes.
But, I'm glad I saw it. Spectacular live theatre still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and Elphaba's solo numbers made the little hairs on my arms stand up. That's always a good sign.
Wicked - B
Hmm, see, I saw Idina and Kristen in NYC during previews. they were both great, but this was BEFORE I knew all the music, so I spent most of the time trying to understand what they were saying. I think it's better if you go into a musical knowing the words ... that way you can sing along!
ReplyDeleteI'm so angry I didn't get tickets. I wanted to see it more then anything this summer. Curse me for my inability to do things on time.
ReplyDeleteI am seeing this here in Chicago in July with work. Good stuff!
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