Curse Of The Understudy: Part V
Curse Of The Understudy: Part VAs regular readers know, I’m currently vacationing in Australia. One major impetus for this trip was to take in the Australian production of Wicked, which opened earlier this month at Melbourne’s lovely Regent Theatre. I caught this past Sunday’s matinee performance.
While I’ll provide my SOB Revisit on the actual show shortly, I was a bit disappointed to learn that this incarnation’s Elphaba, regularly played by Amanda Harrison, was out of the show for my performance. In Harrison’s place was her standby Jemma Stevenson, who delivered a mostly competent take as the green witch.
Given how decent she was, I was somewhat surprised when my friends informed me that in the two times they had now seen the Melbourne production -- first in previews and then with me on Sunday afternoon -- how vastly Stevenson’s performance as Elphaba had improved. (She may have simply been getting her bearings as it appears she has portrayed the green one in the Japanese production). What struck me even more is that they had now seen the show twice in its relatively short run, but somehow had missed out on Ms. Harrison both times.
I took Harrison’s absence in stride and enjoyed the show. Well, most of the show.
You see, about one half hour into the first act -- right smack dab in the midst of the engagingly funny “Loathing” number -- the Regent Theatre’s ushers elected to show the latecomers seated right next to me, in the second row center, no less, to their seats. Only problem was that there were but two seats and three people.
The whole matter was incredibly disruptive, not only for those of us in my row who needed to constantly stand up to let the offending latercomers in, but even more so for the poor ticket holders in the rows immediately behind us.
There was a lot of standing and shuffling as the three individuals made their way in and out of the row, all while the usher tried to figure out who was really supposed to be seated there. Needless to say, this fiasco took away from the performances taking place less than twenty feet in front of us for everyone seated around us.
Shame on the Regent Theatre’s ushers for not finding a more appropriate time to seat their guests, as well as for not having the tickets properly sorted before venturing down the aisle.
And shame on patrons for arriving late. I’m reminded of what Barry Humphries as Dame Edna once (and quite possibly often) said to a couple of latecomers to his Broadway show in 2000. “Where are you coming from dears? Oh, across town? Well, I came all the way from Australia and still made it here on time.”
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Feeling A Little Wicked: On The Edge Of Oz (July 25, 2008)
Something Wicked This Way Opens In Australia (July 12, 2008)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part IV (April 24, 2008)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part III (July 23, 2007)
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy - Part II (January 15, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy (October 2, 2006)
Labels: Amanda Harrison, Australia, Curse of the Understudy, Jemma Stevenson, Melbourne, Wicked
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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