Last Friday, Broadway.com reported that whenever Universal Pictures finally begins to shoot the big screen version of Wicked, it just may be in 3-D.
Broadway.com quotes Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, who says, "It'll probably be in 3-D because that's where all [movies] are going." Of course, not everyone is enamored by 3-D filmmaking. Esteemed critic Roger Ebert is among those who makes a pretty good case against the technology.
Now that Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth have apparently been told they're "too old" to recreate their stage turns as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, on the silver screen, the search is on for actresses who can attract audiences. In the Broadway.com interview, Schwartz mentions the possibility for casting the younger Idina Menzel-doppelgänger Lea Michele, as well as "meeting" director Ryan Murphy. But neither is on board yet with the film version that Schwartz said remains "a twinkle in our eye" for the time being.
So dear readers, would you like to see Wicked in 3-D? Please vote in my latest SOB Poll below and then weigh-in!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: 3-D, Film, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Lea Michele, Roger Ebert, Ryan Murphy, Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Wicked (The SOB Review) - Helsingin Kaupungin Teatteri, Helsinki, Finland
***1/2 (out of ****)
For the third time, Stephen Schwartz's musical Wicked is being produced in a language other than English.
Yet the show now playing at the Helsingin Kaupungin Teatteri (Helsinki City Theatre) is the first "non-replicated" production ever of the tuner, meaning that Wicked isn't using the original Broadway staging. Instead, it's been conceived with new creative designs that lends an incredibly fresh perspective to this already classic work, thanks to Hans Berndtsson's inventive direction.
While the Finns -- or for that matter the rest of the world -- may not know "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz" quite the way Americans do (we've practically been weaned on the movie since birth), almost nothing is lost in translation in Berndtsson's reimagined Wicked.
In fact, his vision hews this incarnation much closer to the 1939 film, complete with a dazzling double for Dorothy (Hanna Mönkäre) -- the first time this character has been seen on stage in Wicked. The girl in the blue gingham dress drops in at appropriate times throughout the performance including the climax, which proves to be eminently more satisfying than the Broadway original. This Wicked better complements the film than the original mounting, which in retrospect left some sizeable gaps between it and its forebear.
Given Finland's close proximity to the fomer Soviet Union (Helsinki is less than 200 miles away from the Russian border), perhaps it's no surprise that the sinister Wizard (Eero Saarinen) is drawn with Soviet-style shadings as he attempts to tamp down the peasants by giving them a new enemy in Elphaba (Maria Ylipää). I couldn't help but think Saarinen's Wizard as a perfect doppelgänger for Alec Baldwin aping Joseph Stalin. Berndttson's choices here, along with further nuance for the once-speaking animals subtly blended in throughout the show, prove chillingly effective.
Less so is the director's conception of Oz, where he seems to have attempted to insert more pages from Gregory Maguire's much more graphic and decidedly more adult book. Oz apparently has a seedy underbelly, complete with what appears to be a leather disco where Elphaba and Glinda (Anna-Maija Tuokko) celebrate their "One Fine Day" ("Päivän Vain") in the Emerald City. More bizarre is a series of bubbles that come alive with scantily clad dancers during "Loistavaa" ("Wonderful") as the Wizard is trying to woo Elphaba back into his fold. Are these the same bubbles that the Wizard has created for Glinda to come and gone by?
However, Wicked is ultimately about "The Wizard Of Oz" backstory of how two very different women find friendship and empowerment. In this regard, Berndttson's vision doesn't disappoint and in fact excels. Tuokko is as giddy and gorgeous as any Glinda I've seen, and her comic timing and agile voice couldn't be better. Ylipää effortlessly wins our hearts as the misunderstood green girl. Both Ylipää's Elphaba and Tuokko's Glinda soar, whether by bubble or broom, to breathtaking heights by putting their own indelible stamps on these roles and making them their own.
Overall, this Wicked is fresh, exciting, absolutely wonderful and full of aahs. For me, it was most definitely worth the trip.
Click here to view the offical program. Currently, this production of Wicked is selling tickets through December 31, 2010.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Anna-Maija Tuokko, Eero Saarninen, Finland, Gregory Maguire, Hanna Mönkäre, Hans Berndtsson, Maria Ylipää, Non-replicated, Stephen Schwartz, The SOB Review, Wicked
Wicked To The FinnishOn Thursday, August 26, the very first non-replicated production of
Stephen Schwartz's global phenom
Wicked premiered at Finland's
Helsingin Kaupungin Teatteri (Helsinki City Theatre). After nearly seven years of sold-out or nearly sold-out performances on Broadway,
Wicked remains the
number one grossing show on the Great White Way.
"Non-replicated" means that this
Wicked is not bound by the
original Broadway staging and is being conceived with entirely fresh creative designs under
Hans Berndtsson's direction.
But fear not, die-hard
Wicked fans, because although Schwartz's score and
Winnie Holzman's book have been translated into the Finnish language, they are the two elements that remain essentially intact.
For production stills, along with an approximate English translation, as well as initial audience reaction in Helsinki, please go
here.
This production allow audiences to see an actress portraying Dorothy for the very first time. But of course, the real stars of
Wicked are
Maria Ylipää as Elphaba opposite
Anna-Maija Tuokko as Glinda. Other cast members include Ursula Salo (Madame Morrible), Tuukka Leppänen (Fiyero), Eero Saarinen (the Wizard), Antti Lang (Boq), Vuokko Hovatta (Nessarose) and Heikki Sankari (Doctor Dillamond).
Currently, this production of
Wicked is
selling tickets through December 31, 2010. I'll be in the audience this coming Saturday with a full report to come shortly after.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Anna-Maija Tuokko, Broadway, Finland, Hans Berndtsson, Helsinki, Maria Ylipää, Non-replicated, Stephen Schwartz, Wicked, Winnie Holzman
Wicked At FiveIn case you haven't already noticed, either by virtue of the
Empire State Building glowing in green or my posts from the past couple of days, the Broadway musical
Wicked is celebrating its
fifth anniversary of its Great White Way opening this evening.
Just a month or two into our relationship,
The Love of My Life and I first saw
Wicked together on the afternoon of November 1, 2003. Some couples have their song. We have our musical.
It springs not just from sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the actual performances
Wicked offers, but it's also derived from our innate love for the original "
Wizard Of Oz" film. After all, we were practically weaned on it as our families gathered around the television sets each year for what amounted to "event" TV way back when.
But cementing our affection for the tuner is
Wicked's inspired twisting inside out of that original tale we thought we already knew backwards and forwards. Together, for the first time, we felt a little wicked in sharing an experience we both heartily enjoyed.
Since we first saw and loved the production from our fifth row center seats a mere two days after it initially opened, we've seen the show enough times that I've honestly lost count. Not only have we been back to the
Gershwin Theatre at least another four times to see the likes of Elphaba and Glinda, but I've also been back there for the
Behind the Emerald Curtain Tour and Monday's night's
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken benefit performance.
Oh yes, and then there were the performances in Chicago. Not only did we take in the
original touring production when it first landed at the Windy City's Oriental Theatre, but we returned to the subsequent
sitdown production there over and over and over and over again while living there (and even after we moved away). We even had several opportunities there to see our future friend and Tony winner
Rondi Reed perform as Madame Morrible.
Post Chicago, we also took in the touring cast in Minneapolis before venturing overseas to each of the international productions in
London (April 2007),
Stuttgart (November 2007),
Tokyo (December 2007) and
Melbourne (July 2008), and you can bet that we're looking forward to seeing more of the world after this show opens elsewhere. Anyone want to meet us in Amsterdam next?
Just as
The Love of My Life and I celebrate our five years together, the two of us are celebrating
Gregory Maguire for providing the decidedly different, more adult take on Elphaba and Glinda in the first place through his original novel "
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." We celebrate
Stephen Schwartz and
Winnie Holzman for transforming that story into a family musical via their original score and book. We celebrate producers
Marc Platt,
Universal Pictures,
The Araca Group,
Jon B. Platt and
David Stone for having the vision necessary to bring the show to reality. Last, but certainly not least, we celebrate the countless Elphabas, Glindas, Fiyeros, Madame Morribles, Boqs, Nessaroses, Wizards and Doctor Dillamonds who have brought this story to life around the world.
We salute and celebrate all of you. Here's to another
Wicked five years!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anniversary, Broadway, David Stone, Gregory Maguire, Jon B. Platt, London, Marc Platt, Melbourne, Stephen Schwartz, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Touring Production, Wicked, Winnie Holtzman
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken (The SOB Overview)George Gershwin Theatre, New York, NYAs the celebration for the fifth anniversary of Broadway's
Wicked continues, Monday night treated fans of the musical to a benefit reading of the tuner's very first draft. Cleverly entitled
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, the evening served as a fundraiser for the
New York Restoration Project.
As entertaining as the evening was -- particularly with previous Elphabas (
Stephanie J. Block and
Shoshana Bean) and Glindas (
Jennifer Laura Thompson and
Kate Reinders) mixing it up with the likes of wannabe Madame Morribles (
Joy Behar), Boqs (
Mark Indelicato), Wizards (
George Wendt) and Fiyeros (
Daniel Reichard and
Matthew Settle) -- it was clear to any
Wicked fan that when all was said and done,
Stephen Schwartz and
Winnie Holzman, who composed the score and wrote the book, respectively, made the right decisions on what to excise and what to keep.
Although not everyone was in finest of voice, Block and Thompson proved yet again why they were such naturals for their roles -- and remember, Block tackled the role of Elphaba in early readings prior to
Idina Menzel taking over the role for the show's Broadway debut.
There were plenty of ad-libbed moments, ranging from comments on how it was painfully obvious why something had long since been altered to the political.
Mario Cantone compared the
old goat that is
Wicked's Dr. Dillamond to John McCain, while Behar, in delivering Madame Morrible's screed on Elphaba, threw in a reference to Sarah Palin by adding, "this witch, this
hockey mom." Another ad lib came from Wendt. When he hit the stage, one woman in the audience found it necessary to shout, "Norm!" to which he responded by simply saying, "Edna!" -- alluding to his current gig in Broadway's
Hairspray.
If there was one major highlight, it came from a surprising source -- Mario Cantone. Known in part for his impersonations of both
Judy Garland and
Liza Minnelli, the actor singlehandedly stole the show when he came out to pinch hit for Glinda midway through the performance. In a little
tête-à-tête with Block, who made her Broadway debut as Minnelli in
The Boy From Oz, Cantone momentarily dished Lizaesque before launching into his own hilarious rendition of "Popular." He was, in a word, priceless.
The evening also offered the adoring crowd an opportunity to salute Schwartz and Holtzman, who took to the stage at the reading's close. Holtzman graciously deflected the applause toward "
Wicked" author
Gregory Maguire, while Schwartz offered that he's looking forward to celebrating
Wicked's success yet again in another five years.
I hope to be there to cheer them on yet again.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anniversary, Benefit, Broadway, Gregory Maguire, Mario Cantone, New York Restoration Project, Stephanie J. Block, Stephen Schwartz, The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, Wicked, Winnie Holtzman
Broadway Preview: GodspellDay by day, I keep waiting for additional news to surface regarding the planned Broadway revival of
Stephen Schwartz's seminal work
Godspell.
It had originally
been announced that this Great White Way revival, first mounted two years ago at New Jersey's
Paper Mill Playhouse, would begin sometime this month. Now, from checking
Telecharge's ticketing information, the tuner won't begin previews until September 29, with its opening set for October 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Still, it's a little unsettling that more information isn't available other than that
Gavin Creel is set to return to Broadway as the musical's Christ-like figure. Fortunately, Creel himself wrote the following on
his own blog just this past Monday:
so the news is out:
Godspell has found it’s [sic] home: the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on 47th street in NYC.
previews begin: sept 29
official opening: oct 23
IT’S EXCITING! I’m really starting to gear up and so is this amazing creative team. the stuff I have heard about the show so far sounds really thrilling. I don’t want to speak to [sic] soon but...I have a feeling some pretty beautiful/powerful/fun energy is coming to Manhattan in the fall. prepare ye...
That’s the first bit of news and more scoop coming. (i.e. who else is gonna be up there playing on that stage) ...but that’s all I can report right now. soon...
Absent from the Great White Way for three years, Creel has returned from his stint as Bert in the London stage version of
Mary Poppins. I caught both of Creel's previous Broadway credits including his Tony-nominated 2002-03 turn as Jimmy Smith in the Tony-winning Best Musical
Thoroughly Modern Millie and his portrayal as the selfish son Jean-Michel in the 2004-05 Tony-winning Best Revival of a Musical
La Cage Aux Folles.
While
Godspell initially enjoyed a long Off-Broadway run from 1971-76 at the Cherry Lane Theatre,
it didn't land on a Rialto stage until 1976. Nevertheless, Schwartz earned a Tony nomination for Best Original Score. Perhaps the best-known performer in that mounting was
Paul Shaffer ("
Late Show With David Letterman") on keyboards. Once there, the show played 527 performances.
The creative team for the revival includes direction from
Daniel Goldstein, choreography by
Christopher Gattelli (
Altar Boyz), scenic design by
David Korins, costume design by
Miranda Hoffman and lighting design from
Ben Stanton.
So what are the prospects for success for this first revival of
Godspell to hit Broadway? Given the continued, immense popularity of Schwartz's current hit
Wicked, I have little doubt that
Godspell will score all for the best.
Group tickets are currently on sale via
Telecharge.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, Gavin Creel, Godspell, Musical, Revival, Stephen Schwartz, Transfer
One Short Day, In Universal's Emerald CityEver since first hearing the strains of the song "One Short Day" from the mega-hit musical
Wicked, I figured it would eventually end up in a commercial for the tuner's financial backer
Universal Studios. After all,
Stephen Schwartz's zippy song sounds more like an advert jingle tailor-made for a theme park than a Broadway showtune.
Now, Universal Studios Hollywood has announced that beginning tomorrow, it is launching
Wicked Wednesdays.
Carol Kane, who currently plays Madame Morrible in the LA cast of
Wicked, will take to the Blues Brothers stage for an "exclusive performance" as part of the special summer series that also features autograph-signing sessions, photo opps with the cast, face painting, karaoke contests and sale of its ubiquitous
Wicked merchandise and tickets.
Clearly, as the
Wicked franchise continues to grow both domestically and
internationally, the added attention will not only drive demand for even more tickets, but it will also create more momentum as Universal undoubtedly moves toward a film version.
No word yet on whether "One Short Day" is being used to advertise
Wicked Wednesdays.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Universal Studios Hollywood tickets. Click here for Wicked Broadway tickets.Click here for Wicked Chicago tickets.Click here for Wicked London tickets.Click here for Wicked Los Angeles tickets.Click here for Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz Stuttgart tickets.Click here for Wicked Tokyo ticket information.Click here for Wicked U.S. Tour ticket information.Related Stories:Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
Wicked (The SOB Revisit) - London (April 17, 2007)
Theatre For A New Age (April 8, 2007)
Wicked World (March 19, 2007)
Were London Critics Mourning West End Wicked? (September 28, 2006)
West End Wicked Opens Tonight (September 27, 2006)
Wicked Witch of the West End Takes Flight Tonight (September 7, 2006)
Five Times More Wicked (July 17, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Worldwide Wicked Casting News (May 5, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, California, Los Angeles, Musical, Stephen Schwartz, Universal Studios, Wicked
