Basically this is for all you guys to put your reviews in of the show, or any thoughts after tomorrows shows.

Looking forward to hear about the amount of crazy SCREAMING

Wrote this for another forum on train back home tonight but thought I'd post it here too until the real reviews appear:

On train on way back home now after a great day. not brill at writing reviews so I'll just recap a few highlights. The first half of the mat was so funny with Andy Mace standing out as the comedian from the beginning, he pretended to trip on his entrance carried a large brown bag with LUNCH in big letters on it and rather than a peck on the cheek he got a full on kiss (finally)! During the classroom scene he shone, delivering all his lines and the whole of Something Bad in a Italian accent! He also pronounced the paper for lunch was awful and exclaimed "Bloomin Eck" when the board was turned.

A nice touch was Oli bringing Kerry a single red rose rather than flowers while at the station, Kerry did look taken aback a little. The porters stole this scene though with a romantic kiss in the background.

Theres plenty more little things but not easy to write up all of them on my phone at this time in a tiny font! Crowd were a little quiet considering the event in the afternoon. Thought Kerry held back in her singing for the evening show...proved right a couple of hours later, she put in a powerhouse of a performance, in fact all the cast did with th exception of Oli with no extra riffs as we expected which was a shame, Kerry even had to take a visible breath at the end of DG for her final note for which she got a standing ovation and her "For the LAST time I feel Wicked" was also loved by thecrowd. The girls were crying and wiping tears off each ether by the end.

Dianne actually did the speech at the end so mybe Oli was a little ill. Needless to say lots of cheers for everyone leaving and Dianne did well to get through it all, Kerry added some thanks and then it was all over. A fantastic day and for me the end of an era but hopefully the beginning of a new one for Kerry.

As I said, theres lots more but am nearly home so I'll sign off and someone else can fill in the (many) blanks and apologies for any spelling mistakes etc.

Love it! That's so cute and sad.

The London company has said goodbye to amazingly talented cast members today, and I wish them all the best.

And... on a side note, I need Kerry's full-length album.

I know i saw that and I almost teared up! I wish I was there.... that would have been a fortune just getting a passport, plain ticket (two ways), hotel and ticket.

Some vocals off the top of my head... Kerry's singing was great at the evening show. The ending of W&I was surprising, in a good way (and funny at the mat when she got charged by the entire ensemble!). Got a nice Eden triplet riff on "I'll never kno-o-ow/love I guess I've lo-o-ost", big growl on look, she held the high F Victoria style... and my personal favourite bit, she worked the meeeeeeeeeeeeeeEee doooooown and made it her female dog. Went up to an Eb on the second bring me down and held it for half the note, meaning she took a noticeable breath before the last note causing a few giggles.

No Good Deed was equally amazing. Held the Eb in fiyeeee-eeeeee-roooooo for ages, and riffed the do-o-oooooooOOOO at the end and went up to a Gb Kristy style. Then held the D on the last note forever. Sorry I'm trying to articulate the riffs she did.

Kerry is the dancing queen.

Yesterday was brilliant. Just brilliant.

Andy Mace stole the matinee, with his Italian!Dillamond. Very very funny. The man is a legend, why must he go?!
Dianne's epic 3rd toss-toss was fab. As was the look on Kerry's face when she realised she'd have to copy her!
WAI was very cute. Literally the entire cast ran on mid way through and Kerry got the giggles.

There's sooooo much to say I don't even know where to start. Ok, yes I do. Defying Gravity got a standing ovation. I mean, wow. Kerry had to take a breath before the last note and giggled a bit.
Dianne looked like she'd been crying during WAI and didn't stop looking that way for the entire show. I just sat there with a huge grin on my face. So did Kerry after she cheer she got when she'd finished.
Dianne got entrance applause too. And managed to shush the crowd to deliver her line Yep, she rocks.
ALAYM was the cutest ever. The hug and "for the LAST time I feel Wicked." Awww.
NGD was incredible Kerry's always owned that song, but last night was epic!
For Good. Very cute, very sad. Very out of character but I don't care.

I'm impressed Dianne did the speeches, and managed them all without crying! She said the names of all the cast who were leaving and they all got their own little cheers (including Aimee and Kady, looking tres pretty in their party frocks!! ) then gushed a lot about how brilliant Kerry is. Then Kerry spoke as well, thanking a lot of people, and gushed back about Dianne. They were just all generally lovely. I cried, I'm not gonna lie. But now I'm back to being happy because the show was so amazing!

Ok, let me know if any of that made sense....

Two things: I love that riffy!Kerry finally showed up.
Secondly - how was the screaming?

A lot better than I thought it would be, I have to say!!! Though you couldn't really hear the ends of WAI and DG, but that was to be expected. All in all, the atmosphere was amazing, and the screaming didn't bother me in the slightest.

OK, she was amazing. End of "The Wizard and I" won at life.

I adore when Kerry went "No good deed will I do" and on do she went higher at the end <3

Loved the speeches to, glad it was Dianne who gave it and am happy Kerry got to have a speech.

Mixed feelings about whether I wanted to be there for the evening; Kerry sounded amazing & her DG obviously won. But the screaming I heard? Seriously. Although it wasn't as bad as last year, it still sounded pretty bad.

I was glad I was there for the matinee though, along with Sarah, Ash & Aimee Lewis. Oli was actually giving matinee tickets away!

One thing that really has crossed my mind was, because of people discussing it in the interval, was Liam's "No one MOU-hurr-NS the wicked" planned or not?

Edit - I was actually stunned to see our green lights in DG. They made my jaw drop. Are they new? Or have I been asleep?

I thought the matinee audience was worse. Constant jokes from the cast + theatre full of fangirls who laugh like hysterical hyenas on drugs = not good for my ears. At the evening show the audience seemed dependent on where you sat. It was worse at the back of the stalls - I could hear people screaming there when she started the "it's not her she has nothing to do with it" part and for her riffs and the chorus in DG, but it didn't really affect me.

In my opinion both audiences were fantastic. I didn't have a problem with anyone at all, I was so caught up in the atmosphere and Kerry's performance that I really didn't care!

I now officially hate Kerry Ellis...

.. for making me not be excited for tomorrow!!

Seriously, last nights show was AMAZING and I don't know how anything could follow it (although, I'm sure I won't be saying this tomorrow). There were bits I didn't like (screaming, actually thought NGD was a little bland for Kerry apart from the ending riff) but most of it I LOVED. Kerry/Dianne are the awesome. Dianne's reaction to Kerry's "MEEEEEEEEE" in DG was so cute! Kerry's WAI was the best WAI I've ever heard. STANDING OVATION DEFYING GRAVITY. The most adorable For Good ever. The best speeches ever. I have to say Kerry's was my favourite though, her Dianne/Oli mentions and then the fans, it brought a tear to my eye.

Sorry thats a bit all over the place, I've only just got home and I'm still a bit all over the place. I don't want to have to do this all over again tomorrow LOL.

You guys are killing me. I'd love a full review if anyone's up to it.

Sounds like a great show, and I'm so glad that you guys made the final performances for so many cast members especially memorable. They couldn't do it without you guys, you know.

Amazing show. If anyone got any pictures from speeches, could you please post them? im sure i am not the only one who would love to see

I for one was not a fan of liams solo bit...and I like his vocals.

Andy Mace...I've turned and become a fan....I was very amused.

Hi

I saw both shows on Saturday, so thought I'd attempt a semi-review type thing. I'm new, so appologies if this isn't too good! Also, I don't know the ensemble tracks at all, so there is a big possibility I missed things going on with them. Sorry if I am repeating things that others have said, I find it easier to put it all down chronologically.

Muck-Up Matinee

Muck-ups that I remember

NOMTW - Andy trips as he comes out. Witches mother hands him a brown paper bag with LUNCH written on it. Andy gives her a full on kiss on the lips before tripping off stage.
Just before she gives birth Witches mother yells "Sweet Oz".

Shiz: Glinda/Pfannes/Shen Shens "You're so good" "No I'm not", etc exchange lasted so long that Madame Morrible had to interupt with "Have you quite finished?".

TWAI: The whole ensemble including animals rushed at Kerry, who immediately tried hard not to laugh, her voice was shaking for the next couple of bars, and when she gestured off stage ( i.e with suitcase) she really meant.

WITF: Something happened with the letters at the begining, but I was too far back to see

Classroom: Hysterical. Andy did the whole thing, including song, in an Italian accent. When the board was turned over he shouted "bloomin 'eck". When he eats his lunch, instead of saying he's lost his appetite, he just spat the paper out and said "that tastes awful" . Cue brieft pause before Kerry continued with the ' you shouldn't let ignorant statements like that fool you. Then when she asked him if he wanted a glass of water, he replied "yes actually if you have one". Cue another Kerry pause, with mild panic face, before Andy put her out of her misery at the last moment by saying "don't worry it's fine".

DTL: Fiyero and Averic kissed each other on the cheeks. As Fiyeros "car" went off stage there were car crash sound effects.

Oz dust: Oh my God, Kerry Ellis! The Dancing! She did a Saturday Night Fever / Grease Lightening/ Macarena type moves. Can't begin to describe it. So funny. Plus she actually managed to spin in a circle without falling over. Dianne and Ollie just let her continue for ages before going to interupt.

Popular: Dianne's turn to play with Kerry. The usual two toss tosses, are done, Kerry looks at Dianne expectantly, ready for the line "never mind you'll practice". However Dianne tosses her hair again saying "toss toss toss DOUBLE Toss". Giant pause as Kerry just sits there shaking with laughter. She eventually pulls herself together, does it, and then has to straigten her wig.

Classroom Scene: When Dr Dillamond is lead away, Andy shouts to guards "let me go or I'll kill you", then manages to break free and run back on stage before they drag him off again. David Stroller takes his bowler hat off to reveal a big old black Mullet wig.

Train Station: two animals in the back ground have a fight over Luggage, and then end up kissing. Fiyero hands Elphaba a single read rose instead of a bunch of flowers. Kerry is choked up, by gesture and voice wavers slightly when she starts to speak.

DG: When the wizard yells for the guards to come in, they run in without their weapons. They strike James Bond style poses and then proceed to do what looks like the opening few moves on the Macarena/ Saturday night dance, before running off.

ACT 2 - no muck ups

Laughed my whole way through.

Singing was good, but you could tell Kerry was holding back for the evening, notes weren't held as long as usual.



Evening Show

Ok. I have seen Wicked 10 times, and a fair few other WestEnd Musicals over the years, and never have I seen a show like this one. It was phenominal. I start grining like an idiot when I think about it.

Quick note on Dianne: I have to say I was nervous about this show. Dianne for me, back in 2007/2008 was Glinda, but then having seen 2 really lack lustre shows from her at the begining of this year, I have actively avoided seeing her since, and have gone to see Sarah shows instead. Yesterday however she was on fire, pure comedic timing ( if a little OTT on occasion) but she was on top form.

ok..I won't do all of it, just bits I noticed

NOMTW: Dianne enters to the longest and loudest entrance applause I had heard ( until Kerry entered that was). She was grinning, and eventually had to "sush" the audience with her hands so she could start speaking.

Kerrys Entrance : I think the roof nearly came off the AV the clapping and the cheering were that loud. The best bit was the expression on Kerry's face, it seemed to read "I can't believe that 2000 people are this happy to see me".

TWAI. Words cannot describe it. Kerry was having a great time with it. The ending, well people have probably heard it all now anyway, but it was amazing, I don't think she has ever done a version quite like it. From where I was in the circle, I think she got a partial standing ovation. Again, it was the expression on her face at the end when people were clapping, she just had this huge huge grin, on her face, especially as the applause continued for so long, I think she was very humbled by it, she kept clutching her face, and hugging as arms as if she was trying to pinch herself. People have said that it wasn't Elphaba on stage on Saturday night, it was Kerry Ellis painted green, and I agree that in this song it did kind of break character and seem like it, but it was worth it for vocals like that.

DTL - back to normal - but I really really wished Kerry had done the saturday night fever dancing again!


DG: One thing I found noticeable in the performance as a whole, and in particularly this song, was the speed. Usually they zip through the show as if they want to make 10.15 train home, but they took their time with the begining of this song, which I liked, as some times when I've seen it the "I hope you're happy now" exchange is so fast you can barely make out the words.

The ending. I don't think I need to describe it, safe to say that the man sat next to me, who was seeing it for the first time later said to me "she's got a set of pipes on her." That 'meeeeeeeeeeee' went on forever, and the big gasp of air before "ahhhhhh" was so cute. Not a lot of dramatic tension, but again, you couldn't fault the vocals.


WWOE: Glad Caroline got some much deserved applause after she finished her bit.

ALAYM: for the last time I feel Wicked....was it my eyes or did they kiss for longer than normal?

NGD: The Riffs on 'again' and 'Fiyero' were epic, but...potential unpopular opinion coming up......as a whole, this song didn't give me the chills as it usually did. Perhaps it was because this, for me, is generally the stand out song, but because all the songs that night were superb, may be it didn't seem as special as usual? Don't know.

FG: There are stories circulating about the pair of them crying their eyes out..I was too far away to actually see, but I don't think they were sobbing.Dianne was sniffing, and in a very cute moment, Kerry paused to wipe tears out from under Diannes eyes, and about 20 seconds later, Dianne did the same thing for Kerry, but apart from that they held it together. I could be wrong though, but thats how it seemed from where I was sat. It was very moving nonetheless.

Finale: Dianne, in her bubble, clutching the grimmerie to her as if it was a life jacket..intentional or not, it was very touching.

Curtain call/ End Speeches : I loved the way Kerry hugged Dianne and lifted her off the ground. Also, amused me the way Dianne took her piece of paper out from where she had stored it down her bra. Classy.

What made this performance was the way Kerry was so obviously happy and excited throughout it all - the last 2 times I have seen it, she seemed a bit fed up/tired with it all, so to see it renergized on Saturday, was truly spectacular.