Thought I should put this up before I head to Sydney in just a few days, and it's a bit late anyways.

First, let me explain the trip. First off, I'm not a native German speaker, but at one point considered myself at least semi-fluent. I'd fallen somewhat out-of-practice, but was kind of amazed at how much everything made sense to me still. For several months I had been planning to visit the production in late December/early January with a group of fellow Wicked fan-friends. About three weeks before Thanksgiving, however, my brother called me up. He himself had been planning a Germany (though not Wicked, or even Stuttgart, oriented) visit for about three weeks in November and December. His brother-in-law had to drop out, so he said that I could join his group for minimal cost. By a chance of fate, my schedule freed up and I was able to tag along. I edited my itinerary a bit for my personal taste, catching a handful of Wicked performances along the way. I returnedhome the second week of December. At the end of December, a few days after Christmas, my planned group headed to Stuttgart. Our initial intentions were to return the second week of January. However, a few of us were able to extend a few weeks after getting tickets to Stuttgart's closing performance. Because I was able to spend much more time than originally anticipated with the production, I was lucky enough to catch all three Glindas and all four Elphabas.

This is my first review I've ever written for WoO, and actually the first Wicked review I've written for someone I don't know personally, so please bear with me. I'm going to do it performer-by-performer for the Glindas and Elphabas, and then do a rundown of other characters, with a few additional notes at the end. Also, because it was easier for me to keep track of when writing the review, I refer to songs by their English titles, instead of German. So, bear with me, and enjoy!

Glindas
Lucy Scherer - Lucy was...serviceable. Well, that's not entirely fair. She was more than serviceable. Maybe I'll explain it this way: My feelings toward Lucy's Glinda were almost exactly the same to my feelings toward Stephanie J. Block's Elphaba on the first national tour. She put everything out there for the makings of a fantastic, enjoyable Glinda, but it never meshed for me.

The first performance I saw of Lucy's this time around was probably the weakest I've seen the role since, oh, May of 2008. Her voice seemed very tired, - she had issues hitting both high and low notes, and her belt seemed almost bored. Her presence was pretty much non-existent. As soon as someone else was onstage, Lucy was no longer an entity for me, just a body blocking scenery. Her acting seemed equally bored/tired as the other aspects of her performance. Glinda didn't care. It was a bit disheartening. (In retrospect, I'm a bit grateful for this performance, as I got to focus on other characters and aspects of the show as a whole, without worrying about missing Glinda's performance.) The second performance I saw of her's was a drastic improvement. When she's on, she's a magnetic force onstage. Unfortunately, though, the comic elements to her Glinda grated on me at times - she almost gave me a headache during Popular. I think her speaking voice contributed to this as well. Lucy has a very high-pitched voice, but it became a bit squeaky at times - I don't know if she does this consciously or it's just how I heard it, but, of the aspects of her Glinda I didn't enjoy, it grated on me most of all. Lucy also had some wacky line deliveries - the train station scene, for one. I got basically obnoxious screaming - after a few performances, I was able to decipher what she was saying and why I thought she tried to do it that way, but I thought it was far too over-the-top for my taste. I enjoyed her more in act 2. I didn't especially care for her TG - I thought it was somewhat unnatural - but she definitely grew progressively to my liking throughout the act. Actually, I thought her finale was consistently the best part of her performance.

I just reread that above paragraph, and it sort of made it sound like I hated Lucy. Far from the truth. I just felt she was somewhat over-hyped (at least for my personal taste). Singing-wise, she was brilliant, barring that first performance - her high notes were stunning, low notes lovely. In all honesty, most of the things that I disliked about her performance were little nitpicky things, but the way they added up for me, it conflicted with my overall enjoyment of her performance. As I said, she never really meshed for me as a character. I must say that, as time went by, I she grew on me. Actually at both Willemijn's last and Stuttgart's last, I thought she was pretty darn great. And my opinions must largely be my own - my Stuttgart trip was with a group of other people, and I was the only one who had anything negative to say about Lucy. I think she's led the Stuttgart production well, but I'm glad someone new is taking the role to Oberhausen.

Valerie Link - My first impression of Valerie (this time around) was vastly better than my first impression of Lucy. I felt her presence was more grounded. Her soprano was stellar and never faltered. She didn't have Lucy's natural charisma, but I felt she more than made up for it. Her overall approach to the role was more adult than Lucy's. Her Glinda was very spoiled, and had no problems showing it (a la the fabulous Cristin Boyle, almost). I actually thought it was a bit of a better match to Willemijn - not performance-wise, necessarily, but approach-wise. I also thought this made her more funny and charming during act 1. I personally adored her Popular delivery. She wasn't hyper, but more natural. She made me laugh a lot. I also thought she made a great transformation into act 2 - the transition was natural and vastly more believable than Lucy's. I actually thought TG was her best song of the night. Overall, her second act was strong through and through, but no song was a highlight as much as TG. Valerie didn't get as much of an audience response as Lucy (in either the comic or dramatic parts of the show), but I personally preferred her approach and delivery.

Katrin Löbbert - I LOVED Katrin. Like, seriously, LOVED. I honestly couldn't believe she was just the understudy. Vocally-speaking, she was stunning - a tremendously clear upper register (a la Katie Adams or Alli Mauzey, but without the occasional pronunciation conflicts), a powerful belt, an amazing lower register. But as good as her voice was, her acting was better. Her NOMtW was easily the best of the 3 I saw - she showed the underlying sadness in the song perfectly, while creating an amazing fascad towards the citizens of Oz. Her Popular was delightful, but touching at the same time. She never went extraneously crazy, and got laughs consistently throughout the song. The whole sharing secrets scene was fantastic - she didn't amplify cutesiness, but instead really made you believe that Glinda felt for Elphaba. I thought she had fantastic comic timing throughout act 1 - not once did I cringe, or raise an eyebrow. But as good as her act 1 was, I daresay her act 2 was twice as good. Dare I say TG was her best song? My jaw literally dropped - I didn't expect it to be nearly that good, vocally or acting-wise. She truly owned the scene.

Elphabas
Roberta Valentini - The most impressive aspect to Roberta's Elphaba was her voice. Her voice was strong, hit virtually every note with little difficulty, and was her main tool for expressing the character. The unfortunate part of her performance, though, was her face and body language didn't convey emotion nearly as well as her voice did. Her face didn't change much, really. It seemed to take a lot for her to show any emotion at all. I suppose one could appreciate this as a more subtle, or even serene, performance, but, unfortunately, it didn't work all that well for me. I did feel she held the house for Willemijn, but was more or less a preview. The highlight of her performance was definitely her NGD - she was fierce, and really throwing herself into it. I just wish she'd taken the expressiveness of that one scene and displayed it through her whole performance.

Melanie Gebhard really made me raise an eyebrow, because, of basically every Elphaba understudy I've seen, her performance seemed the most thought-out. Everything seemed very deliberate, but not at all forced. She knew exactly how she was going to carry herself, and really managed to convey emotions and feelings through her body language. Melanie had a commanding stage presence, which was partly brought out because of her height - I don't know exactly how she compares to American Elphabas like Stephanie J. Block, or Victoria Matlock, or Brandi Chavonne Massey, but she was certainly one of the tallest Elphabas that I've seen. Vocally, she was very powerful, yet very controlled. (A friend of mine commented after DG that she reminded him of Kerry Ellis, actually.) I personally thought her act 1 was stronger than her act 2, mainly because I felt her fidgety nature in act 1 didn't exactly transfer to the fierceness I was looking for in act 2. She tended toward more sorrowful performance in act 2, specifically with her NGD. While I appreciated that, I felt there was some fire missing at times. I think that the fierceness will come with more stage time and comfort in the role. Personally, I don't see her ever becoming lead Elphaba, but she's a very strong understudy, and I definitely could see her becoming alternate!

Maria Walter was...amazing, but in a different way than anyone else I saw in Stuttgart. In the same way that Melanie Gebhard was a commanding stage force by her tallness, Maria was commanding due to her shortness. Actually, it made the role a bit uniquely entertaining - her height made her an outsider in the same way older kids don't talk to little kids. As a result, her Elphaba was very feisty. (I should say, I've seen shorter Elphies before, perhaps shorter than Maria, but the way Maria handled it made it more entertaining). Maria basically made WITF, especially opposite Valerie. Valerie was an spoiled upper-class citizen, while Maria was the feisty little girl. Maria's mocking of Valerie was the most over-the-top thing I've ever seen (she first started by skipping in a circle, then started hopping in a circle on one foot, before finally raising her hands above her head and waving them around) - the entire ensemble and Glinda just started staring at her while they were singing. Generally, I would've been more hesitant to laugh, but the way Maria handled the whole thing was hilarious. Another high point of her act 1 included her appearance in the Ozdust ballroom. The same dynamic of her running out in DOS was evident - her shortness made everyone watch her. The Elphie dance was heartbreaking, yet also entertaining. She made a definite transition between acts - it was quite refreshing, actually, and the strongest of any Stuttgart Elphaba except Willemijn. This became especially evident in the sexuality of ALAYM and the fierceness NGD. I actually haven't mentioned her voice till now, now that I realize it. Her vocals are pretty and clear, but she wasn't a vocal powerhouse. TWAI was strong, as was INTG and even DG. But most of her act 2 songs were a weaker - it became evident early in the act that her voice didn't have the stamina to hold the role full-time, or even more than a few times a month. But her lack of vocal prowess seemed to help contribute to her passion. Her NGD was amazingly crazy - she threw every ounce of energy she had left into it. Her vocal climax was the second "Fiyero". She held the "OOO" for a long time, but her voice was all but shot from there. She didn't let that stop her with her passion or energy, though. I have a lot more Maria-specific stuff to say; I may bump the Maria Walter Performer Analysis thread for it, though.

Willemijn Verkaik needs no introduction. At all. Her reputation certainly precedes her. Like Melanie, most every action and mannerism was deliberate, but not at all forced. When she first runs onstage, she's like a magnet - you can't help but watch her. Her opening lines were delivered a bit too angrily for my taste, but, all in all, they actually made sense with the way she portrayed the character. She was very cold to her classmates, and hesitant to trust really anyone. Actually, her act 1 was really interesting to watch - she was as much of an outcast because of the fact that she's green as the fact that she's so wise beyond her years. This made her relationship with Glinda really interesting. Elphaba and Glinda were much adversaries, because it's almost like they understandd each other. Elphaba looks almost longingly at Glinda's carefree lifestyle, but knows Glinda is just as...vulnerable (don't like that choice of word) as she is. Glinda looks longingly towards Elphaba, because Elphaba seems to know what's her truth and place. This dynamic really makes its presence known in WITF - Willemijn's mockery of Glinda is hilarious, because it's actually really accurate, just multiplied a bit. When Glinda gives Willemijn the hat in DTL, Willemijn's reactions are priceless. It's like, "WTF?"/"Wow"/"Huh" all mixed together and it works brilliantly. Then, in the Ozdust ballroom, when she comes in wearing the hat, and everyone's gawking at her, she doesn't act surprised at all. By the end of her dance, she's grinning like crazy. During Popular, Willemijn's reactions are priceless - a hilarious combination of "This is interesting" and downright fear. Her INTG is...heartbreaking. She conveys emotion through virtually every part of her body - I watched her eyes, and I started crying. Her DG is crazy. I mean, she gets you hooked during the verses, not just rushing through them to the finale. And she flies with...ease? She looked comfortable enough in the lift to express herself, and make that an important character point. She transitions into act 2 well. The cornfield scene was brilliant with all three Glindas. Willemijn has this way of planting herself during the "He doesn't love you" speech, at least for the majority. Then, in the latter half of the speech, she starts moving towards Glinda slowly, and by the end, she's in Glinda's face with the "he loves ME." I LOVED that. It made the slap seem like almost a reflex, but it worked SO WELL. And then her NGD was perfection. Nothing seems too calculated, but every movement is, like, real. Amazing.

Other characters
Barbara Raunegger was solid as Madame Akaber. I didn't find anything specifically unpleasing about her performance, but she wasn't all that memorable. I also saw both Helena Blöcker and Jessica Lantto in the role, and I thought both were fantastic.

Carlo Lauber - I actually really enjoyed his performance the first couple of times. He really delivered. Unfortunately, though, he never changed. I felt like I was watching the same performance the whole time. He was always good and never faltered, but he grew somewhat boring. However, he was the only character that I don't believe I saw an understudy for.

Janine Tippl was...different. There was a two-month stetch of time in between the first time I saw her and the last time I saw her. The first time I saw her she was solid, but somewhat forgettable - I'd seen better, but I'd also seen worse. But over the course of the two months, she seemed to actively improve in the role. By January, her voice seemed far better equipped to sing the score, and her acting actively improved. She was a lot stronger in the role in January than she had been in November. As far as understudies as Nessa understudies go, I saw both Lanie Sumalinog and Barbara Schmid perform as well, and enjoyed both. I really didn't have a preference between the three.

Stephan Luethy was...fine as Moq. Actually, I felt he was a bit obnoxious - too loud and pushy, as opposed to quieter and geeky. He and Janine worked well together, but it almost felt like he was trying to make himself more noticeable (not as a character choice, more as an under-used actor choice). I felt Andrea Casati and especially Robert Knorr outshined him by quite a lot.

Mathias Edenborn was quite good as Fiyero. Actually, after what a friend told me, Mathias was quite impressive. He had a fine voice, and he managed to have a strong connection between all 4 Elphabas, and all 3 Glindas. Never a phoned-in show. He was a more tender Fiyero - loving and passionate towards Elphaba, but also caring towards Glinda, just not enough in the end. However, as good as Mathias was, Filippo Strocchi was perhaps even better. I managed to catch Filippo five times, and he truly impressed. Filippo played the role a lot younger than did Mathias. I felt this made him a bit more difficult to connect to opposite Willemijn, especially in ALAYM, but I felt he complemented both virtually everyone else's performances well. And his voice was gorgeous.

The ensemble as a whole was fresh and energetic. One thing did confuse me at times, though. The number of ensemble members fluctuated greatly from performance to performance. I believe I saw three performances where there were only two flat-heads in OSD, (but that's a relatively common thing). I caught a performance where there was a swing on for ShenShen, and no Pfanee. I'd never seen that happen before. It was quite interesting, and a bit confusing. I did appreciate the enthusiasm of the ensemble that was there, and I was, by the closing performance, able to point out different members and figure out their unique deliveries and such.

Other notes
Notes on certain performances
Until this trip, my favorite performance I'd attended was Kristin Chenoweth's (and others') final performance on July 18, 2004. This trip, though, I gathered 2 major milestone shows that caused me to reconsider: Willemijn Verkaik's last in Stuttgart, and Stuttgart's closing performance.

Willemijn's last show was AMAZING. Willemijn proved she owns the role like no one else does. My best summary could only reiterate the things Athos' said, though, honestly. I must say when Lucy sang her finale in Dutch, I cried harder than I can recall ever doing so in a theatre - so moving.

The closing show in Stuttgart was AMAZING, but, alas, it was a complete blur. The highlights for me were Lucy - she added a lot of little gestures and comic points that really added a lot to her performance. The second was Roberta - she was very emotional and seemed a lot more into it, compared to other performances. She cracked a couple of times, but her NGD was PHENOMENAL. A much-deserved standing ovation. Perhaps the best delivery of that song I've ever seen. The cast added a lot to the performance, and I wish I could give a fair summary of it. LaFemmeVerte's summary is so much better than anything I could come up with - talk to me in a few months.

After those two shows, I have no idea what my favorite Wicked has been. I feel privileged to have seen so many amazing performances!!

I caught my third Glinda midshow switch! The performance started off with Melanie Gebhard and Valerie Link (it was a performance that both had advertised on their websites for some time). At intermission, though, it was announced that Valerie would not continue due to health reasons, and Lucy Scherer would take over. ... Yeah, I was confused, too. Apparently Katrin was absent from the production from around New Years through about the first half of January (I heard marriage/honeymoon was in order, but I have no idea if that's true). Also, she was not swinging in the ensemble. It was interesting - I'd never heard of such a midshow switch.

...and just in general
I'd like to comment on the chemistry each actress had with one another. While Willemijn and Lucy shared probably the strongest bond since Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, no pair (of the roughly 10 I saw) was lacking. Especially noteworthy were Roberta and Lucy, Roberta and Valerie, and Willemijn and Katrin.

I love the amount of stage time understudies get! It gives leads time to rest (Willemijn had been belting this role for two full calendar years and then some, and showed no signs of it), but, also, the understudies presented delightfully detailed performances - they weren't just placeholders, they were their own. It was quite refreshing - I'd love for productions internationally to follow suit.


OKAY, well that's my Wicked in Stuttgart experience! I hope it at least made sense!
Hitting up Wicked in Sydney in just a few days - kind of curious as to who I'll be seeing.

Wonderful reviews! Thanks for sharing.

I second that! You are so lucky to have experienced the Stuttgart production and especially Willemijn! For those of us who never had the chance to experience it we can only live vicariously through your wonderful reflections. Thanks!

WOW phenomenal review, especially for your FIRST!? Love the details and enjoyed reading about your experience in Stuttgart seeing ALL the witches and then some!

"YAY" someone else from here being at the finale! Was beginning to think I was the only one and my summary does not even begin to compare to what you have written! Having a head cold at the time, all the excitement, and alcohol...forgot so much at the time...a dream like state...now almost a complete blur! All I see when I close my eyes is those whirling pink and green glow sticks! Want to read more about what you experienced though...where were you seated and were you at the Wicked Fan club meeting/show the night before? The finale was such an awesome show...Roberta's NGD was one of the best I have EVER experienced (my fave song in the musical), and you hit the nail on the head about her acting...one of the reasons I still have this hankering to see Willemijn fully in the role (lol there's still that hope even if means going back to Oberhausen!), cause what I witnessed at the gala in Berlin, were only tidbits of what you and others have written about her...I want MORE!

Interesting what you wrote about Lucy...with the two shows I saw, I found her to be the most perfect Glinda in what she personified with her gestures and expressions...not experienced that since I saw Carmen here in Melbourne in all her witchiness. Those little nuances that appear so natural, where you can't help but believe their character is real, and while not every performance is ever the same, your first review of Lucy concurs with what 'TheSitar' has previously written. I respect both her's and saintaelphaba's opinions/posts here on WoOz, as they always comment constructively, with those little details that make you feel as though you are right there (as you have done!), yet both so opposing about Lucy's Glinda. All in the interpretation and how you see the character but for me, she was simply brilliant. Could not find fault cause she achieved what no other Glinda has made me feel...complete genuine sympathy for her character...I felt her heartbreak, and was torn between my emotions for both witches which in the past has always been aligned with Elphaba. There have been moments I've had tears well up during the 'For Good' reprise...depends on how well it's sung, and my mood at the time due to my issues with the ending...though there have also been times I wanted Glinda to feel pain for the fact her performance pained me...don't like over hyper/screechy Glindas!

Wonderful to read about the other witches, and could not agree more with your comment about stage time for understudies, to keep the leads in top form! Great that they list when they are ON Instead of keeping fans guessing as they do here in Australia! Look forward to hearing about your Sydney experience and depending on how many shows you are seeing....you may get to see all 4 Elphies...though I can almost guarantee you will only see the one Glinda even if you booked all 8 shows for the week and all for the next month! Our Lucy is truly a trooper but I really wish she would take just one show off a week...once a month even would be great for fans and also for her! Tends to get a little screechy by the end of the week, so I hope you get to see a midweek show in the mix. Enjoy!

PS. Never too late to post a review...I'm still yet to finalise mine on the Musical Gala...been too busy catching up on all the other threads!

Wonderful review Kerri and sounds like you were so lucky to see the whole lot of Elphabas and Glindas!!!



A few people have been under-whelmed by her and then others have been blown away completely. I think I'm in the 'blown away' category but it was really nice hearing your thoughts as to why she didn't gel for you. On the other hand, I really really disliked Valerie. I found her lacking in almost every sense apart from her vocals. I just didn't feel she connected with the part. It's amazing how two people can have such different views about a performance isn't it?



I felt very much the same about Roberta as you did. I really wanted to love her too. Her voice was fabulous and that was the highlight for me regarding Roberta's performance. The facial expressions, or lack-there-of, irritated me to no end also. There seemed to be so much potential there that I just wanted to give her a metaphorical nudge to make her live Elphaba, not simply play her. I didn't find Roberta subtle, in fact I thought she spent a lot of time stomping about when she really didn't have to in act 2. I felt similarly as you that Roberta was holding the fort, not necessarily an Elphaba in her own right.




She is perfect.



Barbara was fine..... but yes, nothing memorable and I won't remember what she was like a year from now. Helena I did really enjoy and thought was light years ahead of her counterpart.



I found him quite likeable to be honest. He was slightly bratty, but then I always think Boq/Moq is. He's probably one of my favourites.



I just didn't feel any sort of sinister, manipulative nature from Carlo. He was on stage and said his lines ... and yes, it was on automatic.



My only complaint was that Mathias looks too old for the role. Other than that he's one of the few Fiyeros I don't hate. The role is dreadfully written and he often becomes a villain along with Glinda but Mathias gave Fiyero a heart and brought him back to earth. He convinced me of his loving relationship with Elphaba whilst realising he's betrayed someone else he cares deeply about like you said. Kudos for making every performance feel like the first.



You could be seeing anyone
If it's an evening it's most likely Jemma and apparently Pippa is doing the matinees more often. That obviously can change though. It's a pity you won't be seeing Amanda!

Thank you for a wonderfully articulate review!

What a great read; thank you!

Ahh, thanks for the positive feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the review!



Haha, thanks! In all honesty, I've done quick notes for performances before, but have received some disturbingly negative/hostile reactions. I was frightened from attempting to ever write a full Wicked review for someone I don't know personally (I do for friends all the time, though.




Ack! You got me for a minute - for a second I completely forgot where I sat! I was in the third row, a bit to the right of the middle (seat number escapes me now). I was quite pleased, as we got the tickets on quite short notice. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the evening before. I wanted to, but schedules didn't work out.

As far as the show itself, the biggest highlight for me remains Roberta's NGD - so haunting and chilling. She really impressed me (given her acting hadn't especially prior). The show was such a blur, though! And glow sticks - hehe. The ten-year-old Kerri within me wanted to try and throw it onstage during the show (twenty nine-year-old Kerri successfully suppressed her ) but I definitely saw a handful thrown. I may try and throw down a few notes on the show on the plane ride to Sydney. Basically, the entire show had an added kick, besides the hysterical little/not-so-little jokes the cast kept throwing in. Definitely a night to remember.




I guess to each their own. I was the only one of my group to have anything negative to say about Lucy, and I think in general yours are the dominant views. I'm really glad you both enjoyed, her, though! And saintaelphaba, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Valerie more. Though I disagree with your views on her, I can honestly see why you'd feel that way. Also, just to throw it in, I'm glad you enjoyed Stephan as well. He just didn't do it for me (though he's not at all my least favorite).




She really is. There honestly wasn't a single thing I didn't love about her performance.




Again, to each their own. I enjoyed him initially, but as time went by, into December and especially January, I found him less and less enjoyable. To a first-time/only-time audience member, he was fine. To a repeat viewer, he became dull fast.




I didn't find appearance of age to be much of a factor. I mean, he seemed to gel with the cast well, even if he wasn't as swoon-worthy as some. (Only once have I myself found the age of Fiyero to affect my enjoyment their performance - Anthony Galde, this past summer. It made the show a bit awkward, especially opposite Erin Mackey as Glinda.) But, yeah, I agree with you on the heart he gave to Fiyero. When Fiyero is played lazily, it's easy to brush off the character as an enemy, but his take on the role really gave him a heart. I appreciated that.





I suppose with all your Elphie troubles, it's good to have a reliable Glinda counterpart. I will be seeing the show midweek (as well as weekend), so hopefully I'll be seeing Lucy on top of her game! Also, I'm really curious to see who I'll be seeing as Elphie, what with Patrice apparently thrown in the mix now...? I'll be attending both matinees and evenings, so I'll likely see both Jemma and Pippa. Wouldn't mind seeing Patrice, though, or even Zoe. Well, time shall tell. And you shall certainly hear about it!

Fingers crossed for Patrice though she's not on all that often. She is an ultimate force of nature. If you think Roberta and Willemijn were good vocally... they have nothing on Patrice.

I really admire how you were able to put your feelings for Patrice into words perfectly! For I feel almost exactly the same but find it difficult to express how brilliant I think Patrice really is.

I will be in Sydney for the last weekend in March, hopefully I can catch up with some fellow Aussie Wicked (and Patrice!) fans?


Back on topic:

Wonderful review! Willemijn sounds like the perfect Elphaba and if I go anywhere near Europe, I will certainly endeavor to catch her in Wicked.

I agree SO MUCH. Willemijn is easily my favourite Elphaba ever (and I have seen... quite a few) and one of my favourite actresses/singers/performers in general and her Gutes Tun was amazing. But then I saw Roberta and SERIOUSLY... whoa! I was in the second row and she was so fierce and angry and hurt and right THERE in my face, it was terrifying!

Hope you have fun in Sydney! I'm up there myself next week and half of me is dying to see Pippa again because I've only seen her Elphaba once and I really loved her, while the other half of me is hoping for Jemma because I'll have two international friends with me and it will be their one chance to see Wicked Aus and so naturally I want the Jemma/Lucy/Rob trifecta. Then a little bit of me wants to see Zoe again because I utterly adored her. I'll probably be shot down for this but the only one I'm crossing fingers against is Patrice. Gorgeous voice, but as Elphaba she just didn't do it for me as much as the others.

Argh! *runs around screaming with offence*

LOL only asking cause we met quite a few ppl and thought maybe we may have crossed paths.




Ha my fingers are crossed that we do...busting to hear that phenomenal voice again!

I caught a front-row Roberta performance, and while her acting didn't generally thrill me, NGD was...haunting. She threw herself so much into the song at the closing performance. Amazing.


Anyway, after a delay of flight, I'll be leaving for Sydney momentarily. Review when I return!

Hallelujah, finally someone who shares my point of view re: Lucy! I must admit the Lucy paragraph made me read the rest of the review thoroughly and not just skipping through it like I probably would have done. And I'm very glad it did!

I also agree with you regarding Valerie and SO MUCH regarding Katrin! Not many people (especially non-Germans) have seen her so I haven't really had the chance to hear an unbiased opinion (since most of the Germans are Lucy fans and won't admit anyone's better than her). I adored both Katrin's singing and her acting and her TG was SO good I literally jawdropped. I still think Jana Stelley was the best of German Glindas and I don't think her TG shall ever be topped (imo anyway), but Katrin's was damn close.

As someone already mentioned, it's curious how people can have different opinions about the same things. ^^ I, for instance, thought Roberta was far more expressive than Willemijn, I found Willemijn a much colder and calmer Elphaba than Roberta (I've only seen the original three Elphabas so I wouldn't know about Melanie or Maria). That doesn't say I don't like Willemijn (but really, is there anyone who dislikes her?), I just liked Roberta's Elphaba and felt she had a lot of charisma.

Quite random, but I also find it extremely funny (and awesome) that everyone seems to be amazed by Roberta's singing, when in 2008 she was struggling so much, I had to keep my fingers crossed for her not to crack throughout most of the songs. It's wonderful to watch performers evolve and improve.

Jealous you saw Jessica Lantto as Akaber.



That's Stuttgart. OK, I have to be honest and say I've never seen a show with one of Glinda's friends missing, but they've got swings on all the time and it's quite rare to catch the full original cast. In fact, I've seen Wicked in Stuttgart 15 times and I don't think I've ever seen the complete ensemble, without any swings. But I love them nevertheless.

Oh yeah, and the rumours about Katrin's wedding/honeymoon are true, she was away most of January if I'm not mistaken.

Sounds like she's done an awful lot of work.

I know this is late, but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for taking the time to type it all up. :]

I reread this after posting my Sydney review, because I realized that I did something here that I have to make sure I never do again...

One problem that I have when trying to piece together reviews in general is that I leave out important details, like this wasn't my first visit to Stuttgart's production. My first visit (of a sizeable handful) was end of December 2007/very early January 2008, with a few others throughout 2008/09.

I actually saw Willemijn, Sabrina, and Roberta (in her Elphie debut), and Lucy, Jana, and Valerie (in her Glinda debut). Because I titled this "My Experience with Wicked in Stuttgart", might as well include my initial experience and my perceptions from then.

Sabrina and Jana were actually my first pair (and my most seen in their respective roles). Sabrina generated mixed reception, I know, amongst many Wicked Stuttgart fans. Personally, I really enjoyed her. She had a very wide-eyed idealistic take in act 1, which led to this crushing transformation into act 2. In act 2, though, you'd periodically see that wide-eyed idealist from act 1, and that made her really tug at my heart springs. She wasn't perfect, but, again, I loved her take, and she was so young! Jana Stelley was virtual perfection as Glinda - comical, budding with personality and charisma, and fabulous at the deeper parts. I can't believe I always leave her out of my Glinda rankings.

I had mixed reviews for Willemijn and Lucy. While I thought Willemijn was virtually perfect this time around, I found her incredibly corporate in act 1 in 2007 - she seemed unnaturally aged (the character, not Willemijn), and didn't gel with the cast. I wasn't especially keen on Lucy this time around, but I liked her more than last time. I thought Jana outshone her in almost every way. As far as other full-timers, Angelika Wedekind was far more enjoyable than Barbara. Mark Seibert was very good, though I wouldn't necessarily rank him higher than Mathias (as far as how he developed the character). Nicole Radeschnig was, I thought, more intriguing as Nessa. She made for a better act 1 than act 2, but nailed the role as a whole. Stefan Stara was vastly more enjoyable than Stephan as Boq. And Carlo... I had no opinion of him then.

As far as understudies go, I caught a handful. Roberta was fascinating in her Elphie debut - she seemed like a combo of Willemijn and Sabrina. Her voice was strong, though she nearly cracked a few times. She kept it safe, mostly. Valerie was more enjoyable than Lucy, thought it was obvious she was still finding her feet. Maike Switzer was interesting as Nessa. She played the role older, almost. Basically, her act 1 was just okay, but her act 2 was fantastic. Jens Simon Petersen was on as Fiyero, and, honestly, I loved his portrayal. Despite it being his Fiyero debut (I think), he had great charisma, chemistry, and voice. Francesca Taverni was great as Morrible, though I think Helena and Jessica were stronger.

Well, I figured that little addendum may fit in here.




Oy, yes. Actually, I was the only one of my group who said anything negative about Lucy. And I agree with you on Jana, too. Jana was ridiculously fabulous as Glinda. But honestly, though, I was expecting Katrin to have taken more to Lucy's performance. I was pleasantly surprised that she was more original, though her performance boasted some cool Jana-isms. And major congrats to her on her wedding!!



I think I got a couple with full cast...at least I hope. I love the dynamic of full ensembles. Actually, I didn't mention this because I'm not entirely sure, but I thought I heard one of the female ensemble solos in NOMtW sung by a man... I figured I was dreaming it, but, hey, if that's the custom, then I suppose it's possible.



AND THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS POST.
I saw the show in Oberhausen a handful of times, and, while I have no desire to do a full review, I've had a MAJOR change of heart about Roberta. I have no idea what it was, but she "CLICKED" for me in Oberhausen. And she's very close to beating out Willemijn for my favorite German Elphaba. (Also saw Melanie, LOVED her even more!)

And yes, she really has grown. I saw Roberta's Elphie debut in December 2007, and, while I was very impressed (she had a lot of power and control, I thought), she did crack/almost crack a handful of times. She mostly kept it safe, though. This time around in Stuttgart, her voice was sturdy, reliable, and definitely more developed. In Oberhausen, she was virtually flawless vocally.

Ahahahaha. Yeah, I guess it's possible, I had Maria Graciano (swing) in a male ensemble track once, so..

Also, Jana-ism is totally my new favourite word.

Hehe and Aussie swing Emma I saw a few times in a male track too! And heard that she also was the first Tin Man a few times when they were THAT short.

i had guys in dresses in dancing through life. (is that normal? i thought it was a little odd)

Lol, yeah, that's normal.

ok. lol. just thought that was weird. but ok if it's normal fine by me.