Monday, September 24, 2007
Wicked
It was May 5, I remember perfectly because, quite obviously, it was Cinco de Mayo festival in New York then. My friend and I were walking around waiting for another friend to come for a visit. It was a free day in New York for us tourers before our concert the next day. After visiting a Strands bookstore branch, we walked around and saw a street sale with different kinds of trinkets, apparently in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. In one kiosk was an all-Wicked merchandise. I’ve heard little about the play but was more than intrigued to get a copy of the original Broadway recording so we got a copy each and even had free pins to go with that! We had a quick Thai lunch just off another store and ate hurriedly.
That was my third brush with Wicked. The first was when I was in Pennsylvania visiting my cousin and her family. I learned that my niece was part of the Wicked cast in their school. Every now and then I’d hear bits and pieces about the story, that it was a prequel to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, way before Dorothy came to the Emerald City. The second instance that piqued my interest was when a friend bought a book, the one that inspired the play. I heard snippets about the story, he was just starting to read.
So last year, buying the Wicked CD was like out of curiosity. I barely knew the song Defying Gravity. Unlike when I started to like Avenue Q, I’ve already heard reviews about the play and heard the whole soundtrack! I didn’t have time to listen to the Wicked CD all through out the tour and even weeks after we’re already back in Manila so when a friend borrowed it, I willingly gave it to him. More than a year has passed and it was only recently that I remembered to look for it and that it was finally given back. And now I’m mesmerized.
I’ve been listening to it over and over again, for the past days. A new found love. Maybe some day soon I’ll get to see it live too. I have falled in love with its music and lyrics! The humor, the stories of heartbreaks and triumphs and the underlying messages of friendship, loyalty, faith and love. I can’t believe I’ve let a year pass before I allowed myself to be immersed in their world. It’s such a beautiful musical.
I’ve recently come across YouTube videos, in around 15 parts, I think, featuring the original Broadway cast on stage. I’ve only started watching and am awaiting to be enthralled. The speaking parts can get a bit muddled, but it’s a visual extravaganza. I hope there’d come a time when I can personally experience watching it too. No loathing, unadulterated loathing for this one at all!
p.s. it just amazed me that in the original Broadway cast, Glinda (Kristin Chenoweth) was also the girl Maria in the Bewitched movie starring Nicole Kidman. She was too good for the movie! Seriously!
Labels: theatre
tweenkies_1106 at 8:33 PM
Avenue Q
Finally after a year or so of learning about the famous play, and playing its soundtrack over and over in my CD player and then iPod, Avenue Q has come to life! The first time I heard about it, they were holding auditions for puppeteers and actors last February and back then, the play date was rumored to be August. I was so excited I had to text my friends about it, friends who shared the same fascination I had on the play. And around summer time, we heard that Rachel Alejandro, Frenchie Dy and Aiza Seguerra were to top-bill the show. I was a bit skeptical, thinking the producers were just milking on the famous names, but boy was I in for a surprise!
After more than a year of singing with Kate and Princeton and the rest of the Avenue Q gang, I was more than eager to see “faces”, visuals to bring to life what I have only heard in my head. And there it was, right in front of me, Avenue Q with its 3-building, 2 storey façade. I was mesmerized. Despite the fact that we were far up in the balcony, the excitement couldn’t have been lesser than those who afforded the orchestra seats. We were in for the experience, and the Philippine cast delivered wonderful.
I have to say that Rachel Alejandro has never surprised me this much. I was astounded beyond my wits. Oh yes, she was a great singer back in her days. And she was a great Mimi in Rent, some few years ago. But the way she brought Kate to life and then switched flawlessly to Lucy the Slut was beyond me! She was truly fascinating, as both characters. Her voice was truly beautiful, soft and “innocent” Kate to domineering and woman-of-the-world Lucy. The shifts were seamless.
I would have to laud Joel Trinidad who played numerous characters, all so convincingly: Trekky Monster (he was truly hilarious); Nikky (who couldn’t forgive him with that cute naivete?); and the male Bad Idea Bear (I’d drink to that!).
And for the slightly newbie theatre actor (I say slightly because I’ve read in the book that he has performed in many other plays, but I’ve only heard of him for the first time here in Avenue Q), Felix Rivera , I’m totally amused! The boy has great talent! Not that I’m an expert, but he does a really awesome Princeton, the wide-eyed new grad to Rod, the closet gay Republican. He’s amazing as both but he made me guffaw more in his puppeteering of Rod. He’s just a total riot.
I don’t know if this is the first play for Ms. Aiza Seguerra, but he does a good Gary Coleman. Sometimes though she’s just all-grins and on her arms-on-hips poses. It gets a little awkward.
My gosh, Frenchie Dy is a wonderful soprano. She makes a mean Christmas Eve, I tell you! But my sister did notice though that she had to distinguish between just consciously switching her l’s and r’s and getting the accent right. It wasn’t too convincing at times.
Of course, I couldn’t help but hum along. Every song I knew by heart, yes, even the raunchy ones. Cringe in slight embarrassment at the full puppet nudity of “You can be as loud as the hell you want when your making love…” or cry at “You gotta go after the things you want while you’re still in your prime. There’s a fine fine line…” or reminisce with “I wish I could go back to college…”. Even decide whether to be hopeful or fearful that things are only “For now.” And it was such a beautiful feeling to see and not just hear being played and sung. That made it more than special! It was a dream come true!
All in all, I would say that the Philippine run was a success. I should say so because the theatre was packed, the audience was reeling in uncontrollable laughter, the cast was great! Even the 15-minute intermission announcement came as a funny surprise. The effort! Gotta love the show, really! Whether down at the orchestra to way up in the balcony, it was an experience to remember.
Labels: theatre
tweenkies_1106 at 8:26 PM