So the study abroad program at my school occasionally gets all of the study abroad kids tickets to see shows and throws random shindigs for us - normally I never partake in these events for reasons even unknown to me. HOWEVER. Last night, we went and saw Wicked. I love wicked, it was my fourth time to see it, I just can't get enough. Now let me start off by saying, the fist time I saw it was on Broadway, with most of the original cast - so my standards are very high. Not to mention I listen to the soundtrack a lot, therefore I am used to the amazing original cast members singing all of my favorite show tunes. Now, last nights experience.
For starters, they all spoke with their British accents (except for The Wizard who sounded like he was from New York). Now I know you're all thinking, Audrey, you're in London, what do you expect, so let me tell you. I expect American accents. That is how it originated, that is how I like it - it was just weird to hear some of the songs in British accents, not to mention some of the dialogue changes to "british" words - I just really didn't like that about the show.
Next complaint - the actress who played Glinda was EXTREMELY annoying. I'll admit, her singing didn't suck, not at all, but compared to some of the other Glindas I've seen I wasn't too impressed by her. Elphaba was played by some girl from Northern Ireland, she's only been doing the show for 1 month and considering that she did a great job. Her voice cracked a few times during some of the songs but overall she was pretty good. When she and Fiyero sand As Long As You're Mine she sounded amazing, but my favorite song she sang was No Good Dead - she killed it. Fiyero, well the actor had blond hair, was really tall and thin, and just way too different from anyone else I have ever seen play the role, but he was pretty good.
Now the worst part for me was the orchestra. I don't know if it was smaller than normal or they were missing some players or they changed the music up a bit or what the hell was going on, but you could BARELY hear them. Like, I don't know how to describe it, it just sounded incomplete - just not all there. So, that was way disappointing. Hell, maybe it was because our seats were in the balcony level and I'm not used to being that far away from the orchestra, maybe it always sounds like that from up there, but I don't think so.
I know it sounds like I'm complaining a lot about the show, but I actually enjoyed it - other than those critiques. Maybe I'm too hard to impress - I don't think I am, I just don't think this was as good as any other production I've seen of Wicked. I would have been majorly upset if I had to pay for the ticket, but considering it was free (well it was probably "included in tuition") I can't really complain too much more.
Other than that the major news over here in Londontown is that there are PLANES flying. Not MY plane that was supposed to take me to Dublin, which was cancelled, but other planes to everywhere else in Europe (it's a long story basically ending in RyanAir being stupid losers). Another big deal here: the weather.
It has been SO BEAUTIFUL here in London for like, the past 2 weeks. I don't know what's going on, maybe the lovely volcanic ash cloud is keeping the bad weather away, but it's kind of freakishly nice weather here (not that any of us are complaining). This entire week it's supposed to get up in the 60s, and I don't just mean like 62 -- on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of this coming weekend/week it's supposed to be 67 degrees or higher. I can't wait!
Other than that I've just got a TON of school work to do, we only have a few weeks of class left until final exams start, but a lot of my professors have alternative final assignments for study abroad students (i.e. extra papers to write instead of taking the exam) so I have been and will be one busy girl for the next two weeks are so, not to mention my trip to Barcelona next weekend. I'll try to keep yall updated :]]
-audrey
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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