WICKED Broadway and West End differences | how the musical differs in London and New York
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- čas přidán 25. 04. 2023
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OHMYGOD HEY!
In the last month, I've seen the musical WICKED both on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre and in London's West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
Although the two productions are replicas of each other, there are a handful of subtle differences between them including extra cast members, different dialogue, missing props and exclusive trapdoors!
Check out today's brand new video to learn more about the differences between the two productions!
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#wicked #musical #broadway
Playbills are free? I always wondered how Americans manage to pay for a program at every show. The fact that they're free blew my mind!
Oh, I am
Another profound difference between the two long-running productions is that the West End orchestration is played by 17, a reduction from the original. Broadway maintains the original Bill Brohn charts, served by 24!
Like how every time you say monkey you point out the plush monkey
I've seen many American casts for Wicked, and M. Morrible usually has a slightly British affectation, maybe more of a Mid-Atlantic accent like those used by Americans during the Golden Age of Hollywood. I think my favorite was Rue McClanahan ... she was a VIPER. She seethed hatred and was truly nasty. Very much fits how M. Morrible is portrayed in the novel.
While in L Frank Baum’s books, all animals can talk in Oz if they choose to. (Even Toto can talk, he just doesn’t feel like it). I am pretty sure in the Wicked books, Gregory Maguire makes a distinction between “animals” and capital A “Animals”. It’s the “Animals” that can talk and stuff. The “animals” are normal animals.
Glindas have been getting more manic for a while now, I think Kristen Chenoweth's Glinda did have a more posh feel. It does feel sometimes like Glindas are trying to outdo each other's "Popular" slapstick with how bubbly it can be, and sometimes it works better than others! Kendra Kassebaum is the first one who really took it over the top, and seeing her live was absolutely hysterical. I've seen others that probably needed to rein it in a bit.
I sat next to an American family at the Apollo once (Alice Fearn staring at that time) and the lovely mother who was American said she had seen every American Elphaba since the production opened on Broadway. She said Fearn was the best Elphaba she had ever seen perform the role. She also said the British accents made the story and songs more believable regarding being able to escape into the fantasy of it all. We exchanged emails and stayed in touch. She used to go to see the Broadway production once a month there but she says the American accents now annoy her and wishes Americans could see the British production.
There’s lyric differences too. In the West End, in “The Wizard And I” the lyrics change from “when we are hand in hand” to “as we work hand in hand”.
I was also an 11 year old who absolutely did not appreciate seeing Idina! All I remember is my mum being excited to see Adam Garcia haha. The Broadway has always intrigued me so thanks so much for this video!! <3
West End Nessa here!! First, so cool to hear about all the differences between us and Broadway, I had no idea!
There are some other line differences:
My time has come! 😂 the extra characters listed in the playbills but not the UK programmes ARE listed on the cast boards at the Apollo Victoria entrances. I hadn't realised they were not in the programmes, but I take a picture of the cast board every time I go (18 and counting!) The Dillamond cover is also the witch's father, but the principal Dillamond does not play the witch's father. He IS in the ensemble at the start, though, he comes down the steps on the left. What is fun is that if necessary, because of certain people being off, Dillamond (who is also the Wizard cover) will play a split track as both Dillamond AND Wizard. And it's an ensemble member who comes on under the blanket as Dillamond when Elphaba gets the Wizard to release the monkeys in Act 2. I've never seen it when I go, but it does happen occasionally.
The Playbill is required reading before the show starts and during intermission. I learned that when my sister and I went to see Fiddler on the Roof back in 1989 when a national touring company was in Chicago. We were both flipping through our Playbills at intermission, when my sister excitedly told me to turn to a certain page. One of our high school classmates was a featured dancer in the cast! Michael Berresse has since gone on to great success on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for a revival of Kiss Me Kate and starring in The Light in the Piazza.
The two differences my friends and I always bring up is Glinda's 'uni' comment, and Nessa's cute little gesture she makes in Dancing Through Life when she sings 'this Munchkin boy'. I always found that a funny little moment I've never seen in the UK - though I haven't seen a US version of the show in years, no idea if the actors still make that movement
A lot of the set and effect differences that West End has from Broadway match up with the North American tour (the monkeys, the broom, the trapdoor, the bridge, Fiyero's cart, etc). I'm from California and have seen the tour a handful of times but just recently saw it for the first time at the Gershwin and GASPED when the monkeys flew over the audience. The tour is nothing short of magical, but it definitely felt a little extra special seeing it in its home. I love seeing the little ways shows evolve and adapt to each new space and audience. And with Wicked, it's so exciting to be surprised after seeing it so many times. This is such a fascinating subject. Excellent video!
I have only seen it on Broadway, but it is good to know about all of the differences. I could definitely see Madame Morrible as a full blown British character
Tiny correction for
Given that I saw the Broadway version when I was sixteen (was on a school trip to New York at the time) and didn't see the West End version until more than a decade later, I honestly wouldn't have been able to remember differences so thank you MickeyJo for this video
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