So as you all know by now, I am a huge fan and supporter of Kids' Week, thanks to the amazing deal of the child going free with a full paying adult. There is also another offer which takes place in December for theatre shows throughout January and February called Get Into London Theatre. I have known about for a while now but have never used it until now! Basically shows offer seats either at £40, £30, £20 or £10. So I took advantage and booked for a number of shows, including Wicked.
After a few attempts at being refused a chance just to book one seat, I ended booking two seats to see it at the beginning of January. Usually I seat in the circle, near the front. However, this time I ended up in the stalls with amazing seats in Row G for just £20 each! No reason to complain about that!
The main reason I booked to see Wicked again was the chance to see Jennifer DiNoia in the role of Elphaba. Jennifer has performed the role on Broadway, Chicago, the National Tour in the US, Seoul and Sydney. London marks her 4th country and 6th production in which she has performed the role of Elphaba, while it also marks her West End debut. Cast changes for the night included Sophie Linder-Lee in the role of Elphaba and Daniel Hope in the role of Boq.
The moment Jennifer took to the stage I was won over by her performance as Elphaba. It usually takes me to the end of Defying Gravity to make up my mind about whether I like whoever is playing the role. Jennifer, however, captivated me immediately. It really was no wonder in my mind why she had played the role for so long, in different countries and different productions. She made Defying Gravity her own, choosing at times to speak the lines rather than sing them. She made you feel everything her character was feeling! However it was her rendition of No Good Deed that made me just go "WOW". It was powerful and full of emotions and she used her body while performing, especially on the big notes. She would lull you into a false sense of security, making you believe she was not going to anything special on the big notes but then BAM, she would hit you with hell of a riff! Simple fact was she was truly phenomenal in the role of Elphaba, and I am so happy she gave to West End, even if for a limited run, to give the British audiences a chance to see her perform.
As always the entire cast was fantastic and it was great to view the show from a different place within the theatre. I spotted Jeremy Taylor participating in the first number, despite the fact he plays Fiyero and does not appear until Dancing Through Life. Definitely not something I have spotted before while seating in the circle! After the performance, I met the cast as always. I told Jeremy on behalf of my friend Kirsty that he had a nice bottom! And I also made sure to tell Jennifer she was the best Elphaba I had ever seen in Wicked.
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