Added: 4 years ago
From: obsessivewickedfan
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  • I dont really get the accenting wiith the english accenting for Glinda. can anyone explain to me, Im not critisising, i just fancy knowing why they decided to put it in :)

  • Also jesus christ. That "me" and "ahh" sounded painful. :S

  • Kristen does the harmonizing part the best! She really pots some umph into it!

  • I don't like the Galinda >.< Idinas still good tho XD

  • I'm still watching this in 2012 WICKED ROCKS!!!!

  • I'm a big fan of Idina but I have to admitt she sang really bad in this video (I wonder was it because of asthma or not)

  • The only thing I hate is the accent, Wicked sound rubbish with a British accent, too posh :P

  • Woohoo!, did all the quizes and got full marks 8D

  • Over all, the performance was wonderful. Truly beautiful. A few bad notes happen once in a while, but Idina is amazing. Seeing her face at the end of this video was heart breaking. She looked devestated. But it happens! It really does!

  • No one can do that punch into the air better than Idina! :D

  • Idina doesn't sound that good in this clip. Was she ill or something? She's usually amazing.

  • @Asperger1993 I heard she has asthma or something :P but i mean sometimes singers just screw up ya know?

  • Idina & Kristin: THE DYNAMIC DUO!

    Idina & Jennifer: ALRIGHT COMBO

    Idina & Helen: OKAY!!

  • I never like Dallimore as Glinda.

  • I just saw this at TPAC last night and it was so good it made me cry.

  • @boffinme80 D: so basically, your judging me for a simple opinion?

  • @funkykgirl I think your opinion is simple, yes. But your mind is too.

    Youre basically saying "idina is the best, im right youre wrong no buts"/

  • To be honest.... idina is and always will be the best, i dont give a shit about kerry, or any other elphaba for that matter. idina IS elphaba. there is no competion. (and yes ive seen kerry, and she seriously isnt that grand, or even close to how outstanding idina is.)

  • @funkykgirl I don't think anyone will accept your opinion, considering how rude it is. Everyone has their favourite Elphaba and if people like Idina second best, so what? I like Idina more than Kerry, though Kerry is very good as well as she stayed in the role for a long time. Willemijn Verkaik will always be my Elphaba and that's my viewpoint. You are obviously an over-obsessed and defensive fan of Wicked and NO ONE likes that. You are giving Wicked a bad name with your overwhelming.

  • @funkykgirl We are all entitled to our opinion, the great thing about music is nothing it set in stone, it's up to you what kind of voice or interpretation you prefer, so I don't think you should force your opinion hardly, you can't make people think what they don't want to think :) xx

  • God, they really should have had Kerry Ellis on instead.... dear me....

  • original london cast <3

  • I give idina props beating out those notes while getting over being sick and having asthma is a hard thing to do.

  • always loved this performance. idina does very well and the orchestra sounds really cool. only thing i don't much care for is helen dillamore >.<

  • thumbs up if you are watching in 2011

  • I love this but no one can beat Kristin Chenoweth

  • @spartancheerleader3 Too true, Idina too x

  • @spartancheerleader3

    Ikr!  Totally! :)

  • Idina says that line so well!

  • Wait, I know that;s Idina but who's the Glinda?

    Oh wait, sorry. Hahah I just thought to read the downbar:)

  • Wait, I know that;s Idina but who's the Glinda?

  • OMg poor Idina at 6:15 :0

  • @georgiaherdman2009 thats what smoking will do to a professional performer -_-

  • @dAguerreri i dont think she smoked??? ive seen a debate over that on another page and a person who knows idina confirmed she dosent smoke....

  • @georgiaherdman2009 Why is that poor Idina? I think the raspiness sounds amazing. Adds more rawness and emotion behind it.

  • the end gave me chills!!! Idina is so amazing!!

  • omg, i can't stand how annoying helen is as glinda. it makes the london vids almost unwatchable

  • I ADORE the obvious subtitles like "note continues" or "Glinda decides to stay behind"

  • How could they have used Rachel, she wasnt around then? :/

  • @Becklalaa No LOL this was like 4 years before Rachel was even in the show, the standby was Kerry Ellis

  • @omglolwhatever Im fully aware of this, i was replying to somebody that said they should have used Rachel! This was 5 years ago when it first started in the west end!

  • They should have used Rachel Tucker..........

  • @RandomWhacko This was years and years ago. Rachel wasnt in Wicked then. Because Idina was lead she was to do the TV performances.

  • @MattManOhYeah Oh right. Sorry! I didn't realize this was ages ago!

  • Idina didn't sound to great here. :( It was going so well. Must have had a really sore throat.

  • I meant when I actually saw it.

    And they used a hella lot more fog. It litterally filled the whole theater.

  • This gave me chills, but actually sent chills down my whole spine. This was so amazing to see. Especially where Elphaba is lifted. Love it.

  • OMG WHEN SHE FLIES IT LOOKS AWSOME HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • PROFFESSOR SPROUT! ahaha I JUST noticed!! DUH Miriam Margoyles... hahaha

  • poor idina's voice. she just absolutely shredded it.

  • @rosiewebber94 supposedly she was getting over a cold/flu or she had it during royal variety. you can tell by looking at her make-up, she's very sweaty and out of breath too. especially on the note when she sings that long note at the end.

  • Idina Menzel is AMAZING....seeing this on TV is what got me hooked to Wicked in the 1st place. And Helen was good, you know, having seen her live ;)

  • Idina is Idina. Just that :)

  • ever since i saw this song, i hated dorothy for killing the witch

  • @drmmboi If you've read the Wicked book, Dorothy technically didn't mean to do it. xD

  • @BlazedHearts she was trying to save elphie

  • @lesprud9 Exactly. :D Dorothy's innocent made her a killer by accident. :C

  • holy shit - I just noticed how much faster the lift was than the one in the Gershwin

  • helen dallimore is awful

  • This always gives me goose bumps ...

  • Idina does not sound like her normal amazing self in this video. Parts of the end were actually painful to listen to. I've heard other recordings of her live at her concerts and she never has had rough spots like she did in this video.

    on a side note, the fast lift fit so much better than the slow ones in the american productions. although i don't care either way if i am seeing it live.. at this point i just try not to join in. and only succeed because my breath is taken away by amazingness.

  • Idina does not sound like her normal amazing self in this video. Parts of the end were actually painful to listen to. I've heard other recordings of her live at her concerts and she never has had rough spots like she did in this video.

  • I wish all the cast would try and put on American accents for the performances in the London production of Wicked rather than just their english accents. It would be like having Billy Elliot on Broadway with American accents... Ehmm no thank you... :P I have to say though, the guards banter in this video is quite amusing but at the end of the day, it's the Land Of Oz, not the Land Of Essex...

  • @rockmeagainbaby It is not written as a secifically american musical, although it is traditionally american I find having the British accents works over here in the UK. After seeing it done both ways on several occasions I prefer the British version, Dianne Pilkington performed her Glinda entirely in a character voice and she was Amazing!

  • @rockmeagainbaby Oz is in America now? They're as likely to be British, or Australian, or German as they are to be American. Helen Dallimore, admittedly, isn't using her natural Aussie accent. Helen Dallimore actually didn't sound as awkward as this when she was live on stage.

    I love quite a few people who have played Galinda - from all over the joint. My favourite is Lucy Scherer who wasn't even speaking English.

  • @AcroStigma Well Oz isn't specifically in America no, but I'd like it to be realistic to the film... I mean it's like they wouldn't just not turn elphaba green in wicked... - Because that would be bad consistency and continuation... It's already bad enough that both the current production of The Wizard of Oz and Wicked have completely different sets and constumes i.e Glinda. I think it would ruin the experience for many if it were 'de-Americanised' as well...

  • @rockmeagainbaby i'd say wicked was a lot easier to set wherever, because ultimately the action takes place in oz - a completely fantastical and fictional world where they all wear glasses and shades of green and where there are colour changing elephants and all that (obviously not in the show lol that would be cool) so the accents could easily be american or english or austrailian or whatever really. i appreciate that its american in the wizard of oz but surely its not as significant as billy?

  • @AcroStigma So while Wicked should be enjoyed in various formats - I still think they should be aiming for consistent technical accuracy... For some shows you could probably tweak the location etc such as Billy Elliot being set in Baltimore rather than Newcastle etc - but as Wicked isn't a show on its own but a sequel which falls between a film, The Wizard Of Oz and the whole delicate franchise - you really can't be editing it. They all have to link very accurately in order to create realism

  • @rockmeagainbaby i definitely dont think you could relocate billy elliot! for a start, its set in county durham rather than newcastle but the fact it is set during the historical 1984-5 mining strikes is integral to the story, surely?

  • @obsessivewickedfan I knooow, I wouldn't want Billy Elliot to change at all no - and sorry... county durham... :P but yeah what i meant was you could edit the story for an American audience such as an american city which experienced a similar story during a similar time period... i just think Wicked - because it comes from a large and prestigious franchise - shouldnt be tampered with really : / billy elliot could be adapted - it wouldnt be the same though of course :P

  • @obsessivewickedfan and I was only using Billy Elliot as an example so take it with a pinch of salt :P the point i was trying to get across was of course the idea of Wicked needing to create realism... although, at the end of the day, the accents dont bother you at all in the london production. its just the guards in this video sooo over did it... i honestly think rachael tucker is one of the best elphabas there is :)

  • @rockmeagainbaby haha yeah sorry! not sure i would agree wicked needs to create realism because obviously it is pretty difficult for audiences to completely suspend their disbelief that there are flying monkeys and goats can talk and witches that can fly. but i do get what you mean about it belonging to a well-known franchise. ah well each to their own lol the accents dont bother me too much but then again im english so i barely notice they have an accent!

  • @rockmeagainbaby ... prequel. And I would say, due to the worldwide success, popularity of the musical it is clear that no such 'delicate franchise' exists. It's fun. A lovely night out: hysterical, moving, the dragon is splendid, lighting almost made my stage technician sister pass out in joy...

    Accents matter very little to the success of the show. And, on the realism front, it's a stage show... with magic, and Tin Men, and Green Flying Witches - suspension of disbelief was already required.

  • @AcroStigma By 'delicate' I mean that I don't think fans would be too happy if material was produced which damages the Oz franchise BECAUSE the franchise is so vast and favoured... And by realism - not literal realism - I mean that both shows should be plausibly interlinked. Wicked should link to Wizard Of Oz as accurately as possible *in the sense* that the plot behind Wicked is realistic to the plot behind Wizard of Oz... Maybe 'realism' isn't the right term - I couldn't care less anymore...

  • @rockmeagainbaby Ha, fair enough. I suppose we should agree to disagree in this case. It's hardly important. After all, you can stick to the American productions, I can amble into the London, Aussie, etcetera ones. There're enough for any tastes or thoughts on the matter.

  • @AcroStigma yeah, lets just agree that Wicked is amazing :P No matter what production :D I actually do love Rachel Tucker though, absolutely amazing I think

  • @rockmeagainbaby I heard she was good! One of my mates was raving about her but I never got round to checking out how she went. Last time I saw anything with her in it was the BBC I'd Do Anything, she was great in that, must see if YouTube has some Wicked clips.

    I will 100% go with Wicked being awesome.

  • @rockmeagainbaby i want to talk like you.

  • @rockmeagainbaby You're taking this WAY too seriously. Who cares what the accent is?? I know you're used to the American accent but it's not something to get worked up about.

  • @boffinme80 right well the purpose of my original comment was just poking fun at the guards voice really so yeah : / and if you're looking for another argument go somewhere else cause I really cannot be bothered. : /

  • @rockmeagainbaby My point exactly. You get so worked up. All I'm saying is you are looking too much into one small thing and then you start it again by thinking I want to argue when I don't.

  • @rockmeagainbaby I personally, think that English accents suit Elphaba and G(a)linda much more than American, especially Galinda when she's snobby.

  • I haven't seen this one until now. I'm glad that Idina recovered from her Broadway run...because she sounds much healthier than her Tony performance :)

  • The orchestra is WAYYY too loud, she's half-screaming.

  • @BlazedHearts She half-screams anyway, it fits the song.

  • @Wickedlymiserables But in this particular performance it doesnt "fit" and its not part of the character. She's just struggling to be heard. :S

  • Idina was sick. Stop bashing her. For the most part, she does an awesome job, and only cracks right at the very end. She managed to hit the notes through her London run, too. For the most part, recordings of Idina don't really capture her. She's the reason many people are so in love with this musical, and is an incredible woman.

    Oh, and anyone saying Rachel Tucker is the real Elphaba HERE just isn't showing enough respect to Idina in my opinion, and I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited about seeing Rachel!

  • Idina menzel has indeed had vocal nodules and they can change your voice forever. However, she has been cast in movies and several shows, plays and many other singing roles,  the producers directors and casting people, the ones who spot talent for a living clearly see something in her.

    Musical theater is not JUST about the perfection of the notes, it is about the emotion and feeling put behind them and the life breathed into the character by the actor, and idina brings amazing life to elphie

  • oh, guys... either Idina was sick every time she performed this live, or she simply can't sing the notes. Listen to Rachel Tucker, she is the real Elphaba.

    I'm reading comments on this video like "I still think Idina is amazing." she is shouting and can't get the notes... that's not amazing.

  • I'm sorry, but how fun would it be to ride in the levitation thingy?!

  • Never really liked Indina Menzel as elphaba :/ doesnt really hit the notes in my opnion, Rachel Tucker is an increadible Elphie!

    And i agree with previous comments, the lift should ALWAYS be that quick, it looks much betterrr

  • Love wicked :) Kristin Chenoweth was definately the best ever Glinda <3

  • Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty take all. Best together in Wicked. Shoshana Bean best Elphaba EVER.

  • Remember people, Indina had a throat infection or something similar at the time but still performed so enjoy it :)

  • I like a nice loud orchestra!! :D But you could barely here Elphie's "It's MEEEEE" - bit of a shame her voice cracked as well :( her second "Bring me down" was great though! She looks so unsatisfied at the end :'( - well ignore the whole not staying in character thing, just because Idina is OzSome!

  • was idina sick in this? it sounded like her voice almost cracked at one point.

  • @perry24able She wasn't sick, her entire London run was like this. She suffered from vocal nodes and her voice was permanently damaged during her Broadway run. I think she's still amazing though :)

  • @xXWestEndMusicalsXx ooh wow that really sucks. thanks though!!

  • elphaba's voice sounds fucked and the sound/accents sound awful, i'm british, but the accents really downgrade the performance. poor idina, she really needed to stop playing elphie when kristen stopped performing glinda.

  • @moviekid1 idina is .. and will ever be the best elphie ever ... she has an incredible voice.. and her performance was always amazing..!! its too bad that she isnt in the show now.. the best cast ever were this two.. helen and idia..!!! i love them..!!!

  • @yubeRosales I did love Idina and Kristen just because they made the characters. But there are so many other great actresses that have played THEIR parts. Elphaba and Glinda will always be Idina and Kristen in my eyes, no matter how many people play them.

    And yes Idina was apparently having an asthma attack.

  • The british accents in the west end show arent anywhere near as good as the american accents.....

  • Comment removed

  • @MattyGTV her normal accent wasnt even english just so u kno and she is shit. but the girls at the moment are amazing even the understudy girl.. and they are very much up to the standard of people like eden Espinosa and others. so agreed this performance aint amazing but if u go see it now its a different show.

  • she difinitely needs to make her accent sound less 'proper'

    and she should've taken off the heels because she looks weird being taller then elphaba

  • Get over the accents, I like them and Helen is fantastic - period.

  • Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman were significantly better when I saw them live, although as people have said, the microphone levels were too low here, so Menzel had to go all out to be heard. She's way better in the soundtrack CD.

  • WHY THE ENGLISH ACCENT? WHY? D:

  • @xxLastWishesxx Becasue this is the LONDON production.

  • @xxLastWishesxx WHY are you complaining? Why should the accent matter to you whether it's English or not? It's the same show, only a different accent makes it an abomination does it? Get a fucking life!!!

  • @xxLastWishesxx Umm...seriously?

    An accent matters?

    Grow up.

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  • and the mic levels on this are awful! massively poor effort by the sound mixer, Idina is straining to be heard!

  • @pilchard96 The mic levels arn't 'atroucious' or anything. They're just not up to par. Which is understandable in a venue where there are literally HUNDREDS of mics being used and with loads of acts trying to be organised. It's not just like a westend/broadway show. There are FAR more mics in this and the diversity of acts makes it extremely hard to balance the levels to perfection. You can hear her fine anyway.

  • @1991shox yeah, i understand that, but if a normal person can spot that the levels are dodgy, surely a trained professional could spot and alter the problem.

  • Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman are the best.

  • Chenoweth was WAY better.

  • ily idina menzel!! the one and only elphaba

  • Idina Menzel is awesome.

    Person who isnt Kristin Chenoweth.... not so much.

  • english accent? really?

  • @sadams291 and wassup with an english accent...? the shows being played in england and we have english accents...

  • @greengoblin200 i just don't think it flows as well as if both were either american or english, I apologise for making such a ridiculous comment, just thought I'd go crazy and have an opinion

  • I love it! LOL if you put on the Transcribe Audio instead of saying: " Please welcome back Idina Menzel, Helen Dallimore, and The Cast of Wicked." It says "Please welcome back demand that Israel headed out of law anti-trust of my kids."

  • Helen spoils this song...

  • orchestra was TOO LOUD!! no wonder her voice cracked at the end. I feel for her I really do, she looked like she was about to cry :( don't judge idina on this performance she's an incredible singer- everyone has off days she's only human so to those critizing give her a break thank you and good night :) xxxx

  • :O the woman at the beginning was Professor Sprout!!

  • hahaha omg helen is soooo british

  • Edina Menzel is amazing! Yeah, her voice wasn't the best we've heard it, but that's just down to voice fatigue. By this point, she must have sung it a thousand times!!!! And believe it or not, even Broadway Stars have vocal chords that will eventually get tired. But, she was a true pro and gave the audience what they came for - a Broadway Standard Performance!

  • when i saw this live for the first time i cried.

  • Awesome!

  • Harsh criticism guys... I saw the original cast live and it was spellbinding. Helen Dallimore is lovely and entirely convincing as Elpheba's best friend. It doesn't matter if they have different accents.

    Also the sound on TV is never the same as Live, and that goes double for YouTube!!!

  • Harsh criticism guys... I saw the original cast live and it was spellbinding. Helen Dallimore is lovely and entirely convincing as Elpheba's best friend. It doesn't matter if they have different accents.

    Also the sound on TV is never the same as Live, and that goes double for YouTube!!!

  • It just sounds weird harmonizing with an american accent with a British. I think they should've told idena to have a British or the rest of the cast to have an American (option 2 most preferred);)

  • @roxy1porche2bandit3

    I totally agree with you. You simply CANNOT successfully blend two accents that are so different.

  • Can I just say who ever was playing that awful music needs shooting!!! You couldn't hear her and she was trying so hard to keep her voice above it... Poor luv I felt sorry for her

  • helen dallimore's scream hurts my ears!!

  • i remember seeing this on tv in 2005 and it scared me to death but now i really like wicked and ive seen it twice. how strange?? lol

  • idina menzel's vocal damage; oooh. She needs to stay in the alto range. I think thats where she is most comfortable. I still think she is the best Elphie...but she could've killed her voice doing this show.

  • @Gikl27

    You should listen to Eden Espinosa who performed in LA. I think she's the best Elphaba I've ever heard. And yes, you're right. As much as I love Idina, she's not the strongest Soprano.

  • @omgcutiestephy Yeah she sings much more confidently in the alto range. She might have some mezzo notes, but for the most part, she needs to keep it low.

  • This is my favorite YouTube video 

  • this video gives me chills every time i watch it, and i've been watching it since the i saw this performance on telly the night of the royal variety performance, her voice sounds like she's lost it but her emotion and feeling she brings to the song covers it up and makes it ten times better than any singer who's voice is perfect. she's incredible and whenever i listen to her i feel inspired so much.

  • her mic level is way to low :P

  • Chenoweth was better...

  • @bradbro09 i agree i went to see it twice in america with Kirsten and then in london 3 times once with helen Dallimore and twice with Dianne Pilkington and Kirsten is far the best !!!

  • so fraking in love with idina. shes so awesome!!!!

  • Idina you are absolutely the best Elphaba that has walked the stage of the Gershwin Theater! I love you so much! As you can see form my name! Elphiecrazy!

  • Annoying Glinda or what...

  • @xxxLotBotxxx Kate Reinders is MUCH worse. Helen's annoying, granted, but Kate, you would want to shoot her!!

  • i know this is like .. THEE number of the show, but idk. im underwhelmed whenever i hear this. even when i saw it on stage for the first time, i was like, meh. (x

    i feel bad though. but oh well.

  • the orchestra sound mega strained and not very polished - trumpets sound harsh :P

  • I cant help but feel proper proud of Idina in this video of her, i'm not sure if its because of it's the RV or what, <3

  • These captions are hilarious. idina = love.

  • i honestly think idina sounds awesome.

  • Poor Idina. You could tell she was having throat trouble on that last riff, but she's still amazing!

  • it is a very mixed blessing that Idina pulled such an iconic role. I loved her as Maureen and she was great as Elphie but she blew the hell out of her voice by the end. I mean no disrespect with that comment but I do believe it's the truth.

  • wow the lift was rapid! it should be that fast always! and yeah, understandably, her voice sounds fucked :|

  • @pilchard96 it is actually always that fast in the london production. broadway and others are slower for some reason :)

  • @obsessivewickedfan That's not the speed it goes in the AV. The height of the stage is not as tall as this stage. If Elphie normally goes this fast she'll be at the top before she finishes "Meeeeee". But she's at the top by "as someone told me lately".

  • @obsessivewickedfan Its not that fast in london, ive seen it 5 times in london with 4 different casts and the lift always gets to the top at the end of look to the western sky x

  • @obsessivewickedfan i think the vocal wasnt top notch, because her mic level was way too low, so she was straining to compensate :/

    and yeah, the broadway lift is like a pensioner!

  • @obsessivewickedfan

    To help out the vocals ;) it's incredibly difficult to keep a note going like that moving that quickly.

  • @obsessivewickedfan

    because it makes the flying more dramatic because she wants everyone to know she is defying everything while flying and then once she is "Defying Gravity" she flies higher ;)

  • Comment removed

  • It sounds like when she started flying her mic went out..???

  • i dont blame her for having a worn-out voice. its not her fault! by this point in playing this character, do you know how many times she probably sang this song? It's not an easy song! of course her voice is going to be worn out!

  • @ggfuturestar Yes but look at eden espinosa, she has performed more times then any other elphaba and she is phenomenal every time x

  • O my lord did anyone see the pained expression on her face at the very end. I dont think the raspiness was intended in any way, she hurt her voicce there. And i seriously hate helen dallimore. No offense brits, but her voice does not work here

  • @SurferBoi1 I completely agree, I'm from the UK but her voice was so annoying in this! :/

  • @SurferBoi1 She's actually Australian and she also faked her accent..................it isn't near as strong. If she would have toned down the accent I think she would have been a better Glinda

  • @SurferBoi1 I HATE HELEN THE OLNY GLENDA IS KRISTIN AGREED

  • this is really bad if you want to see it done properly then go and see it because she has droped the last note and this version is really bad sorry if you like it x

  • @mythologydude

    No Kristen chenowith was the ORIGINAL Glinda on broadway

  • @L0nd0ngirl8491 Helen cant sing. Decided. Idina can sing (REALY REALY GOOD) Decided.