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Wicked Cast Interview: Shanghai, Witches & Frog Legs

2017-04-18 ShanghaiWOWeng


You’ve surely heard by now that the smash success musical Wicked is currently in Shanghai. We got a chance to speak with the two lead cast members about their experience, Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba), and Carly Anderson (Glinda) at the book reading of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.




SH WOW! : Describe your role in the play. What does this character express? Are there any special requirements?

 


Carly: I play Glinda, the iconic good witch which everybody wants to be. She has everything and has a privileged upbringing, so she's not used not getting her own way and somebody telling her no. It's not a word in her dictionary. When she meets Elphaba she's very much taken aback. She's used to seeing someone with green skin, she never had anyone oppose her, which is something very new to her. So they absolutely loathe each other and eventually she takes her under her wing and they become best friends. She is very complex and quite a lot of people see her as a fluffy stupid girl but she's really not. She's actually very clever and she has a huge heart and wants people to be happy. She hates seeing people unhappy. And so, that is a side of me I want to tap into, and I don't want her to appear stupid at any point. And with this production it is something the U.K. creatives have tried to tap into that side of her and make sure she doesn't become this huge, pink, fluff ball.



Jaqueline: I play Elphaba the iconic green girl. She is a force to be reckoned with. She's very passionate. She strives to do good by people. All she wants is for people to do good and for her to help. She loves animals. She's a real fighter and I think that's what stands in her way. Everyone around her sees her as different, she doesn't fit in.  And I think Elphaba allows people to say it's ok to be different and stand up to what you believe in. Stand up for your rights. It's a real pleasure to play every night because everyone is different. With regards to auditioning for the role,  I have been with the show for 6 years and was in the London production for 4 years then standby to Elphaba and very fortunate to be playing the role.


 

SH WOW! : Did you ever get a chance to meet the original cast members from Wicked?


J: Not the original cast members but I was very fortunate to work with Richard Tucker, Kerry Ellis, Louise Dearman and all those wonderful Elphaba's that I was able to look up to and learn from, which I continue to do so.


SH WOW! : This is an internationally-acclaimed show, as actors can u share with us what is the key to the show’s success?



C: The reason why it has surpassed lots of other shows is because it has this amazing story at the heart of the show which is friendship, and it is something everyone can relate to. And I think a lot of people, mostly women in particular, can really see themselves in these characters and there are so many great morals that this show teaches. I think if you pair that with the fact that it’s such an amazing show to look at, it’s such a spectacle. With flying monkeys, giant wizards it’s really quite a fascinating and mesmerizing production.


J: It works. Everything about the show just works. And it's so clever and just so good. It has everything you would ever want in a musical. The story, the music...Steven Schwartz’ music is just amazing and you know you come out wanting more. It has these huge songs and that song ‘Defining Gravity’ is a handful, but at the end you have ‘For Good’ which is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It has everything. Again, people come back wanting to see more because you see something different that time or you get something different and that's why it works because it touches people.

 

SH WOW! : Is it your first time coming to Shanghai?




C& J: we were here before but only for two days, and most of that time was spent driving around from one location to the next. We kept on spotting things as we were driving past saying "we need to go there and there"


J: So now we are here and we have the time to see everything which is amazing. We have been here two days and I love it. It's just really cool. Lots of cafes and coffee shops, lots to see and nice parks. Nice art, nice culture, and secret culture which is what we love.

 

SH WOW! : What has left the deepest impression on you here so far?


J: I feel really at home here, it doesn't seem too far from home. Which is really lovely for us who are pretty far from home. There is no place like home.


J & C:  It's got a nice vibe about it. A hustle and bustle, not too crazy. Considering its one of the biggest cities, it doesn't feel too busy. So we had a nice walk through the French Concession last night and had a nice dinner.

 


SH WOW! : Have you gotten the chance to enjoy some Chinese food yet?


C: We went for an amazing Shanghainese meal and had soup dumplings, as well as Sichuan frog legs.

J: Although we thought it was chicken legs at first. They were really tasty, even after I found out what it was.

C: I am quite adventurous with food and try new things. We love Chinese food so we will be eating our way around Shanghai.

 


SH WOW! : How would you go about recommending this play to a Shanghai audience?


C: It's not even one of those shows that is specific to a particular kind of audience. It really is a show that has a worldwide appeal. You can be from anywhere in the world, speak any language and still be really captivated by Wicked. You just become magically whisked away to OZ and you will absolutely be enthralled for just under three hours.

J: Just open your mind and let yourself be taken into OZ.

 


SH WOW! :So what can the audience expect from Shanghai Wicked?



J: It's the first time here so no expectations.  But we hope everyone loves it as much as we do!

C: We met some fans yesterday and they seem really excited that Wicked is in China.

 

SH WOW! : How much of yourself in the role?


J: I am a huge animal lover, especially dogs. And Elphaba she's so sure of herself. She's not scared to sort of, joke about that. She is dry, very sarcastic and I really enjoyed playing that. She knows who she is.



C: I dont know if I was anywhere near as popular as Glinda growing up and I wished I was, and I definitely didn't have a privileged upbringing like she did. I think you need to have something in common with these characters when you play them. And I would say I am reasonably cheery and bubbly. I am quite positive and there are so many things about her that I admire as well. There are many shoes, dresses, pretty things that she likes. A lot of girls will see themselves in her.

 

SH WOW! : Did you do a lot of preparation work for the role?



J: As actresses it's our job. We have been doing the shows since last June. And we have been invested in the show and characters. The whole company does. Everyone works their socks off to bring the show to wonderful cities, and that's what we can do, our best and hopefully.

 

SH WOW! :  How similar is the Shanghai set and other details to the original?


C: We really are bringing the West End to you. It's a full scale production, we are not cutting any corners.

 

SH WOW! : And how do you guys like the theater?


C: It’s huge, it's the stage space more than anything. It is a beautiful theater. It's very much like upper heist. The stage space is humongous and way bigger than what you get in the UK because the theaters are old and we don't have the modern technologies that you have here.


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