Posts tagged Brenda Hamilton
Cast Update: 1st National, 2nd National Tour
01st National Tour
Nicky Venditti has replaced Ben Susak as Chistery.
Jenny Florkowski has replaced Brenda Hamilton as a swing and understudy for Nessarose and the Midwife.
2nd National Tour
Allison Leo has replaced Sterling Masters as a swing and Dance Captain, as well as an understudy for the Midwife and Witch’s Mother.
Media: WICKED in Costa Mesa
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Dee Roscioli (current Elphaba) and Patti Murin (former Glinda)
Check out these articles from the First National Touring Production’s stop in Costa Mesa, CA!
On Theater: A wickedly entertaining production
‘Wicked’: The Most ‘Swankified’ Show in Town (comments from Napoleon W. Gladney (former ensemble – 1st Ntl. Tour) and Brenda Hamilton (Swing; u/s Nessarose – 1st Ntl. Tour; former universal swing))
Dee Roscioli Goes Green as ‘Elphaba’ for WICKED at Stegerstrom Center (video of Dee Roscioli (former Elphaba – 1st Ntl. Tour, Broadway, Chicago; former s/b Elphaba – San Francisco, Chicago) getting green before a show)
Jenn Gambatese and Curt Hansen To Join 1st National Tour
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Jenn Gambatese
The company of the first North American tour of WICKED is thrilled to welcome Jenn Gambatese as Glinda on Tuesday, February 26 in Costa Mesa, CA and Curt Hansen as Fiyero on Wednesday, March 20 in Tucson, AZ.
Gambatese starred on Broadway as Jane in Tarzan and Natalie in ALL SHOOK UP. Other Broadway credits include HAIRSPRAY, IS HE DEAD?, A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD and FOOTLOOSE. She has been seen Off-Broadway in FIORELLO! and STAIRWAY TO PARADISE (Encores!) and THE SCHOOL FOR LIES (Classic Stage Company). Gambatese has been seen around the country in LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART (Westport Country Playhouse), WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (Yale Repertory Theatre) and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and CAROUSEL (Goodspeed Musicals).
Hansen has been seen on Broadway in NEXT TO NORMAL (as well as the First National Tour) and HAIRSPRAY. TV credits include Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush as Dak Zevon and The Good Wife. He has also been seen regionally in PARADE (Center Theatre Group), GIRLFRIEND (Actors Theatre of Louisville) and A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS (Lythgoe Family Productions). Gambatese and Hansen join a cast that includes Dee Roscioli as Elphaba, Kim Zimmer as Madame Morrible and Tom McGowan as The Wizard. The company also features Justin Brill (Boq), Clifton Davis (Dr. Dillamond), Demaree Hill (Nessarose) and Laurel Harris (Standby for Elphaba) with Dina Bennett, Lauren Boyd, Kyle Brown, Antonette Cohen, Rick Desloge, Timothy A. Fitz-Gerald, Napoleon W. Gladney, Brenda Hamilton, Courtney Iventosch, Trevor Ryan Krahl, Philip Dean Lightstone, Marissa Lupp, Michael Mahany, Jonathan McGill, Kevin McMahon, Cassie Okenka, Shayla Osborn, Christopher Russo, Adea Michelle Sessoms, Sarah Schenkkan, Pamela Shandrow, Ben Susak, Shanna VanDerwerker and Mikey Winslow.
WICKED is playing through March 17 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA. Good seats are still available and can be purchased online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787.
WICKED will play The Tucson Music Hall, March 20 – April 7. Tickets are available at the TCC Box Office, online at broadwayintucson.com or ticketmaster.com/wicked or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
WICKED, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Disney’s Enchanted, Academy Award® winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman (“My So Called Life,” “Once And Again” and “thirtysomething”), is based on the 1995 best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. The musical is directed by two-time Tony® Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony® Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…). WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. WICKED features set design by Tony® Award winning Eugene Lee (Ragtime, Show Boat, Candide, Sweeney Todd), costume design by Tony® winner Susan Hilferty (Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Assassins), lighting design by Tony nominee Kenneth Posner (Tony® Award winner for The Coast of Utopia, Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King). Stephen Oremus is the show’s music director. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.
WICKED has “cast quite a spell” (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few. WICKED has been declared “A Cultural Phenomenon” by Variety and “The Best Musical of the Decade” by Entertainment Weekly. There are currently four productions worldwide: New York, London, and and two concurrent North American Tours. Globally, WICKED has amassed nearly $2.9 billion in ticket sales and has been seen by 36 million people worldwide in its nine year history. Grammy Award-Winning Cast recording available on Decca Broadway. For more information about WICKED log on to www.wickedthemusical.com.
Nessa’s Niblets: March 14, 2012
0Apologies for the tardiness this week!
- The only non-Elphaba understudies in the United States to regularly sing the line “No one cries they won’t return!” in “No One Mourns the Wicked” were Lauren Haughton (Swing; u/s Nessarose – 2nd Ntl. Tour; former ensemble – San Francisco; former universal swing) and Brenda Hamilton (Swing; u/s Nessarose – 1st Ntl. Tour; former universal swing), the latter only doing so when Courtney Corey (former ensemble, u/s Elphaba – Los Angeles, Chicago) was out on extended injury leave. That said, in international productions, different performers often sing the solo line.
- The line “Through their lives our children learn!” is often sung by the two Glinda understudies and one of the featured female dancers.
- Kevin Samual Yee (former ensemble, u/s Boq – 2nd Ntl. Tour, Chicago) has created several video web series, including “The Kevin Yee Show” and “The Manhattan Boys” . Click here for more information on how to view videos!
Cast Update: Broadway, 1st National, 2nd National
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Kyle Dean Massey
We have a rather large cast update this week; in addition to several ensemble changes, each production has has a principal turnover as well.
Broadway
Kyle Dean Massey has replaced Kyle McDaniel as Fiyero.
1st National Tour
Mark Jacoby has replaced Richard Kline as the Wizard.
Emily Ferranti is now an ensemble member and understudy for Glinda and Nessarose. Formerly, she has been a swing and covered Nessarose. She takes over the ensemble track formerly performed by Marissa Lupp.
Brenda Hamilton has replaced Terra Lyn Arrington as a swing. In addition, Ms. Hamilton will be understudying Nessarose.
Marissa Lupp is now a swing and no longer covers Glinda.
Adea Michelle Sessoms has replaced Penelope J. Armstead-Williams in the ensemble.
Allison Leo has replaced Shanna Vanderwerker as a swing and the Dance Captain.
Sunny L. Yokoyama has left the ensemble.
2nd National Tour
Anne Brummel has replaced Vicki Noon as Elphaba.
Christine Dwyer has replaced Anne Brummel as the standby for Elphaba.
Laurel Harris has replaced Christine Dwyer in the ensemble and as the understudy for Elphaba.
Cast Update: Broadway Production
0Brenda Hamilton (Swing; u/s Midwife) has left the cast and gone to San Francisco. Also, Manuel Herrera has joined the ensemble, replacing Adam Perry. Samantha Zack is still listed as the Witch’s Mother, however; she joined the San Francisco cast this week.
Cast Update: San Francisco Production
0The San Francisco page of the official “Wicked” website has been updated.
On February 9, 2010, Paul Slade Smith (former 1st National Tour) replaces Steven Skybell as Dr. Dillamond, and Libby Servais (former 2nd National Tour u/s) replaces Natalie Daradich as the standby for Glinda.
As previously reported, Jody Gelb (Madame Morrible) and Etai BenShlomo (Boq) also begin performances tomorrow. A headshot for Felicia Ricci (u/s Elphaba) who joined the company on February 5, is available as well.
In addition, Lauren Haughton has replaced Angel Reda in the ensemble, and Felicia Ricci has replaced Laura Purgelise, and is understudying Elphaba. Also, both Brenda Hamilton and Samantha Zack have joined as Swings. with Hamilton understudying the Midwife and Zack understudying the Witch’s Mother. Robert Pendila has also joined as a swing.
Cast Update: Broadway Production
0BROADWAY PRODUCTION
Andy Karl has replaced Kevin Kern as Fiyero.
Todd Anderson has left as Swing; u/s Chistrey. A replacement is not listed on the official site. *
Brenda Hamilton (universal swing) has rejoined the ensemble as Swing; u/s Midwife.
Nathan Peck has replaced Ron Todorowski as Ensemble; u/s Chistrey. (Nathan is not listed as covering Chistrey; however, and he has not in the past, so we believe that this is just Ron’s ensemble track.) *
*We realize that it seems like this cast change eliminated both covers for Chistrey without replacing them, however; there have been four covers. Brian Wanee and Jonathan Warren remain as understudies for Chistrey.
Cast Updates: Broadway Cast
0Brenda Hamilton has joined the cast. She is a super swing (one who travels between productions), so this is probably not permanent, especially considering no one left for her to replace.
Brenda Hamilton (Swing; u/s Midwife) Thrilled to be in Wicked. Equity Tours: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Some Like It Hot. Regional: A Chorus Line (Paper Mill Playhouse) and Joseph… (North Carolina Theater) Thanks Telsey and Clear Talent! Love to Family and Bffy!
Bryan West has replaced Kyle Dean Massey as Ensemble; u/s Fiyero. No bio is avaliable because it is messed up on the official “Wicked” site.
Exploring Oz: Vocabulary
2It was brought to my attention a couple of days ago that a lot of people, particularly newcomers to the world of theatre may not understand some of the terms that we use on this site and in the “Wicked” world in general. So this morning, I have compiled a list of terms that might be helpful. If anyone has any other suggestions for terms to add, please feel free to comment or email me (address located in the right hand column).
standby - a person who sits backstage/stays very close to the theatre during the show and only performs if the lead who they cover is ill or away for some reason. In all productions of “Wicked”, Elphaba has a standby and in several of them, so does Glinda.
understudy/cover - a person who has a part in the show (usually the ensemble) but can step into a leading part if it is needed.
swing – a person who sits backstage unless a member of the ensemble is absent or stepping into a leading role; they usually cover six or seven ensemble roles. Sometimes, swings also cover a principal role.
super swing - a swing who floats between the four US productions of “Wicked”, filling in as needed. One current example would be Brenda Hamilton.
phoning in – when an actor/actress does not seem as if they are actually putting forth an effort when playing a part; commonly occurs when someone has been in a role for a very long time.
lift call – a call to practice the parts of the show where characters lift other characters while dancing (“Dancing Through Life” in “Wicked”). This is very important because if an understudy/swing is being lifted and has not practiced with the person who is lifting them, injury could easily occur.
places call – exactly what the name says; a call for actors, actresses, and crew to go to the position where they start an act.
sit-down – an open-ended production of the show in a city; examples have been Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco currently. New York’s production technically would be but is not usually referred to as such.
cherry picker – in the world of “Wicked”, this is the machine that takes Elphaba into the air in “Defying Gravity”.
stage door – to fans of “Wicked”, may be used as a noun or verb. As a noun, it is the place where actors and actresses enter and leave the building and greet fans after the show. As a verb, it is used to describe visiting the door.