Wicked: 15th Anniversary | Celebrating the wonderful Women who have played Glinda!

Wicked has established itself as one of the biggest and best West End shows, originally opening on Broadway in 2003 it headed over here and opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 2006. Today we're celebrating 15 years of the show, and after the slight 'pause' the show has taken, it's come back better than ever and what a good time to celebrate its Birthday! In this piece, we look back at all the wickedly talented Women who have played Glinda in the UK. From the London production to the tours! Which one was your favourite?!

Wicked in London

Helen Dallimore 

September 7 2006 - July 14 2007

Dianne Pilkington 

July 16 2007 - March 27 2010

Louise Dearman 

March 29 2010 - December 10 2011

Gina Beck 

December 12 2011 - November 16 2013

Wicked the Musical: Theatre Review

Wicked the Musical has recently celebrated its fifth birthday in the West End, the show has proven very popular with musical theatre fans as they continue to sustain a very strong fan base who remain dedicated to the show and support it constantly. I have reviewed this show twice before, but I recently saw the show with the new cast. A lot of the cast have left the show since I last saw it, so I wasinterested to be invited back to check them out.

Rachel Tucker has remained with the production since coming into the company in March 2010; ever since she first started she has just got better and better. She is as strong as she has ever been. What I love about Tucker's interpretation of Elphaba is that she understands the role, a lot of the portrayals I have seen have been based around the singing aspect of the role and the actress's I've seen don't have that much depth in their Elphaba, where as Rachel's does. Her rendition of Defying Gravity and No Good Deed was the best I have ever heard; her voice fills the theatre and is delightful while having an edge to it which gives you shivers down your spine. Her chemistry with Gina Beck (Glinda) was also wonderful; they have had some time to settle in since they have started and their characters definitely work amazingly together and have a certain connection which hasn't been portrayed like that before.

Gina Beck plays a fresh Glinda, her voice is pure and a wonder to the ears. Glinda's comedic parts in the show were done incredibly by her and she picked up on everything, in my opinion she is the only Glinda in the London production that has actually paid attention to who Glinda actually is, rather than focus on what happens to her on her journey in the show. She had a great presence as Glinda and her journey through the show also really contributed to her interpretation of the role.

Wicked the Musical: Theatre Review

Wicked the musical opened on Broadway in 2003 with productions in Los Angeles, Japan, Chicago, Germany and Australia.
The London production opened in 2006 with Original Broadway cast member, Idina Menzel. The story follows Glinda the Good and The Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) before Dorothy arrived in Oz. The musical comes from Gregory Maguire, the story explains why everything is the way it is in the land of Oz. It explains why Glinda is good, why the Witch is wicked, why the scarecrow has no brain, why the Lion is cowardly, why the tin man has no heart and everything thinkable in The Wizard of Oz is included in Wicked.
I recently made a trip back to the Apollo Victoria Theatre to see the show again, the show has everything that a musical should have, and it's universal. The balance between the humour and the emotional sides of the show are brilliant, it's a show that includes every emotion. It also has appeal to everyone, for children this show would be a fantastic spectacle and for adults it's an interesting insight to their favourite childhood story. I recently saw the show on September 24^thand it was one of the best performances I've seen from the Wicked Company. This is because we have a few understudies on, two of which it was only their third show on.

Wicked the Musical: Theatre Review

Wicked the Musical opened on Broadway in 2003 and since then has opened productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, Australia, Germany, Japan and London. The London production opened in 2006 and has been going strong ever since. The show has been through multiple cast changes and I recently went to see it on 22^ndApril 2011.

The show takes place before Dorothy arrived in Oz, following the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) and Glinda. It's about the relationship that the girls share with a love triangle, a controversy with the Wizard and the story of the Wicked Witch of The East. The show also explains why the Tin Man has no Heart, why the lion is cowardly and why the scarecrow has no brain.Its providing something that everyone can relate to, it reaches out to almost every audience member which is a very rare thing to find in a Musical.

The design team on this show are a dream; Eugene Lee's set is incredible to look at and fits perfectly into the show, as does Susan Hilferty's delightful and imaginative costumes. Stephen Schwartz's score is incredible. The stunning 11 O'clock numbers are to spare in this show; Defying Gravity, No Good Deed and Thank Goodness are the musical and emotional highlights in the show, each one expressing amazing emotion from the characters.