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Zero time Tony Award winner • Production Assistant • Serial rewatcher
The Wicked movie has been in the works for quite some time. Initially discussed in 2004, the Wicked adaptation was put aside until a few years ago. The original release date was going to be in December of 2019. It has now been pushed to the end of this year. Considering it has yet to be cast I have a feeling that they’re going to push it again. The only official announcement from Universal so far is that Jon M. Chu is set to direct. Most recently he has directed Crazy Rich Asians and the upcoming In The Heights film adaptation.
Everyone on social media has been putting their ideas out there for the casting of this movie. I have decided to participate, but only after doing a little more research. I’m kind of a Wicked super-fan and what I want more than anything is for the creators of this movie to do it justice. That’s not to say the Twitter casting is subpar, I’m sure it would be great but I have a few other ideas in mind. So, without further ado…
Samantha Pauly or Emmy Raver-Lampman as Elphaba
As soon as the Wicked adaptation was announced, I immediately thought of Samantha Pauly for Elphaba. Right up until Broadway shut down she was performing as Katherine Howard in SIX. Pauly’s range is G3 to B6 and she has already proven that she can perform as Elphaba.
Watch her perform “No Good Deed” here!
Another strong contender for Elphaba is Emmy Raver-Lampman. You might recognize her from the original Broadway cast of Hamilton or the touring cast of Hamilton. Before that, she was the Elphaba standby in the Wicked national tour. So, much like Samantha Pauly, Emmy has already proven herself.
Watch her perform “Defying Gravity” here!
Denée Benton or Ali Stroker as Glinda
Denée Benton has already performed two of my favorite musical theater roles, and I just had to add her in the running for Glinda. Eliza Hamilton and Natasha Rostova are both soprano characters, so there’s no doubt that she’d nail it. There are no videos of her singing any songs from Wicked on YouTube, but here is a link to her singing “No One Else” from Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. It really shows off her soprano range.
Ali Stroker would also be a phenomenal Glinda. She has the range vocally, and her personality really shines through when she performs. She nails Glinda’s attitude, and I’d love to see what kind of twist she’d put on the role. I do have a video of Ali singing “Popular” from when she was on The Glee Project, and I don’t have words for it. Simply put, she knocked it out of the park.
Antonio Cipriano as Fiyero
I have never met a Fiyero I didn’t like. Aaron Tveit and Ryan McCartan I am speaking directly to both of you. As much as I’d like either of them to take over the film version of this role, I have someone else in mind. Antonio Cipriano is a vocal powerhouse, and I know he would master it. Before the shutdown, Antonio starred as Phoenix in Jagged Little Pill. No one else is listed in this category, and that is because Antonio is the only choice for Fiyero. Antonio hasn’t sung any of Fiyero’s songs, but here is a video of him singing “The Wizard and I” at Feinstein’s/54 Below Pronoun Showdown night. Please, just wait for the falsetto at the end. You won’t be disappointed.
Bailey McCall as Nessarose
Nessa is Elphaba’s sister who, if you’re a Wizard of Oz fan, is the one who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East. The house falls on her, and Dorothy takes her shoes. I already know what you’re thinking. Bailey is a soprano, and Nessa is categorized as an alto. I know that. However, Bailey toured with Waitress as Jenna, and Jenna’s breakdown is a mezzo-soprano, alto with great range. Bailey also performed as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Need I say more? Nessa’s character does not have as much singing as the aforementioned characters, but Bailey would suit the role. If you still doubt me, you can listen to her sing here.
Josh Andrés Rivera as Boq
Boq is a munchkin who lives in Oz and is classified as 5’7 or shorter. I am unaware of Josh’s height, so this might not be 100%. However, Josh is a lovely tenor just like Boq. He will be starring as Chino in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story later this year. He was also John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in the touring cast of Hamilton.
If you have any ideas for this cast please share your thoughts. Share your thoughts of the characters I didn’t cast, like Madame Morrible and Doctor Dillamond. The beauty of this is that everyone has their favorites and who they’d like to see as these iconic characters. I hope you enjoyed my take!
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Zero time Tony Award winner • Production Assistant • Serial rewatcher
