Carole Shelley: Lucky to Be Wicked
About the author:
Stage veteran Carole Shelley, who is currently starring as Madame Morrible in Wicked, boasts a long list of shows and accolades. Her Broadway credits include Cabaret, Show Boat, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Odd Couple, The Miser, Stepping Out for which she earned a Tony nomination, Noises Off, The Elephant Man for which she won a Best Actress Tony Award, Hay Fever, The Norman Conquests, Absurd Person Singular for which she earned a Tony nomination and Loot. Her national tours, off Broadway credits and TV and film appearances would take up a considerable amount of this page. Here, Shelley recounts falling for her new love: Wicked.
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When I was first approached about doing a new musical enticingly called Wicked, the script was not yet complete they were able to send me, I think, eight pages, so I bought Gregory Maguire's novel, on which our show is based a book which was then not very easy to find; now, it's deservedly back on the bestseller list. I read the book and thought, "Well, if it's Madame Morrible they want me to play, I'm in."
And, besides, how could I resist? A big new Broadway musical with 'A-list' talent? And I would be there at the beginning, part of the creative process. What's more, I wondered how many more big Broadway musicals there would be, that have this kind of money being spent. I had to do it.
So I set out to discover what Madame Morrible was all about, a journey complicated by the fact that the essence of Wicked's story is that no one is what they appear to be. Glinda seems to be a spoiled brat. Elphaba seems to be a green worrywart. The Wizard seems to be a wonderful man with great powers. But we discover otherwise. And Morrible turned out to be a very tricky--and elusive--character indeed.
I talked to [librettist] Winnie Holzman--a lot. She was a font for me. The set for Wicked is like a gigantic clock mechanism, and I came to realize that Morrible is very subtly and secretly winding the clock. She sets much of the plot in motion, sweeping onstage in a hurry and leaving the way she came.
And then I began to get into my Susan Hilferty "originals." I know my performance has been inspired a great deal by our brilliant costume designer, with the help of Tom Watson's astonishing wigs. The clothes have given me the look, of course, but also the feel. I have to walk a certain way, carry myself in a certain way, in order to be able to move in them. That gives me a lot of the "personality."
The first night in San Francisco, our first performance in front of an audience after a month and a half or rehearsals, the audience was electric. I think we all realized that we were on the right track, but there was more to find.
After San Francisco, there was time off for the actors. While the creative team worked around the clock, I took two vacations. Heaven.
Then it was back to rehearsals in New York, and we were handed the newest version of the script. I thought that the changes made for the character of Elphaba were fabulous, absolute genius, and they had a very powerful affect on the entire show, including on my character. Pretty much everything Morrible does has to do with Elphaba. The two characters are linked. I don't want to say too much about how, Dear Readers, as Wicked is a show full of surprises, but when you see it you'll know what I mean!
We worked very hard to tighten every scene. And it's not just enough to say to yourself, "OK, do it faster" in an effort to move things along. You've got to find the right thought process. When someone is speaking to you on stage, your character needs to think quickly enough so that your thought is ready when needed. This was very hard work, but it helped to transform the show.
As we started previews in New York, the "buzz" for the show was very loud. I've never been involved with anything like it. It was quite frightening to have so much to live up to, an unknown audience's preconception! But soon a very comforting, glowing cloud appeared over us, and I knew that we were in a hit. Friends see the show and come and cry on the couch in my dressing room afterwards.
I love the Gershwin Theatre, have never found it to be the big monster that other people do. But, of course, both times I've been here I've been standing on a set designed by Eugene Lee, who knows how to use this space better than anyone in the world. I love coming here to do this show. Nothing pleases me more than to be in a show of which I'm proud. I'm proud of my role and proud of the people in it.
Which brings me to Kristin and Idina, both of whom I adore. In addition to being incredibly and uniquely talented, they are two of the most beautiful human beings I've ever met or worked with. And I get to share the stage with them--and Joel Grey and the rest of our Wicked family--eight times a week. How lucky am I?
