Wicked Tour Boasts Elphaba From London

The touring show of Wicked almost didn’t secure its leading lady to play Elphaba.  Carmen Cusak was ready to give up on musical theater before joining the cast.  She had spent the last 15 years working on London’s West End in shows like Les Miserables and The Secret Garden. After finishing her work there, she wanted to start composing and recording jazz music.  She was soon asked to be an understudy for Elphaba at the hot Chicago production and couldn’t turn down the role after listening to the music.  She tells the Kalamazoo Gazette, “The first time I listened to it I was in a grocery store, and by the time I got up to the checkout, I was crying. I just fell in love with ‘Changed for Good’ and ‘Defying Gravity.’ I thought why hadn’t I gotten on the bandwagon earlier?”

Eight months ago, Cusak moved from the understudy position to the lead role of Elphaba in the touring production.  The music may have drawn her in, but she also enjoys the depth of her role.  She said about Elphaba, “She has to overcome being different and prejudices. She’s very intelligent but a bit of a hothead. She holds people at a distance. My favorite moment is when she decides to let Glinda in as a friend. They just start dancing, and all the anger and hatred between them dissolves. It’s a beautiful moment.”

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