Wicked 21st March 2009 ASHLEIGH AS ELPHIE!

Ok, so on the 21st March for my birthday (which was the 17th! my 18th!) I got tickets to go and see Wicked.

At the time we brought them we were expecting to see the Great Kerry Ellis, but as it turns out, we get to see the most Amazing Ashleigh Gray, who was mind blowingly Fantasmicgorcial!!! I'm not even kidding!!!

So we started off, getting into London at about One O'clock, too late to catch the cast going into The AV for the Matinee, so we head off to Monmouth Street to have lunch at the Italian Restaurant.

After the usual scrummy Pizza we head to the dress circle where I was able to get the last Green Defy Gravity V-Neck T-shit and "Act One" Songs from The Muscials of Alexander S. Bermange (Which I highly recommed BTW)

After this little excursion, we moved on to Forbidden Planet, where we spent about half an hour browsing merchandise, and I for one, came out very happy. Then we went to Cyber Candy, where you can get sweets from all around the world, then Waterstones.

But we eventually made our way to the AV and Victoria station, baring in mind the Victoria Line was down, so we had to get onto the Circle (Or was it District) line, to get us to the AV. We arrived about five O'clock, so for about fifteen minutes we had a sit down in the station, after I had purchased a new Program for the show, which contained Ashleigh's pull out for her taking Kerry's place on Stage. Also we found out that Stollar was playing the Father and Dr Dillamond, so it was all good.

So anyway about quarter past five we positioned ourself at the stage door gates and waited for the cast to come out. We were not five metres from the door, It was fantastic! First out of the door was Sarah Earnshaw (Earnie) dashing off for food. She hadn't been on, but it felt rude asking for a picture when she appeared to be on a mission. So we let her pass.

Next out was the adorable Liam Tamne, who is Fiyero Understudy, who gladly stopped and signed my program and I had a picture with him, which he was more than happy to have.

So anyway we waited around and people came out and back in again and we caught most of the people. (We saw Oli three times before the evening performance!) So we got a lot of pictures and signitures. It was very fun. Plus made a lot of new friends!!!

We saw a group of the cast go out for a run after the show, and when they came back, my friend wanted a picture with Oli, who was desperate to get inside, so we made it quick. Then Dianne Pilkington rolled up, after her seperate run and was also surprised that we wanted pictures with her, but was so lovely about the whole thing! And Then Caroline Keiff, who is the most lovelist person I have ever met! She was coming back from a jog and was really surprised that we wanted to have pictures. She even said "You were going to say I look horrible weren't you?" When I was telling her that she looked fantastic whatever she thought.

Ashleigh didn't come out after the Matinee, but was recieving a lot of estatic reviews from the people we were stage dooring with!

So after we were satisfied about people coming in and out, we went to the digital photo booth, where you can print out pictures for 20p a snapshot, we printed out the pictures of us with the cast and decided to get them signed after the show.

So now we went and waited in the lobby for the show to start. When we we let in we found that we had some very good seats, althought slightly too far off to the left, and sitting in a draft, which wasn't brilliant, but it was as wonderful as always.

So the show started, with a wonderful enterance from Dianne Pilkington and flowed as wonderfully as usual. There was silence as Ashleigh rolled up onto stage before Dear Old Shiz, and she was mind blowing in the Wizard and I. I said to my friend, "If thats her Wizard and I, I can't wait for her Defying Gravity." And my friend, a first timer, Agreed.

Ash continued her amazing run, her voice was so strong and there was something about the energy she had that Kerry appeared to be lacking since she got back from Broadway.

As predicted Ash's Defying GRavity, stunned and blew all away. She was so strong, powerful and wonderfully raw with emotion that all our jaws almost dropped to the floor. She gave me goosebumps! The whole crowd erupted when she'd finsihed and the curtain swang forward for the interval.

The next surprise of the night was when during the last few notes of Thank Goodness, Di performed the Hilty High Note (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8xVOW9gRXo See Second Clip (Megan Hilty)) which was stunning! And Caroline Keiff belted out Nessa's top note with so much force during the Wicked Witch of the East!

The Rest of the show, the As Long as You're Mine, Oli and Ash and the No Good Deed, so raw and powerful, all but blew my head off. Ashleigh was just one amazing Elphabla, and recieved a highly deserved almost complete standing Ovation at the end of the show!!! My voice was hoarse afterwards!

So as soon as the curtain went down, me and my friends dashed from one side of the theater Auditorium to the other and up out of a fire escape, briefly wondering if we'd set off the fire alarm, to get a good place at stage door, and arrived and managed to stand straight out in front of it!!! First out, as the wonderful Liam, who was all too happy to sign my photo from earlier, sign my friends ticket and have a picture with her, both of them actually. The Oli, and Jeremy Legat, followed by Jake Samuals, and finally, Ashleigh, who was really lovely and smilely and seemed really surprised when we told her how much we loved her performance and how mind blowing it was. She happily stood for pictures for all of us and signed my program, my friends Cyber Candy Bag and my other friends ticket.

So all in all, buzzing as we got onto the train, we had a fantabulous night!!! And the pics below tell it all (note: My friend has my picture of me and Ash, so that will be added at a later date!!!)

This is me with Jake Samuels (Understudy Fiyero!) He's nice. We like Jake!:D


This is me with Cindy Belliot (Ensemble!)


Me with Caroline Keiff (Nessarose)


Me and My friend Daisy with Desmond Barritt (The Wizard)


Me with Sarah Earnshaw (Standby Glinda!)


Me and Alex Jessop (Understudy Boq)


Me with Jeremy Legat! (Boq)


Me with Nadine Cox (Understudy Madame Morrible)


Me with Dianne Pilkington (Glinda)


Me with Oliver Tompsett (Fiyero!!!:D) Loving Oli!


Annnndd Me with Liam Tamne!!!!!!!!!!! (Understudy Fiyero 1 LOL) We like Liam as well!



(Added 25/03/2009)
Me with Stollar, who was playing the Father and Dr D.


Annnnnnddddd Me with the star of the night.... Ms Ashleigh Gray!!!!!!!!!!!



Thats all folks!:D

Wicked Day 26th Oct 2008

Last Sunday, was Wicked Day! (In London!) Fully prepared and armed with pens, bags and money, Daisy and I arrived late to meet Trish at Reading Station. Well we got there ok?

When we reached Paddington we took a Taxi to the AV, and waited for some of Trish's stage Door crew to show up. And it was raining.

So when we finally found where we were going there was a long que and it was still raining. I got Daisy to write "Wicked Rocks" on my face in eyeliner. We got in about 12:30 and were given little goodie bags from cast memembers! I got mine from Caroline! We then purchased a cast photo that was taken especially for the day and set about getting it signed.

Straight off we met the wonderful George Ure(Understudy Boq) who was AWESOME! Desmond Barritt who plays the Wizard, and Harriet Thorpe, who plays Madam Morrible! And the wonderful Caroline Keiff!

Then there was the opened bit with some singing by a Stage Coach group and then we dispersed to look around.

Seriously I can't really remeber what Happened after that. We met so many people and it was just fantastic.

I brought a scarf made by a Wicked cast member in the auction, got pics with Dianne Pilkington, Alexia Khadime, Jeremy Legat, Liam Tamne, Geogre Ure, Alex Jessop, Sarah Earnshaw, and OLIVER TOMPSETT!!!:D

There's a bit of a story to the Oli pic actually. I was waiting in line with Daisy to get a picture with Oli, (This is where the "Wicked Rocks" comes into play). At Oli's concert in August, I had written "Olly Rocks" on my face and managed to meet him. Well I got to the front of the que, and Oli looks at me and says "You like writing on your face don't you?" and I was shocked and managed to choke out, "You remember me?" He smiled and said "Yeah!" I literally couldn't breathe! And I got a hug! I was so shocked. And soo happy!:D

Anyway! It was just amazing!:D So here are some of my pics!:D

Me with Earnie!

Me with OLI!

Me with Liam!

Me with Jeremy!

Me with Jake Samuals!

Me with Harriet!

Me with George!

Me with Dianne!

Me with Des!

Me with Caroline!

Me with Alex Jessop!

And...

Me with Lexi!:D

My Top Five Hottest Guys!

[Note Subject to chane in position depending on my mood!:P]

At the moment;

1# is Robert Pattinson- He was Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and is Edward Cullen in the up coming Twilight Movie- and Boy is this guy Gorgeous!:D


2#(Down you go Oli.... now goes to (Drum Roll Please....)) JACKSON RATHBONE!!! Who plys Jasper Cullen in the new TWILIGHT movie! Isn't he goregous!


3# goes to Oliver Tompsett- who is currently playing Fiyero in the hit Musical Wicked! Oli can sing, dance and looks great in white Leggins! What more can a girl ask for? lol



4# Belongs to Marco Williamson, who was Julian in the Famous Five in 1996/97.




5# (Changed from Jon Lee!) Mathias Lauridsen- Isn't he Pretty?


So thats my Top Five!:P I know you won't all agree but there it is!

Oliver Tompsett's Concert at Bush Hall on 10/08/2008

Last night Oliver Tompsett played his only concert of 2008 at Shepards Bush Hall in London.

The music was brilliant and it was the best time. The warm up bad was good, but their efforts went largely un noticed because everyone was waiting for Oli. They got a good reception when the played a Wicked related song, about Fiyero, Oli's Character in Wicked!

Oli got a well deserved reception when he turned up on stage. All the songs from his Deubt Album, Sentimental Heart were played along with some covers and some new material.

There was literally no room to move as eveyone danced, clapped and cheered for Oli and his wonderful Band! Holly James, his backing vocalist was fantastic and did her own solo perfromance with Duffy's hit, Mercy! She is one amazing Woman!

Oli's brother Ben was fantastic! He was on the keybored and played the Sax while Oli had a break and was cheered as much as Oli was.

After a short break for Oli, he came back on with Ashley Grey, who is the Standby for Elphaba in Wicked and does a duet with Oli on his album. She was cheered for a good few minutes before they could even start the song, Count on Me.

It was all so brilliant. People were clapping and cheering and the gig could have gone on all night and we wouldn't have noticed!

When it got to the end of the Gig, which ended on a high with Rollercoaster and Femme Fatal, people started to leave.

We hung about a bit afterwards and met the current West End Elphaba, Alexia Khadime;
Caroline Keiff who plays Nessa Rose;
Sarah Earnshaw and Ashley Grey the standbys. The Former for Glinda and the Latter for Elphaba

We got all their autographs apart from Alexia's becase we were in the corridor at the time, and not the best place to ask for an autograph as well as a picture.

We waited around, when most of the fans had gone off, and spotted Oli coming out from behind the stage. We rushed over, and waited patiently as he talked to some friends. His Dad cut in and presented us! Oli was soo nice! He was lovely. He signed my copy of the album, Daisy's copy of the poster for the gig. And he signed a picture of himself for my friend. Then we got a picture with him! And a hug!

Then his Dad, called Ben over, as Oli went back stage. We got his autograph, and he was really sweet because he didn't think we really wanted them. But again I got my album signed and the picture. And Daisy got her flyer signed, and we got a picture with Ben as well!

It was one swell Night! And we made some new friends, who are more fanatical about Wicked than Daisy and I are! When we were just leaving the women who had given me my free signed poster, pulled us over to a man with camera and asked us to talk about the gig. We did as she asked, and it turned out it's going to be released on DVD!!!! So Daisy and I are going to be on Oli's concert DVD!!!

Anyway! it was brilliant and I'm glad that Oliver Tompsett was my first Gig!:D

Can't wait to see Wicked or Oli again!!

S
xx