Behind the Scenes: Wicked Backstage

A peek into the backstage life of Julia Murney, who plays Elphaba in the Broadway smash Wicked

[@xKissedxDeathx]

"There's a hat somewhere. A witch hat. I dunno where it is." "And then cause frankly, I get on stage, and then everyone's mean to me." I seriously love her!

[@greatday124]

This makes theater life seem so exciting. I know it seems less "glamorous" than people think; but that's the adventure in it all. You never know what's going to happen. Unpredictably predictable.I reeeeeeally like this career path. Plus she's kind and humble.

[@fleurverdonkschot7065]

I was so nervous for her!!! Like with the calls and then when she goes onstage like moveee you'll be late you adorable broccoli!!!

[@lewiscunningham8379]

there's no need to be nevous. she has the 5 minute call and then the places call, then the top of the show and all of no one mourns the wicked to be in place.

[@nataliehartigan]

i mean, shes not even in the first song

[@alessa.]

You adorable brocoli 😂😂😂

[@lewiscunningham8379]

When I read the book I pictured Elphaba to look just like Julia and I didnt even know who she was back then so this is freaky

[@twistingboulevard]

I think I've watched this video 20+ times. She just seems like an amazing person to talk to and very down to earth. Not to mention how ridiculously talented she is.

[@Sheblet]

"Isn't this glamorous? MY GOD! The glamor of it! It's amazing!"

[@mllama999]

I met her 2 nights ago and I told her how much I loved this video :) she said she had so much fun doing it and it really seems like she did!!

[@epicmaddie]

I love Kenda Kassebaum's voice. I dont know why!

[@Bobbyswicked]

I have seen this video more than a few times, and I must say... She does a really good job with her makeup/background info that other actresses playing Elphaba who do 'dressing room' stuff aren't as entertaining and enjoyable as she is. Julia has won my heart over all other actresses... so far..

[@ZippyLove09]

She impersonates Kendra hilariously well when Kendra is walking in xD

[@Hawkpelt94]

I was able to go and see this when it was in my area and can honestly say that I would go and watch it again in a heartbeat! I absolutely LOVED it

[@snoopdoggyloleg]

When the fifteen minute call came I was so scared because she wasn't even dressed.

[@snoopdoggyloleg]

and then the five minute!

[@georgia5504]

+Chloe Richardson I think it's because she's not in for the first scene or so, so she has a bit more time 😄

[@brittney5859]

I freaked out too then I remembered she has a solid amount of time til she has to be on stage.

[@MitchellBasham]

She’s not on for the first fifteen minutes.

[@justyourvoice]

I watched this a loooooong time ago.Memories :)

[@KingdomHeartsFan3211]

weirdloverofthings You and me both, bro.

[@TheHorsyEquestrian]

"That's my little steamy frog, that I love. He makes me happy." xD Shes so funny and nice!

[@chantelle2613]

"It's been very satisfying and very rewarding and ... all of that" 😂 love her! Also - I want an Elphabear!! 😭

[@addybeals1317]

She's adorable!! And the green skin suit for her torso and arms is so cool!!

[@ArcusLibri]

I absolutely loved her on The Wild Party cast album! Crazy coincidence that she mentioned The Drowsy Chaperone it's my favourite musical 💛

[@Mitsu2040]

Thanks for uploading all these videos. It's been really fun to get a personal look at what goes on before a show from the point of view of the actors ^_^

[@Kayshmo]

i was freaking out for her when they called 5 mins and she wasn't even ready! hahaha

[@lukeluthor6290]

Yeah me too! But she doesn’t come in until later in the show ! Haha

[@MarryXMeXBuryXMe]

I love how she's so insecure about playing Elphaba and she actually turned out to be one of the best ones.

[@mehhudson]

I love how she is still waving when she leaves. Oh and when she says "Isn't glamorous! My God the glamour!!

[@headachesandhairdye]

I think this is the twentieth time I've seen this and it just never gets old.

[@maggienewson8859]

My favorite Elphie!

[@XxMissNoNamexX]

I'm so excited I'm going to see this in like a week. I'm painting myself green.

[@pinklover9100]

I love how Galinda just walked right in in her dress and everything lol

[@chrisbarton4648]

What a lovely Lady!! A great personality to be leading the show! x

[@wickedly4]

gahhh she's so chill and funny i love it.

[@rachellsaintlaraunt1]

i love her attitud ebout the whole thing...she so fun...i love wicked...saw it in tampa and want to see it again.......

[@jaejayjx]

loved this! not sure why, but it was so amazing to watch!!

[@TenorReacts]

I can't believe I've never seen this! Awesome!

[@PrincessKaitlynXO]

She has such a great personality!

[@ACIDICcitric]

She is so charming :-)

[@slivertoe]

I can't stop watching this video. It's weirdly soothing. lol

[@151Doggies]

Elphaba isn't on until like 15 or 20 minutes into the show. At the end she was going backstage and they were still in the opening number. Elphaba has the most time to get ready.

[@AngelAnubisMusical]

At first, I tought she didn't like playing the role. She reacted flat. But then, when her hair and make-up was done, she was so happy and excited. (sorry for my bad English, I'm from Holland =P)

[@Jugbug992]

Aaaaaah stage manager.........makes me happy. :)

[@soulsinger1500]

I met her like two weeks ago! she's an awesome person!

[@jersey24601]

i love how honest this is!

[@lukeluthor6290]

Julia really speaks 100% truth in everything she talks about from dressing rooms to mics to choosing to do roles , etc. I’ve never really had to use a mic before, because most of the shows I’ve been in have had 3 or 4 super powerful stage mics that can pick up even a whisper backstage. But I do laugh when she says the strange lumps in costumes because it’s hilarious and true 😆 I always loved getting ready for shows because you can see everybody , say hello , chit chat and get into costume and get fully psyched in.

[@hunterbrady5190]

i was lucky enough to do a broadway classroom with Kenway. I adored him

[@ryanburke4633]

I really love wicked

[@angelmax404]

I met her a couple months after this, she's a real sweetheart and signed autographs.

[@TheLoneLeeWolf]

Haha, I was just confused! I was like, whoa!! I wanna be in this show somewhere! lol

[@harajukukevin6657]

Since she doesn't make her entrance until the middle of Dear Old Shiz, she has a bit of time :P I still would have been freaking out when I hear "places! Top of act I" broadway or a high school show. The nervous feeling is terribly great

[@mndkj567]

The show was amazing:)

[@kaciebroadfield262]

When I was Annie for my school, and my mike pack was so awkward when it came to my last two costumes!

[@garlandgirl2006]

she has the best cheekbones

[@PrettyEquestrianGirl]

I would LOVE to play Elphaba in Wicked. That is a dream job for me.

[@musicalboy]

Still one of my favorite backstage videos!

[@DavidGraham97]

When I do shows, I always do warm-ups, then after that start make-up, hair if needed and then get my costume on. In one of my recent shows, I had to do full face paint, and I almost always waited till the little kids got into places before I started:) lol

[@nalabees]

it's so nice seeing how everyone stops in, a lot of the stars of a show will only have other principals visiting right before call.

[@tui1010]

She is amazing .. I like that she's really humble about herself and she acknowledges other people . And she's so relaxed ! If I was her I'd be shitting myself!

[@PeaceBang]

I saw her in Boston. She's lovely.

[@xaruiz]

I did my first equity show this summer and our call was only 30 minutes prior to curtain. I was so used to a two hour call, I wondered if we would have time to prepare! But the process of putting on makeup and getting into costume becomes so second nature that, after a while, it doesn't take long at all. Plus, when your character is not onstage for the first few scenes, you have the luxury to be ready a few minutes later than everyone else!

[@fontenayperi]

that was great!!!

[@foreveranoutcast3847]

Im seeing it tomarrow!!!!

[@Kayshmo]

shes so down to earth!

[@crose255able]

I got the reference to bernadette peters! *smiles at extensive knowledge of broadway*

[@ronniemcleod2880]

Jule wicked london show show thank you so so much evey thing

[@lillyjaffe2162]

i know bow it feels to have a mike pack and i luv wicked

[@tammichka]

So down to earth despite the success - very admirable

[@IrishFriendsFan]

yeah, you're right, Elphana only comes in around the fourth scene

[@DevilMaskedgirl101]

"Isn't this glamorous? My god, the glamor of it!"

[@HazelOct]

XPcandycane , I voted up on your comment by accident! I think Julia just felt she couldn't play Elphaba, or maybe didn't have the capacity to play such a massive role, but obviously now gained confidence :)

[@angiep2812]

It's funny to see how her confidence grows as more green goes on her.

[@sarapaintgirl]

She's living my dream. I want to be in this show so badly you know in like five years after I go to college and move to NYC.

[@asswhole239]

I feel you. I had a mic pack pressed against my back and then it was repeatedly gaffa taped around my torso so that it stayed, because I was in a full Tin Min costume. The costume made me sweat so much that the tape was re-applied 3 times throughout the show because it would literally just slip down my entire body lmao

[@IrishFriendsFan]

omg i was thinking the same! :)

[@bobmcclure2612]

When I was the DoDo bird in Alice in Wonderland, my mic pack fell off me on stage right in the middle of the opening number. It was during a dance break, so I swooped my arms around and reached down to pick it up and strap it on my costume. I did it very slowly and fluidly so it just looked like a dance move. After the scene the stage manager put it back on securely, and there were no problems after that.

[@SarahtheWimpykid]

it's interesting how the elphabas always looks the most beautiful in the green makeup :)

[@vivianamenzel874]

"the elphabear, ladys and gentlemen" :D gotta love julia!

[@IA1212]

You should see Eden! She's be singing along in her dressing room as No One Mourns The Wicked was ending, she's cut it down to the second :)

[@temilyo]

i knoww!!!!!!!!!! then she goes ahead and stretches on the floor calmly when the show already started:)

[@JiGsAwMoFo]

She sounds like such a fun person, I want to be her friend, how cool is this chick

[@BagOfSticksFork]

this video raised me

[@zoebest7857]

She looks like a green Tina Fey with those glasses on

[@harnarius]

@RemiKate1298 I feel you! I did a show with really really really sticky mic tape, so every night, it was like you were getting waxed. You can still feel that stretch of skin with no little baby hair fuzz. And, during that show, Ithey had to get the mic pac all the way through the layers of hot synthetic costume to a cami I was wearing, I could not bend down at all while wearing it!!! THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO KNOW MY PAIN!

[@kaitlynmariya2314]

It looks so fun being Elphaba

[@hadleighpierce4410]

Is she still on Broadway? I am seeing it in 7 days!!

[@selina5598]

I love this interview and I don't often care about interviews

[@JillianDunn]

Well she is just lovely!

[@MsCoffeePixie]

I understand where you can get that from, but I've definitely been into many other musicals, a lot of them that are actually classics. I think I'm the most into Wicked right now only because I read the book and because it's so heavily based off of a tale I fell in love with as a kid (Wizard of Oz of course).

[@JiGsAwMoFo]

OMFG I WANT AN ELPHA-BEAR!!!

[@PlaidShirtBlueJeans]

I know what you mean! When you are a lead and you have to change every scene, it's pretty insane dealing with a mic. Not to mention that you are usually in layers and sweating because of all the lights and running back and forth. Always worth it though :)

[@theookkerse1]

mygod......my story completely!

[@nathanbugg3221]

I love the Drowsy Chaperone fun hearing her mention it.

[@starvingartist109]

once right in the middle of doing a song, my mic pack just fell off, and i had to lean down and grab it like it was no big deal :P

[@AcyraxJ]

Is it bad of me to also find her more attractive in the green then out of it?

[@selina5598]

It's debatable. While she looks magnificent as Elphaba, I do find her natural look to have a lot of charm but I know I'm probably in the minority with that

[@Treemotan]

Selina Moses Nah. Julia's a cutie patootie no matter what.

[@mllama999]

I saw in some other video, the Elphie said that they didn't have to worry about the calls cause she doesn't go on for 15 mins in. So you're right I think.

[@Kayshmo]

i was so nervous for her when they did the 5 min call and she wasn't ready. then they called places and she still wasn't ready...omg!! haha

[@ljam66]

ILLUSION SHATTERED.

[@luxhaulsandvlogs1436]

They said 5 minute call and she was still not dressed and was calm and I was more nervous than her

[@johncroft9888]

LOL, I know!!! I was like Holy CRAP!!! She is so calm. I would be freaking out of my mind.

[@HaunaMyKiki]

To be fair, Elphaba doesn't go on stage for at least another 10 minutes after the start of show.

[@KaraMinnick]

i love her face!

[@lisafs0902]

" This is my steamy frog. He makes me happy." Oh, Julia. :)

[@leenabalanag6028]

She's hilarious! :D

[@madisonpisano4372]

This is my steamy frog he makes me happy

[@EmeraldSky33]

My god, she's so cute! She's just like my castmates. :)

[@sailahbri2454]

It's the Elphabear

[@JowieMantheWOman]

I did this play once, and I wish that there were someone to apply the make up for me..... I had green everywhere XD, I looked like spotting leaf XD!!!!

[@actress5256]

I've always found the green gorgeous