Mary Kate Morrissey - Defying Gravity (Principal Debut) - 3.05.24

Ladies and gentlemen, our new principals delivering a masterclass in performing.
Date: March 5th, 2024
Elphaba: Mary Kate Morrissey
Glinda: Alexandra Socha
Madame Morrible: Donna McKechnie
The Wizard: Brad Oscar

[@legallywicked]

i'm so so happy she's lead, i've been following her since 2016 during her standby days & she's come so far!. no disrespect to any of the talented women who have played elphaba in the past few years, but i've been missing this kind of witchy, gritty approach to her that MKM brings. i can see her version of elphaba later becoming the wicked witch of the west that we've come to known, while still retraining the genuinely good qualities that wicked's elphaba has. i love the facial expressions, the growls, the acting, the emotion. i'm so excited to see her growth in the next year!

[@ramonlo128]

We saw wicked June 12 and she sat it out 🤷🏻‍♂️was bummed but Lissa DeGuzman was fantastic!

[@PeterTheatreKid]

@@ramonlo128same August 14th saw Lisa DeGuzman she is amazing!

[@mssabrinamilly]

to whoever is reading this we’ve probably never met but i hope all ur dreams and wishes come true. be like elphaba and don’t let anyone stop u!! 💗

[@sheismymom]

thank u

[@ianhimmelstein5915]

I actually needed this so thank you

[@Nepzer1]

Thank for this.

[@glauciadel-rio9383]

For some reason, it seems that MK has a very true understanding of the underdog/bullied feelings, and she conveys that like no other in her acting…

[@magicamadeye]

honestly yea, saw her last night, she plays elphaba as someone who has basically only had shit thrown at her all her life, and honesetly is basically over it

[@thecozycornerph]

OBSESSED! She's so WITCHY!!!!!!

[@CollinSalvo]

THE ACTING

[@ehthrough]

8:02 Is that not the most haunting "...in all of Oz" ever? I LOVE IT!!!

[@t0kki_tokki]

IT IS HAUNTING! Chills all over!

[@AlwaysKeepingCool2]

She’s serving Murney in terms of the acting and the facial expressions and the early Elphaba vibe is exactly what Wicked has been lacking in recent years.

[@ryanlax404]

1000% this!

[@legallywicked]

exactly my thoughts!

[@eddieking4621]

Amen to this ^

[@tggfriends92]

Completely agree.

[@la24828]

my god mk is ACTINGGGG

[@fischybusinesss]

How does she somehow KEEP getting better??

[@paul.amrani]

I can’t believe Donna McKechnie is finally back on Broadway, and she is ACTING as Morrible!!! Can’t wait to see her live!

[@broadwaymike92]

She was ICONIC as Morrible!!!! Being there that night..... even seeing her get applause after The Denouncement Speech was so thrilling. Donna can do anything!!!

[@chocolatesouljah]

This is the comment I was looking for!

[@world_of_wicked]

She’s giving a wicked vibe (in a good/best way) in her acting and in her voice and I’m loving it every second! 💚

[@glauciadel-rio9383]

MKM somehow getting better and better… the world is her oister ❤️

[@PeterTheatreKid]

U mean this heart 😂: 💚

[@madispector743]

What an absolute treat it must be for anybody to see Marykate's Elphie as their first Wicked experience. I've been following her since I saw her on the Mean Girls tour years ago (and she's been my favorite Janis!) She deserves this so much.

[@suchaneffnlady]

MaryKate's Elphie was my first Wicked experience and I've been changed forever. I cannot hear her war cry and NOT feel inspired and moved

[@astorrhymemaster]

She was mine! Such a special moment for me. I went in almost completely blind. All I knew was that Wicked was about Wizard of Oz. MK's Defying Gravity changed me. It was like I finally understood the point of musicals in a way I never had before. What a performance!

[@brianives4369]

@@astorrhymemasterI’d seen Wicked before, but I’d never seen anyone perform this song like she does. How she manages to act, “sell” the flying effect with the broom so well, and sing the hell out of it all at once is beyond me.

[@astorrhymemaster]

@@brianives4369 I was sitting orchestra. I can't explain how it felt to watch her ascend.

[@brianives4369]

@@astorrhymemaster I was up in the balcony, and she sold the effect so well that it seriously felt like she might actually just fly right up over my seat and out the back of the theater. Absolutely wild how good she is at bringing down the house with this song.

[@lovelee1772]

Litterally my favorite Elphaba!!! She so freaking good!!!

[@evan4905]

I saw MK's s/b Elphaba 8 years ago. It's incredible to now see her thriving on Broadway as lead.

[@stormbob]

We're so blessed. Us Ozians are in good hands this year. MK is smashing it.

[@LukeCasey-i3n]

The jump back after morrible speech is such a GOOD CHOICE. MK is giving a masterclass in acting and VOCALS like how does she keep getting better ? Love the pause after the 2nd BMD to look around

[@spintaneousrazzle]

Maybe she was surprised Morrible remembered the rest of her lines 🙊

[@karllove6042]

@@spintaneousrazzledude what

[@spintaneousrazzle]

@@karllove6042 she messed up the middle of her speech with the distortion part and you can hear her getting stressed about it but she recovered very well. It’s just a little jabby joke from me. That’s all.

[@mp058]

This capture is incredible; it is a pro-shot in quality. I love both MK and AS acting choices and overall pacing; I haven't seen the type of intention and focus in the dialog moments, and there is no rushing, really being present in what is actually happening in the scene/moment.

[@juliethomsen9204]

MK is my fave. Crushed it.

[@suchaneffnlady]

It’s been months since I saw this live and I still burst into tears when she says “it’s ME!” And starts to fly!

[@KLK1618]

That was absolutely incredible

[@wadeyyy]

Shout out to Donna McKechnie who is 81 YEARS OLD still giving a hell of a performance night after night. That woman truly loves what she does.

[@brianives4369]

Truthfully. I keep reading KZbin comments critical of the way she delivers the speech at the beginning of this song, and I really think you have to go see her live to understand why her interpretation works. Her Morrible is not just evil for the sake of it - she’s increasingly terrorized over the course of the show into doing things she knows are awful but that she does anyway to save her own skin. It’s terrifying in light of today’s political climate, and it’s such a smart way to play the character.

[@suchaneffnlady]

Saw this on Broadway in late March 2024. I audibly gasped when she flew and the tears started to flow. Cannot hear her version without the tears as it spoke to the little girl in me!

[@pseudonymous7766]

what a stunning performance! I saw her all the way back in 2018 and was so excited to hear she's the new principal now

[@Kenadams3059]

Am I crazy, or is this Wicked's new proshot for a commercial? SO GOOD. The coloring, lighting and angle are very reminiscent of one of the Idina pro shots.

[@ryanlax404]

So funny! It thought the end looked so much like the Idina proshot from the Broadway American musical documentary.

[@Kenadams3059]

@@ryanlax404 That is EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Lol!

[@EvanYoungMusic]

Absolutely incredible. Wow.

[@ryanlax404]

Brilliant!!!

[@suzanneramirez4735]

Saw MKM in San Antonio some years ago, she CRUSHED IT. So glad to see her success!

[@DisplayNameOptional]

Saw this last Saturday in London. I don’t think people realize how amazing it is to see this performed live. It was so good!

[@EvanYoungMusic]

I was probably at the same show you were at in London. The west end killed it.

[@DisplayNameOptional]

@@EvanYoungMusic they are visiting Singapore where I live so will definitely be watching again :)

[@broadwaymike92]

I was there that night!!! EPIC despite the midshow technical glitch. The Green Elixir slipped out of either MKM or Alexandra's hands at the top of POPULAR and broke. They continued the scene and then stopped for 5 minutes to clean the mess up. However, DEFYING GRAVITY was a literal rock concert experience!!

[@t0kki_tokki]

She’s my fave Elphaba of the new gen. She gave her own twists, but finally made me ACTUALLY terrified of her at some points. The terrifying and dark aspects of Elphaba is what makes her great, and she made me feel all that. Of course the ones before her were all great but some of them lacked that scare factor. She brought it back, served on a golden platter.

[@lemuelermita3456]

This is a long overdue for MK! Well-deserved. I think she knows her role so well, I mean she's been performing Elphaba for a very long time!

[@mrbroadwaydork]

She is one of the best actresses to play this role. I believe every word she sings

[@beccac6812]

She’s amazing I am so happy she finally go this well deserved role !

[@liritklemer99999]

This was amazing!!! I really want to see MKM be Elphaba! I also personally think the MKM and GCM were the best Elphie/Glinda pair when they were on tour, so just seeing MK as Elphaba would be incredible! I actually couldn't find her doing "Defying Gravity" any were so seeing this is incredible!!! She is sooooo amazing!

[@gregorykeithmorris3970]

Really excellent casting here. Great understanding of the material and utilization of talent. Brava!

[@Awardshq]

I saw her at Pride event and i need to see her in this role!!!

[@dayvaughnmonroe9540]

Those verses have a rocker edge to them… i kinda like that 🤌🏽

[@brittanybutler3787]

My first Wicked was with MK and Ginna Claire mason! It was amazing! The cemetery between those two is something I’m not sure I will ever see again! Honestly convinced myself she would pick Glenda to run away with!

[@blessedANDunimpressed]

Cemetery? I’m dead 💀

[@jackkanaris8737]

Do you have any more glinda stuff? Really wanna hear NOMTW! 💕

[@trevorsadl2105]

This I feel is the best scene in the show (right before defying Gravity) You can FEEL the tension and power.

[@geaj]

OMG Donna!

[@PeterTheatreKid]

She passed the Elphaba vibe check.

[@bemiatto67]

Donna!! ❤❤❤

[@racheljackson9717]

i saw her as standby in may 2023 and she was amazing

[@rickym242]

do you have before popular when the green bottle broke? i was at this show!!!!

[@StephenHopkinsRum]

BRAD OMG

[@sheismymom]

wow

[@elphabathroppyourterribleness]

i was there too

[@Brawl483]

Amazing!!!! Do you have Alexandra’s NOMTW? I’m dying to hear that

[@littlewaystoflirtandflounce]

Do you happen to have Mackenzie kurt’s last popular and their for good?

[@beautifullytragic4465]

She looks exactly like tour Murney

[@AlwaysKeepingCool2]

She’s definitely wearing Murney’s tour hat.

[@osnapitzjared]

if i’m not mistaken, on her Sentimental Men podcast, she wears SJB’s white jumper for “i’m not that girl”, and is actually wearing Murney’s Defying Gravity dress.

[@legallywicked]

if you have it could you upload her no good deed & catfight?

[@glauciadel-rio9383]

GOAT 🐐

[@PeachesYancy]

Donna is playing Mdm. Morrible?!

[@-sacnmusicalthearter1]

wait how long is she on for!! I watched it ystrd and she was there, i maybe can watch it again next next week is mk still on?

[@-sacnmusicalthearter1]

please tell me she's still on lol i realllllyyyy love her elphie (half cred to her also teaching at stella adler tho lol)

[@Colonel_Kitty]

I'm not really one to criticize here, however I feel like she could belt the final verses a bit more. She is amazing, but doesn't have quite as much power in the high notes as some other actresses

[@barnzyful]

it's a little quick. i guess? i feel they are in a rush. the drama is not dramaing

[@fredvillasboas8230]

7:39

[@benjaminamnk]

Do they not do the pause with the broom for comedic effect when she says “get on” in the US version?

[@drumauldin6855]

Dru Mauldin

[@MichaelMartin-q4j]

This musical sucks

[@broadwaymike92]

F*** YOU!!! No class in Theater!!!