In Conversation With The Leading Ladies Of WICKED The Musical
Because I Knew You
Stardom, sisterhood, and a sprinkle of stage magic. With WICKED The Musical opening at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre on 12 September, we chatted with the leading ladies of WICKED, Sheridan and Courtney, who are proving that together, they truly are, unlimited.
Sheridan Adams – Elphaba
Sheridan, congratulations on your new role in WICKED! It’s such a beloved production that has been running for 20+ years now. Tell me, what is it like to put your own spin on the character in the Australian version of the show?
Thank you! You have this fandom that has followed the show since its inception, and then I also have people that I see at stage door who have seen it for the very first time and who don’t know the story. I feel grateful that I get to kind of perform Elphaba in my own way. Our creative directors really allowed us to play and explore the characters in our own way. We didn’t have to follow something that was previously created or decided upon, we had freedom. And we were really permitted to go within ourselves and bring out the best performance that we have, rather than copy anyone that came before.
I love that. Because playing a role like this can allow you to bring your own quirks while still playing on the nostalgia of a character that is so well-known and loved…
Exactly!
On that note, let’s go back to the beginning for a second and talk about growing up in Melbourne. As a city that is so rich in culture, arts, music, and theatre, how did growing up in Melbourne influence your love for the performing arts?
I’m lucky that growing up in Melbourne I had access to the arts. I remember going to my first-ever concert at Rod Laver Arena – I went to Kylie Minogue with my mum. My mum always loved music! I started singing lessons when I was really young in the western suburbs, and I fell in love with music…but the reason I really fell in love with musical theatre was after I discovered it in high school.
In Melbourne, we love theatre, and we also appreciate and understand it. I was very lucky to go to a high school that had its own theatre curriculum…and community theatre was also a big part of it for me. In my spare time, my mum and dad would drive me to Williamstown three times a week and that’s where I got to discover how a musical kind of worked and operated – and that’s where the love grew.
I knew I wanted to do it [professionally] from like my second school musical. My parents were really loving and supportive – and they just said “We need to let her do this, we need to support her 100%, no matter the hurt and rejection. She needs to learn from it and grow and figure out if that’s what she wants.” And that’s how I ended up here!
Well, that’s the thing about creatives right, you can’t really be told what to do! You just don’t know until you try…
You don’t want to live your life regretting not trying.
On that note, let’s talk about some of the challenges you face as a performer. Specifically, what is your process and how do you approach character development before a new role?
I’m grateful that when I was young, the repertoire that I was just naturally drawn to was Elphaba’s music. I would sing the songs in my living room and I would try to mimic what I was hearing. I’ve always sung Elphaba, and I feel like there’s always been like a little bit of like a part of me in her… And I feel like my voice is really suited to that style.
I actually didn’t get my script or my score until a week before I started rehearsals – and I think that’s probably a good thing. It’s really important for me as an actor not to make choices or decisions about how I’m going to play Elphaba before I go into a rehearsal room because the process for me is really led by our director. I act from a place of truth. So, I see a scene and I try to imagine how Elphaba would respond in that moment and then act instinctively from there.
Sheridan Adams and Courtney Monsma in WICKED
And sometimes that can also be your undoing, right? Everyone has their own process, but it’s nice to see it evolve organically. It needs to be unique to you – with an element of relatability to the original character at the same time…
100%. When I was younger, I used to watch Elphaba videos on YouTube all the time – and I did the same when I was auditioning. But once I actually got the role, I did not gravitate towards that at all. I just knew it would be the undoing of me like you said.
What do you think the audiences would be most surprised by in this production of WICKED?
Audiences who have never seen the show before are going to be blown away because WICKED is the perfect musical. It has everything. You have stunning costumes, a gorgeous set design, the score that was created by Stephen Schwartz, the book by Winnie Holzman. Everything I can think of is stunning and absolutely captivating, and all work together to create the piece that is WICKED.
The other thing I love is working with Courtney (Monsma). What she brings to Glinda is so unique; she’s so playful and that brings out my best performance. Having a friend on stage and the chemistry we both share is so special – I’m so grateful that we have that. As an actress, it’s the most rewarding thing to be working alongside someone as talented and kind as her; I am always supported on stage, I’m never afraid, I’m never scared. And I’ve heard that a lot of audiences do love watching us together which is so heart-warming and beautiful as well.
I love that…what else has Courtney taught you?
One thing that she taught me really early on that I still think of is to remember ‘if it’s not fun, it’s funny’ – basically if something ever goes wrong, you just have to laugh at it. Always take the perspective of joy.
Courtney Monsma – Glinda
Hi Courtney! You’ve had such an esteemed career so far, from Princess Anna in Frozen to Katherine Howard in SIX The Musical. How does it feel to now be playing Glinda?
It’s so funny because each role that I’ve played has influenced me and given me the experience that I’ve needed to play Glinda. Growing up I had a really deep connection to WICKED and my favourite thing about this role is that Glinda gets to explore every facet that you dream of as an actor – there’s comedy, there’s this dramatic arc that she gets to go on – she lives a lifetime on stage. It’s one of those roles that I genuinely will never forget and probably always talk about.
That must be so surreal, being a WICKED fan and now coming full circle to play Glinda. Did you ever see yourself being able to bring such an iconic character to life on stage?
It was always the hope. A lot of people ask you your dream role and the fact that I’ve actually gotten to play my dream role is amazing. I think the thing with these dream roles is being able to find your own uniqueness within the role that makes it more attainable to you. I’ve always dreamed big my whole life – call me delusional – but it seems to be working so far.
Look, if it’s working, keep doing it!
Totally!
The cast of WICKED
We’ve also seen the production be integrated and infiltrated into pop culture in TV shows and on social media – how do you sift through all that noise and past interpretations and give it your own spin?
I think the most incredible thing about the process as an actor learning that show is that it is genuinely about the text. And whatever I find from the text, organically for me, is always the right choice. Obviously, you’re naturally influenced by past productions and things you see, but I think with any choice you make as an actor, as long as it’s organic to your understanding of the text, then it will always be the right choice. It’s the best way for me to not feel that pressure of comparison because no matter who steps into these amazing roles, it will always be about how they interpret it individually. And there’s no right or wrong.
Agree wholeheartedly, what a fresh perspective!
When you put Australia up against cities like London, New York, etc. there’s obviously a lot of international comparison there – what is it you think that sets the Australian performing arts scene apart from other countries? What is unique about us?
It’s really based on the type of culture we have. In Australia, we can be quite grounded and to be honest, a little bit laidback! We’re also not as saturated with arts here (unfortunately), which means when we do have these things, we really savour them and enjoy getting to touch on this material. So, when we get our hands on something like WICKED, it really does feel like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
And we grab it with both hands and run!
We really do.
Let’s talk about your process. When you’re preparing for a role, do you have a research process? Any unique rituals or habits?
The first thing for me is thinking about how I’m going to maintain this for eight shows a week, because once you start rehearsals it’s just non-stop. My goal on a practical level is to always find a nice technical ground singing-wise, so that when I’m in the room, I can have a nice baseline and then if I’m asked to do something, I can adapt easily without blowing my voice out.
In terms of the character, I learn all my lines and I specifically don’t add any of my own creative choices. I just learn the lines basically and then I try and understand the essence of the character that I want to interpret. The best thing about not having solid choices at the beginning is that you have freedom in the room to improvise…you have to remember that it’s a collaboration; it’s about being open and taking on as much information as you can. I never regret making sure I am (physically) fit for the role either – before I started playing Glinda, I would jog around the room singing ‘Popular’ just so I could build up the stamina!
Sheridan Adams and Courtney Monsma in WICKED
I feel like it’s needed for that song!
It definitely is!
We’d love to know how you remain creatively fulfilled and what does it look like for you to look after your mind, body, and soul?
Something that people don’t necessarily know about me is that I am just such a nerd for what I do. I do a three-hour acting class every Tuesday night, I do self-taping all the time, and I’m constantly trying to get better at what I do, not just for that sake, but because it brings me so much joy. When you’re giving so much on stage, it’s so important to give back to yourself too; so I try really hard to have good self-care and treat myself to a facial or a massage.
Away from the theatre, you’ve had many amazing creative pursuits. Your debut album ‘In The Light’ has an original track titled ‘The Light That You Are’ which is incredible. What is your songwriting process? And how do you approach those other creative avenues you have in your life?
I am so inspired to write music at the moment! My process always comes from my experiences. Even with my original song, I’ve had people come to stage door with tattoos of the lyrics!
No way!
Yes! And it reminds me of the influence that being in this position can give you. A goal in the future would be to put out another album and maybe even do some more original writing – my phone notes app is always being filled with lyrics.
