BEHIND THE SCENES WITH WICKED's GINA BECK - An Actor's Life for G... Part II

Hi Gina, welcome back! You've now had your first costume fitting...can you talk us through that?

Well, as you know the costumes in Wicked are absolutely divine, especially Glinda's. They’re really intricate designs, and gorgeous colours and materials. My first fitting took three hours and I didn't even try on two of the costumes! I'm getting everything newly made, tailored to my body and shaped to fit me best; it's such a privilege. I met three amazing dressmakers in my fitting; their work just blows my mind.

Sounds amazing! Which costume are you most looking forward to wearing?

They showed me the designer Susan Hilferty's original pictures and I love the look of all of them. I tried on Glinda's flared white school skirt and it's so swooshy and so fun to flounce about in! The yellow Oz dress looks like it's a gorgeous colour, but obviously I'm excited about the 'bubble' dress!

You recently started rehearsals…how did you feel on your first day? What did you rehearse?

It's always nerve-wracking meeting a new group of people, especially when you know you're going to be spending a lot of time with them! We went straight into a vocal call and learnt the opening number. I felt very nervous singing in front of everyone for the first time! After lunch I travelled to the theatre with Matt Willis who's playing Fiyero, he's great! We then rehearsed 'Dancing Through Life' on the stage which was very exciting.  

Great stuff! Have you been in the bubble yet? I hope you aren’t afraid of heights! 

Yes! I got in the bubble for the first time for the production shots. It was a very smooth ride and I loved the bubbles coming out of it! Once you get up high and look out into the auditorium it's so dark it's not scary…you can just pretend you're in your own little…erm...bubble! 

Nice one! So you’ve now had your photo call. How is being blonde working out for you?!

Well, I wasn't sure how it was going to look but the wigs are so amazing and beautiful I think I can work the blonde look! I wore the bubble dress and the ball dress for the photo shoot and both of them fitted like a glove and made me feel like a fairytale princess. 

Bless you! How did your meet and greet with the cast members who are staying on go?

We had a full company meet and greet during the first week. We'd been working closely with the new company and were yet to meet the staying company, so we were concerned that there would be a divide, but the staying company were so friendly we all felt very welcome. The executive producer Michael McCabe gave a very lovely welcoming speech which made us even more excited about the show. 

And finally, three words to describe your Wicked experience now?! I’ll let you have four again, if you like…!

Exciting, but hard work! 

Thanks, Gina! And all the best for opening night!

Join us again soon for the final part of our interview mini-series with Gina, to find out her thoughts on her opening night!

Photo credit: Joseph Shaffery

To post a comment, you must register and login.