Jemma Rix attends the premiere of Legally Blonde: The Musical...

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:59:15 +1000

Jemma Rix attends the premiere of Legally Blonde: The Musical in Melbourne

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Mon, 13 May 2013 13:39:49 +1000

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Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:23:57 +1000

Jemma Rix as Connie Monaro in Prick! The Musical (X)

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Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:43:00 +1100

Jemma Rix and Suzie Mathers arrive in Auckland, NZ! (X)

Jemma Rix and Suzie Mathers fly into Auckland, New Zealand in...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:28:25 +1100

Jemma Rix and Suzie Mathers fly into Auckland, New Zealand in style! (X)

@WickedinOz: Preparing for the arrival to our Auckland launch...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:00:21 +1100

@WickedinOz: Preparing for the arrival to our Auckland launch this morning #WICKEDNZ http://instagr.am/p/XD4UninMGP/

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Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:05:00 +1100

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Happy 28th Birthday, Jemma! And a very Merry Christmas to all...

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 10:30:12 +1100

Happy 28th Birthday, Jemma! And a very Merry Christmas to all of our followers too! xox

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Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:10:00 +1100

Jemma shares her advice to those who would like to play...

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:20:00 +1100

Jemma shares her advice to those who would like to play Elphaba (x)

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Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:01:59 +1100

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Sat, 01 Dec 2012 21:29:32 +1100

Jemma and Suzie after the Rob Guest Endowment Concert on 19th...

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:11:03 +1100

Jemma and Suzie after the Rob Guest Endowment Concert on 19th November, 2012 (Photo credit: Jewelchic)

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Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:09:14 +1100

Jemma at stage door following the closing night of...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:31:21 +1100

Jemma at stage door following the closing night of ‘Wicked’ in Korea

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Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:31:12 +1000

Rix, Blake shine in green magic of 'Wicked'

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:43:27 +1000

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The magic of “Wicked” again proved its power, breaking the Korean theater box office record in late August, with more than 200,000 watching the show in just three months.

Since the curtain went up in Seoul on May 31, the Broadway blockbuster has become a phenomenon on the theater scene here, attracting men and women of all ages and nationalities. It is the shortest period for a musical to draw that many people in Korea, surpassing “The Phantom of the Opera,” which drew 180,000, in three months. Wicked also marked a record-breaking attendance rate of 95.3 percent.

The musical tells the back story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in the classic “The Wizard of Oz,” with captivating music and an extravagant set and costumes.

Jemma Rix, playing the green witch Elphaba, and Richard H. Blake, the “scandalacious” Winkie Prince, sat down for an interview with The Korea Times, about a month after the latter joined the Asian tour.

Blake finished his run as Fiyero in the Broadway production of Wicked on July 29 and replaced Australian actor David Harris here on Aug. 7.

“It was a quick turn-around and I didn’t even have time to pack,” Blake said. “I have never travelled a whole lot; I’ve mostly worked in New York. When [the production] asked me about going to Seoul, I said I’d love to since I had never been to this part of the world. Working with a different cast sounded like a fun opportunity, too.”

He is a veteran Broadway actor who played the role of Glen in “The Wedding Singer” and Warner in “Legally Blonde.” He joined “Wicked” in 2009 on the first national tour and later reprised his role on Broadway.

Blake has performed the heartthrob of Oz more than 1,500 times and performed with 11 different Elphabas in three companies. Rix has been with the Australian company responsible for this production for about four years from its beginning as an ensemble, and has performed with eight different Fiyeros, including her newest counterpart Blake. “I win,” Blake said jokingly.

Elphaba and Fiyero’s first encounter in the show is not so amicable, but the witch definitely feels something is different about him. Everyone jumps back as soon as they see Elphaba, but Fiyero looks her up and down and speaks to her plainly, which leaves the green girl speechless.

Blake describes Fiyero as the John F. Kennedy of Oz and explained how he and Elphaba become closer. “Usually she defends herself but he is not afraid of her and she doesn’t know how to respond to it. [Their relationship] starts right there,” Blake said.

Both actors have been with the show for a long time, but it hasn’t dampened their affection for the show and cast changes bring a freshness to it.

“Every Fiyero is different and I get nervous and excited at the same time when I meet a new one,” Rix said. Blake agreed, saying that coming to Seoul and working with a new cast feels like starting over and doing a new show.

“The tricky thing with Fiyero, I feel, is that he is charming and fun before becoming arrogant. [Blake] knows how to be lovable not crossing the line of being too cocky,” Rix said. “I really like his urgency and passion. I think he brings the intensity of each scene every night.”

Blake complemented Rix’s interpretation of her character. “When we sing ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ together in the second act, she acts as if touched by a man for the first time. She is curious and freaks out at the same time. She knows how to act,” he said.

Their life in Seoul offstage has been as exciting as the show. Blake came to Korea with his wife and one-year-old son Greyson, which led him to child-friendly facilities such as Pororo Land and Lotte World.

“We are out every day as I don’t have much time here. We’ve gone to Namdaemun Market, Bukcheon Hanok Village, Apgujeong, Gangnam and seen the palaces. There are so many things to see in so little time,” Blake said.

Though Rix’s daily routine is quite “boring” since she tries to sleep a lot and exercise to maintain the best condition for the show, she explores the city on her day off. “Seoul is a very funky place and I’ve been eating Korean barbeque a lot,” she said.

Besides the numbers and statistics, the musical has been greeted with roaring applause and standing ovations.

“It is amazing to see the audience smiling and screaming on their feet. It is great when they give us a thumbs-up,” Blake said.

The show has about a month left in Seoul. “We want more Korean audiences to come see the show and have a great night. Korea has been so wonderful to us and what we have to give back is the performance. We would like to them to come and let us perform for them,” Blake said.

“You don’t want to miss the show!” Rix added.

“Wicked” runs through Oct. 7 at Blue Square in Hannam-dong. Tickets cost 50,000 to 160,000 won. A 20-percent discount promotion is available through Sept. 21, when making purchases with BC Card from Monday to Wednesday. For more information, visit www.musicalwicked.co.kr or call 1577-3363.

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Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:51:19 +1000

More shots from an interview with Jemma Rix, Richard H. Blake...

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 16:47:00 +1000

More shots from an interview with Jemma Rix, Richard H. Blake and Suzie Mathers. The full article can be found here (if you can read Korean!)

Jemma Rix Appreciation Blog

Jemma Rix attends the premiere of Legally Blonde: The Musical...

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Jemma Rix as Connie Monaro in Prick! The Musical (X)

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Guess who’s back for the New Zealand production of...

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Jemma and Suzie after the Rob Guest Endowment Concert on 19th...

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Jemma at stage door following the closing night of...

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Rix, Blake shine in green magic of 'Wicked'

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More shots from an interview with Jemma Rix, Richard H. Blake...