Wicked’s witches land in Taranaki
After Covid-19 brought their chance to play their dream roles to an abrupt end last year, two actresses say finally getting on stage in New Plymouth in will feel unreal.
Rebekah Head and Catherine Hay are the two lead witches in New Plymouth Operatic Society’s newest production, Wicked.
Wicked tells the story of the two witches in The Wizard of Oz before Dorothy dropped in.
Head stars as the good witch Glinda, while Hay plays the evil green Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West.
‘‘I was told that it was cancelled rather than postponed,’’ Head said.
‘‘So I’d made peace with the fact.’’
They then got a call in August telling them the production would be going ahead in 2021.
To be standing on the TSB Showplace stage when the show opens on June 17 will be a dream come true for the pair.
‘‘I think it’ll feel very unreal,’’ Head said.
‘‘It’ll be very emotional,’’ Hay added. ‘‘Elphaba to me is the number-one dream role of all time.’’
Neither actress is a Taranaki local, with both living between Christchurch and Auckland.
They are the only members of the cast getting paid and will be living in Taranaki until the end of the season.
The pair said they had been rehearsing together every day and with the ensemble on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.
‘‘Everyone has been so welcoming,’’ Hay said.
‘‘We’re just so lucky to be doing theatre, and live performance is just such an essential thing for community and wellbeing that everyone should come along,’’ Head said.
Hay said the story of Wicked will resonate with the audience, and she thought even people without a love for musicals will enjoy the show. ‘‘The story itself connects with a lot of people. There are a lot of themes that are very relevant today,’’ she said.
‘‘And there are a couple of bits that The Wizard of Oz fans will feel very satisfied with,’’ Hay added.