TAHT taht taht

Actresses from the ROMA theatre about the behind-the-scenes of musical “Wicked". “We are really flying”

While the world is being charmed by the movie adaptation of “Wicked”, in Warsaw, two actresses are facing the Broadway legend live – and on their own terms. In an honest conversation, they are talking about their inspirations, fear of heights, demanding vocal parts and, about how they both turn from enemies to the best of allies on the stage.

Bartosz Michalski “Wprost” (eng: „Direct”, name of the weekly magazine): While preparing for your roles, were you watching the movie or the stage adaptations of “Wicked”? It’s a global phenomenon, one of the biggest Broadway productions, and you started during the moment the movie adaptation was taking over the world, getting many awards as a result. What about it inspired you, or – in your opinion – wouldn’t work in a theatre medium?

Maria Tyszkiewicz (Elphaba): Of course, we’ve watched it. However, before the movie came out, we’ve already known we got the roles after the casting was done. I’ve never seen “Wicked” live before – neither on Broadway, or the West End – but on the Internet there’s plenty of materials, even from early 2000s. I’ve browsed through fragments of the original Broadway productions, to try and get the feel of the atmosphere and see how different interpretations evolved. After that I’ve seen the movie multiple times – I really liked it and it truly touched me.

Were there any inspirations that you were able to bring to the stage?

MT: Definitely! Cynthia Erivo, who played Elphaba in the movie, is a huge inspiration to me – vocally and acting-wise. I’ve looked up to her before I’ve seen her interpretation of the role in “Wicked”, but the movie only reinforced my opinion. When it comes to things that wouldn’t work in theatre – definitely the movie special effects: computer-generated visions, fantastical animals… It’s impossible to fully reflect it on the stage. But I have to admit, our version still has quite a few impressive special effects.

Anna Federowicz (Glinda): I’ve seen the movie only once – on purpose. I didn’t want to be influenced too much by Ariana Grande and her Glinda, because the process of building a character in theatre looks completely different. On film, the camera shows the smallest of nuances, subtle emotions – on the stage, especially as seen from the fourteenth row, it just wouldn’t resonate the same. The movie was definitely more of an inspiration to me than a “cheat sheet”. The biggest surprise for me was that Ariana hasn’t exaggerated Glinda. She’s not as “sugary-sweet” and caricatured, like it was in the musical versions. It gave me the confidence to showcase a more “normal” Glinda – human like everybody else, especially in the second act.

On the subject of Ariana Grande, whose role as Glinda got wonderful reviews – did you feel any additional pressure because of that? Were you afraid of being compared?

AF: Sure, a small amount of stress appeared – hard for it not to. But as I said before: the movie and the musical are two completely different worlds, that are using different means of expression. It gave me the ability to safely distance myself. I knew that I’m creating a stage Glinda, not a “movie copy”.

MT: I have to be direct: Ariana was amazing and I truly value her as an artist but… Anna is singing the role incomparably better live. She has a classical vocal background and it can be heard from the first notes of music. And that’s the advantage of the stage – Ariana Grande as Glinda sung live only in front of the film crew, and Ania can be heard by the whole audience, with all the emotion present.

AF: That’s right – we are singing live.

MT: And everyday something new happens: different emotions, different small situations on the stage, sometimes moving, something funny - and that energy is being passed onto the audience. It’s something the movie is not able to do. It’s also worth noting that in the theatre, we are showing the full story in three hours, and the part one of the movies is only the material from the first act – it’s a lot more stretched out visually.

In the movie there’s more material, for example: the beginning of Elphaba’s life is a lot shorter on the stage. Is it a disadvantage or an advantage of the stage version?

MT: I think, paradoxically, it’s an advantage. At the theatre, the audience gets the whole story in a nutshell – intense, emotionally condensed. This simplifying of the material is advantageous for the tempo of the spectacle.

How are you holding up physically and emotionally with that kind of intensity? You are preforming multiple spectacles a week, and that’s a huge load on the voice, body and psyche.

MT: It’s definitely the toughest role I’ve ever had – vocally, physically and emotionally. Everyday I spend a few hours preparing: warming up for singing, warming up the body and then on make up and costume. After the show, the emotions are still buzzing inside me and I often have to “sing myself out” after it – to be able to come back to the stage the next day without that tension.

The limits of my breaking point are being pushed every week. Sometimes, after a few days it feels like I don’t have the energy anymore, and then the next week comes and it turns out I can do more. This role is very demanding but just as fulfilling – because it gives the feeling of exceeding ones limits.

I remember your role as Scaramouche in “We Will Rock You”. Can you compare these experiences?

MT: It’s a completely different style of singing. In “We Will Rock You” it was intense, but it was rock stylistically, a different type of energy and a different structure of the role. Elphaba was written, so that she carries these huge amounts of emotions from the first scene – at the beginning she is masking them, then they grow until they explode. Maintaining this tension and precise dosing of those emotions throughout the whole spectacle is incredibly energy-demanding.

AF: It’s a little bit different for me, because Glinda/Galinda – I adopt both versions of the name – is more classically written. Because of my classical education, vocally, a lot of things come naturally to me. The Elphabas have a lot more “belting”, extreme sounds and registers.

MT: Yes, additionally for Elphaba, Stephen Schwartz added in the score very low, alto parts – the range is enormous.

AF: Glinda on the other hand is strenuous when it comes to the energy. In the first act she’s a firework – loud, feisty, always on “high gear”. After that act, I sometimes feel like a deflated balloon, and I have only around fifteen minutes to change and go on the stage again. The second act is lighter emotionally because Glinda becomes more human, grown up. But during the first act it’s always: “survive and carry the energy until the end”.

MT: What’s interesting, “Wicked” doesn’t have a moment when I can “take a breather”. In other productions normally there’s a scene or a number that the actor is waiting for and then tension dissipates. There is no such comfort here – all the time it’s a challenge: do it delicately, then a powerful “belt”, then do it low, then a duet with Glinda… It’s an endless jumping between different registers and emotions. In the second act Elphaba is more mature and muted in means of her expression, but it’s not making it easier – the intensity stays, it just migrates inward. I have to be strong and resolute, and that requires enormous control.

How were you creating Elphaba – from sensitive outsider to a “Wicked Witch of the West”? What was the biggest challenge in showing that change?

MT: From the beginning, I wanted the audience to see a girl with a past in Elphaba – someone who from childhood had trouble with finding herself among people. Despite that, it meant a lot to me, to not present her as a bitter rebel from the first scene. I tried to showcase her girlishness, dreams, lightness and a sense of humour which are a type of shield for her. Although I'm older than Elphaba who is a student, I wanted to depict her youthful sensitivity and freshness, before life “toughens her up”.

Gradual building of the tension was the hardest – showing how frustration, anger and sense of injustice are growing inside her until she rebels. Elphaba is constantly “growing up”, and the escalation of emotion continues throughout the whole spectacle. “Defying Gravity” is a climax of her change in the first act, but after that she continues to bear the load of consequences. With this role you cannot “let go” – emotionally, physically or vocally.

Glinda is also going through a big metamorphosis – maybe even more noticeable for the audience. How were you building the road from a comedic “pink Barbie” to a mature, aware woman?

AF: From the beginning Glinda is very distinctive: popular, loud, she’s everywhere – that’s why the change is so noticeable. But for me it was key to show her empathy from the very beginning. Just because she is “perfect” from the outside, doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel anything inside. She fakes a lot things: happiness, confidence, being carefree.

Deep inside Glinda is taking others’ opinions very hard, but she hides it. That’s why she can see in Elphaba someone more than “other” or a “weird” girl – she sees heart and goodness. And this is the point where their true bond starts.

MT: Yes, their biggest common trait – though at the beginning completely hidden – is empathy. In Elphaba it can be seen from the get go: compassion towards animals, people, her sensitivity. Glinda is the same, but she meticulously hides it under a mask of perfection and popularity. Only after a while they notice that they have a lot more in common than it would seem.

With Glinda it’s easy to go overboard with comedy – make it so that she’s more exhausting than likeable. How to maintain the balance, so that the audience will grow to like her, but at the same time prepare the groundwork for the later change?

AF: It is the hardest aspect of that role – to not overexaggerate Glinda. It would be very easy to make a musical “legally blonde” out of her: flashy, vain and irritating. I really wanted the audience to be able to like her from the beginning. I made up a Glinda who is a little awkward, charmingly naïve – because of that the audience can forgive her for more. I added to her a type of humour that doesn’t come from selfishness, but from ignorance and innocence. I didn’t want her to be “empty”, just immature. I hope that it can be understood from the play, because this balance is what I’m fighting for since the first scene.

It's your debut on the stage of the ROMA musical theatre. What surprised you the most about it, compared to other theatres you used to work in?

AF: Definitely the play schedule. ROMA theatre is the only musical theatre in Poland that plays Tuesdays-Sundays, so I had to completely change my life. I’m from Kaszuby (note: region in Northern Poland), I used to live in Bydgoszcz (note: bigger town in North of Poland, around 5h30 north-west from Warsaw by car), and when I got the message that I won the casting, I moved to Warsaw. This work rhythm was new for me.

I was also surprised by a very long and detailed preparation process – in a positive way. We started in December (note: the Polish premiere was in April 2025) with music rehearsals, then choreography, and then finally directorial rehearsals. This system consisting of multiple stages gives time to discover the nuances and details of the role. In the other theatres it’s not always possible to have such comfort.

For you it’s already a third role in ROMA theatre. Do you feel “at home”?

MT: I still feel like “the new one”, but at the same time ROMA is starting to become like a kind of second home to me – in the end we spend so many hours here. I love that I can work in one of the biggest musical theatres in Poland and play in such famous, beautiful productions. It’s a huge privilege.

Coming back to Stephen Schwartz, the author of music for “Wicked” – which number is the most challenging vocally and why?

MT: It’s hard to choose one because every number in this musical is challenging. Normally in musicals, I have a favourite song and one that’s a little hard, which I don’t like that much, but here every number demands full engagement because they are so diverse.

If I had to choose a favourite, it’s definitely “No Good Deed” – in our Polish version “Zawsze źle” (ang: Always bad). I adore singing it, it has great energy and it gives tons of satisfaction.

So the previous production is still alive in you? (note: they are talking about the “We Will Rock You”)

MT: Yes, I do like powerful numbers but I truly appreciate every single song from “Wicked”. The music mixes both classical old musical style with modern arrangements – sometimes I feel like I’m in a fantasy movie, and sometimes as if I was singing a pop hit. I love it and I often listen to the original versions. The hardest thing is differentiating Elphaba’s parts – in one number the sounds are very low, in the other high and the arrangements are changing dynamically. In the movie Cynthia Erivo sings some fragments higher, to make the execution easier, us at ROMA are keeping it at the original intonation.

AF: And aside from that we are singing in Polish, so it requires some additional precision.

In the spectacle there are scenes in the air. Does it invoke any fear of heights?

MT: Interestingly, I always had a small fear of heights, but in the theatre the adrenaline is working – I don’t think about what could happen. I immerse myself into the role of Elphaba and I’m just a witch, not Mary who is afraid.

Another fun fact is that on Broadway and West End, the actresses use hidden lifts – it seems like they are floating but they are actually standing. We do fly in ROMA. In the first act we have a very tough costume change, right before the flight, and these few moments in the air require physical preparation and powerful muscle control.

In that case, is the variety of songs a huge challenge for Glinda?

AF: Exactly. The difficulty comes from the fact that the numbers vary a lot – from classical to pop style. It requires a balance, so the actress doesn’t cross over the line of the classical form and a musical one. Even if a song seems easy, the transition between the styles demands precision.

MT: It’s also Schwartz’s idea: Glinda is singing classically, when she addresses the people of Oz publicly, and she uses the musical form when it comes to “private” conversations with specific scene partners, which the Ozians are not privy to. This subtle difference is very significant in creating the character.

AF: Definitely. Even if a number starts classically, when Glinda is saying goodbye to the crowd and she starts having doubts, she transitions into more musical, conversational style.

How would you rate the Polish versions of the songs compared to the originals?

MT: They are very good. I judge them by how easy they are to learn. For example I had to master “Defying Gravity” for the casting and I did it in two hours – it speaks for itself. Michał Wojnarowski really rose to the occasion with his translations. I’m also hearing positive opinions from my friends – the audience really likes it. Of course the Polish language is hard to sing, e.g. the song “Popular” – in English the word itself sounds light and melodic, and in Polish it requires more dedication for it to sound as natural and pleasant.

AF: I agree. It was possible to learn the lyrics from the first notes of the music, and additionally it felt natural to use them to tell the story, so the narration is smooth. It shows the translation is really good.

If you had to describe “Wicked” with one word that addresses its meaning, what would it be?

AF: “Friendship”. This word evokes the relation between Elphaba and Glinda the best, despite the spectacle addressing many other topics. Friendship rises above stereotypes and conflicts.

MT: For me it’s “tolerance”. The musical shows how two very different people learn to accept each other. The society rejects Elphaba and judges Glinda by her façade, and despite that, both of them find a common understanding. This word perfectly captures the message of the show.

AF: The spectacle is of course more complicated than that – it talks about politics, the power of manipulation, prejudice. My favourite quote is: “The people will always come together, if you find them a good enough enemy”. (note: from the musical in English it’s: "The best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy”)

For whom is this production?

MT: In my opinion, for everyone – for both young and adult. The children will see a beautiful story of friendship, and what is good and evil. The adults will find lots of references to the modern world, politics and the mechanisms of how society functions.

AF: “Wicked” attracts people from all ages. Everyone will find something in it for themselves and leave with something worthwhile.

What did you get from this production – both as artists and as people?

MT: When it comes to strictly musical abilities, both vocal and endurance-wise, I feel like I can do more now. With every spectacle I push my limits, and in other productions it’s easier for to me to handle the vocal and acting challenges. Elphaba taught me empathy, strength and listening to others – I’m still learning to do that.

AF: Just like Mary, I gained better stamina thanks to this production and the intense play schedule. Glinda also taught me empathy – despite the fact she may seem egoistic, she is able to notice personhood in another human and not judge by appearances.

MT: It’s also mundane but important: in many movies and books it’s discussed what is good or evil. In “Wicked” we show the story of the stereotypical “bad witch” and what made her into who she is. It teaches people how to look at others – even those who seem “bad” – and to consider what happened in their lives that they are acting that way. It’s not about excusing every villain, but about being aware that everyone carries their own history that shapes their life.

If you could change your roles around for one night, which one of you would want to play “the other one” and why?

MT: I would really like to try Glinda. I think, I would never be first choice of the directors for this role, but I like comedic characters and it would be a huge challenge to sing her part because I’m not a coloratura soprano.

AF: I would also love to swap with you. It would be a huge challenge, but at the same time I’m learning from you guys (note: for context there are three actresses for Glinda and three for Elphaba, swapping around) vocal and acting techniques behind the scenes. I’m observing, how each one of you approaches your role, and I copy it after your rehearsals. It’s a great way to learn, so this kind of swap would be a fantastic experience.

How were you working on this complicated relation that’s the core of the spectacle?

MT: It took us a few months. We haven’t known each other before, so our private relation was also growing. Throughout many hardships we’ve supported each other and together we’ve looked for the best solutions during the rehearsals.

AF: The process of exploration was binding. Every one of us, gave something from herself – a suggestion for a scene, an idea, different interpretations. Moments of breaking points and transformation of characters had to be found, so that the transition from enemies to friends was smooth and believable, despite the fact that we are working with a 3 hour play.

What was the biggest surprise for you working on “Wicked”?

AF: Galinda/Glinda is a very complicated character. Just the fact she changes her name, is a testament to her originality. It has to be presented that she’s not a one-dimensional, vain girl – there’s something deeper, she’s empathetic. From the first act it has to be understood, so that in the second act the audience would believe she really liked Elphaba. The complexity of the character really surprised me, because you can’t see it in the Broadway and West End materials.