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WickedElphie5808

No Good Deed

I've seen Wicked twice with the same Elphaba, Carmen Cusack. A lot of people say that No Good Deed is definately her song. Who do you think performs No Good Deed the best?
actor

Idina Menzel. She gets the anger and bitterness across really well.
Felix Felicis

Julia Murney or Stephanie J. Block - they didn't play it angry, but desperate.
I think that's how it should be played - if done right, it can be heart-breaking.
actor

Elphaba isn't desperate she is angry and frustrated how every good deed she does turns around and bites her in the ass. She is giving up and becoming her stereotype.
Felix Felicis

actor wrote:
Elphaba isn't desperate she is angry and frustrated how every good deed she does turns around and bites her in the ass. She is giving up and becoming her stereotype.


Of course she's desperate! She's responsible for the death of her sister and the disappearance of her friend, and she's trying to do whatever she can to stop the death of her lover. In that circumstance, would you be angry? A little, but not as much as you'd be devastated and broken.
IMO, only the end of the song should be played angry, from "I'm wicked, through and through" till the end.
actor

The only desperate part of the song is the beginning "eleka nahmen ..." when she is trying to save Fiyero. Why would she be desperate during the "Nessa ... Dr Dillamond" part? She is grieving then.
Felix Felicis

actor wrote:
The only desperate part of the song is the beginning "eleka nahmen ..." when she is trying to save Fiyero. Why would she be desperate during the "Nessa ... Dr Dillamond" part? She is grieving then.


That's my point - she's not angry. She's heart-broken by the deaths and her loss. Some Elphabas just play it like she's furious, without really going any further (naming no names).
candlestickjay

I think the woman who would best play the song would go through each of these stages, understanding the mental progress of the character from the desperate pleas of Eleka... to the grieving for the people she could not save of "Doctor Dillamond" to the final bitter and angry realization that she has to be who the people want her to be if she is to ever survive their prejudice.

I saw Stephanie J Block do it, and it was astounding! But I'm personally partial to Idina's rendition. Just me.
beautifullytragic

I always thought of this song as angry, and I think no one does it better than Kerry Ellis. No Good Deed is the first song I've ever heard her sing, and it's what made me love her in the first place. There is no other version I'd rather listen to, really. I love how she says "I'm wicked through and through" and "no good deed will I do again" with so much anger in her voice. It's just so much more..effective, for lack of better words, than any other Elphaba's performance.
music is my life!!!

^^^^^

I completely agree with that! Kerry is IMO the best Elphaba that I've seen, as she can do all sides to her - not just the rebel, but also the desperation and the regret Elphie faces at the end Smile

Lets hope Hilty comes to England - they'd be a perfect team!
Joshua

RE: Felix and Actor's debate,

In the beginning of the song, I think she is definitely desperate. But then right after "If that's all good deeds are, maybe that's the reason why", that's when she becomes angry and goes all "Fine if you think I'm a bitch, I'll be a bitch!"
candlestickjay

Quote:
"Fine if you think I'm a bitch, I'll be a bitch!"


That was perfect. Lol.
Gwen

I think the song should be left open to interpretation. If every single actress played Elphaba the same way, it wouldn't be interesting any more. The role would turn into a cookie cutter requirement. I think the same holds true of any role.
actor

Gwen wrote:
I think the song should be left open to interpretation. If every single actress played Elphaba the same way, it wouldn't be interesting any more. The role would turn into a cookie cutter requirement. I think the same holds true of any role.


There's a difference between playing Elphaba differently and performing the song wrong because you don't understand it.
Gwen

In that case, I wouldn't call Elphaba being in despair instead of anger during this song not understanding it. If the song were being sung say...happily, then I'd say that the person didn't understand it. But I don't think that would ever happen.

I do see your point on how it can be a time to show anger for Elphaba, but I do also agree that she might be heartbroken over what's happened to her. I also think that possibly, she blames herself in a way for it. When she says the names of the people she's lost, I'm in agreement that she's grieving--but when it comes to desperation,--and bear with me here, I think there could be a way that Elphaba is desperate, even if it doesn't entirely show. Possibly thinking perhaps, "Is there any way I could still save them?" She's lost Nessa, her sister, she's lost Dr. Dillamond, her closest mentor, (I believe? Is that right?) And now she's lost Fiyero, her lover. And that coming as the biggest blow of all, she realizes that despite any desperation she might have left, no, there's nothing she can do. And this can turn into anger or despair, or a mix of both, and regret can go either way into these. Call me crazy, or wrong, or say that I don't understand it if you like, I simply share my opinion and a way I think it could be interpreted. No hard feelings meant there.
actor

I understand what you are saying and you do understand the song but I'm just saying that most of the song is anger and frustration. Anyone who plays the whole song desperate obviously doesn't understand it. Yes Elphaba is desperate at the beginning when she is frantically trying to save Fiyero but I don't see how Elphaba could be desperate anywhere else in the song as Nessa is already dead and Dr. Dillamond has already lost his ability to speak. She is heartbroken in "Nessa, Dr. Dillamond, Fiyero ..." but the rest of the song is frustration and giving in.
mastachen

Of course she blames herself for it.

Of course she's angry

Of course she's in despair

Of course she's desperate.


We don't have to look too deep into the song to figure her out, people.
Felix Felicis

actor wrote:
I understand what you are saying and you do understand the song but I'm just saying that most of the song is anger and frustration. Anyone who plays the whole song desperate obviously doesn't understand it. Yes Elphaba is desperate at the beginning when she is frantically trying to save Fiyero but I don't see how Elphaba could be desperate anywhere else in the song as Nessa is already dead and Dr. Dillamond has already lost his ability to speak. She is heartbroken in "Nessa, Dr. Dillamond, Fiyero ..." but the rest of the song is frustration and giving in.


Sorry to keep on at this, but I'm regretting using the word "desperate" now. It just means hopeless. She's got nothing left at all except herself, who's wicked anyway. I don't mean desperate like doing her best to save them, I mean absolutely without hope. Then, at the end, she gets angry and caves in.
Gwen

Oh, don't be sorry. I'm not the best at wording things either.

And I found myself thinking over this last night, (after the fireworks of Fourth of July, I didn't think about it then!) and there's more than one type of despearation. Originally I meant hoping against hope, but the thought also came to mind of trying to find a way for her to know it wasn't her fault. But I'm beginning to overanalyze, as I usually do.
I think mastachen put it very well. Applause

Shall we just leave it at that then? Smile
WickedRENThead

Eden Espinosa, for sure. You can see her descent into madness perfectly, and her voice is stunning.
Belle

Gwen wrote:
I think the song should be left open to interpretation. If every single actress played Elphaba the same way, it wouldn't be interesting any more. The role would turn into a cookie cutter requirement. I think the same holds true of any role.


http://www.stageandscreenonline.com/downloads/gareth_valentine.html

If you can, take the time to listen through this fascinating interview - Gareth Valentine is a very respected London Musical Director, and he talks about cookie-cutter productions and Wicked here.
Mistress

I have to say, I alos like SJB's and Murney's desperate Elphie bestalthough no one owns angry Elphie like Menzel. I remeber once I was watching Youtube and I found one of Murney's performances. Her vocals weren't my favourite (her voice is better suited to other scores) but my god her acting had me speechless. It wa sthe same w/SJB...somehow I can feel for a desperate Elphie more than an angry one. Dunno, just my opnion, but like I said, Menzel is the best angry Elphie.
actor

Yes Julia Murney is almost as good as Idina Menzel but Stephanie J Block's No Good Deed is terrible. She gives one emotion all the way through and I'm not even sure what it is. It isn't anger or desperation. She is one of the worst actress' to play Elphaba, she over-emotes everything.
Idina does play No Good Deed very angry like it should be but only in the right places. She isn't angry all the way through, you can see her pain and heartbreak also.
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