Madame Morrible. MM. Flip it around... you know the rest. Ellen Harvey has the absolute pleasure of playing the alliterative antagonist in Wicked on Broadway—just one character in a long line of roles absent of a first name. Harvey spoke to Broadway.com about the enduring power of Wicked, her love of wigs and the importance of attainable and accessible theater.
The company of “Wicked” (Photo: Joan Marcus)
Can you tell us about your first experience with Wicked?
I saw the original production twice. There was nothing like it. What I still feel when I see it is that you see everybody and every department doing their absolute best. Coming into the production after 23 years and seeing how well maintained, how sharp, how powerful, how energetic they continue to be in terms of recognizing the importance of the story, the power of the story, the level needed to execute that show every night from every person on that stage is tremendous, but it also has this enormous heart. It's a feel good thing and a wonderful thing to be a part of.
What attracted you to the role of Madame Morrible?
Come on! She's the best part …