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Doffing the Green

'Wicked' star plays herself in Metropolis cabaret series

Daily Herald
By Samantha Nelson | Daily Herald Correspondent

Posted Thursday, January 18, 2007

While many Chicago theater fans have come to know Kristy Cates as Elphaba from the hit musical "Wicked," audiences at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights are getting to know her without the green makeup.

"Something like the Metropolis cabaret show is more intimidating and more enjoyable," Cates said, who puts on her second series of shows at the Arlington Heights theater next weekend.

"You're much closer to people and you're playing yourself so you can play for them, but it's kind of scary because you're playing yourself so there's no character to hide behind. I tell personal stories and sing songs that have been requested or mean something to me.

" 'Wicked' is a form of expression too, but I'm using other people's words and other peoples music."

Cates had done cabaret shows before moving to Broadway productions, and she used her first run at Metropolis as a break from the grueling "Wicked" schedule.

"My last show at Metropolis, I did it on my one night off after doing the role for 10 months," Cates said. "I learned that I probably won't do that again because I just didn't have time to rehearse."

Even under less-than-ideal conditions, the show was a sellout. After Cates' run with "Wicked" ended, she was asked to return to Metropolis. Again tickets flew, selling out so fast that Metropolis decided to add an extra matinee show Jan. 27 so more of her fans would have a chance to see her perform. Cates said she hopes this show will be better not only because of an increase in rehearsal time but because she's had even more theater experience.

"After performing a lead role every single night for 11 months, especially in a role like Elphaba who's on stage a lot singing solos, you just get more confident being yourself alone on a stage," Cates said. "I think it just helped confidence-wise."

Confidence building has been key to Cates' career, which took off when she was cast as understudy to Idina Menzel, who played Elphaba in the original Broadway run.

" 'Wicked' was my first Broadway show," Cates said. "When I got cast I was doing an off-Broadway show called 'Boobs! The Musical' which sounds risqué but wasn't at all. It was just about double entendre and really silly. To move from off-Broadway with 200 seats to Broadway gives you more respect. I'd always looked up to Idina because of her work in 'Rent,' so I wasn't disappointed to be her understudy. At the time I wouldn't have been ready to be the lead. I needed to go through a few things before I would be ready to play a lead role like Elphaba."

As the show got underway Cates learned that Broadway was not nearly as glamorous as many people think. When the show got close to the opening she and the rest of the cast would practice from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., do a show, get home at 11 p.m. or midnight and then go back at 10 a.m. the next day. At one point Cates had to beg her neighbor to do her laundry for her. When the show opened Cates spent a year playing in the ensemble before being called upon as an understudy.

"I had to tell myself when I ran out the doors to just breathe and not let emotion get the best of you," Cates said. "I was so emotional because my dream was coming true."

When the actress playing Elphaba for the "Wicked" touring company was injured before the run, Cates was asked to take her place. Then she became the understudy for "Saturday Night Live" alum Anna Gasteyer in the Chicago run and took over the role when she left.

"It's an emotionally satisfying and exhausting role to play because Elphaba runs the gamut of your emotions," Cates said. "It was more satisfying than anything I've ever done in my life. It's such a full, exciting role. I tried to learn something new from the character every night. That was very rewarding to get to know a character so well over the time that I played her."

"An Intimate Evening with Kristy Cates"
Where: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights
When: 8 p.m. Jan. 26; 3 and 7 p.m., Jan. 27 and 3 p.m. Jan. 28
Tickets: $30
More info here

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