The Backstage with Robert Emery Podcast
“There are things I can easily worry about. The good thing is, I can go on stage and be happy.”
Robert Emery talks to Willemijn Verkaik, the singer and actress best known for her stage role in Wicked and singing the voice of Elsa for the German and Dutch versions of Disney's Frozen. Willemijn talks about how she keeps on top form, her experience of playing Elphaba on Broadway, the West-End, in Germany and in the Netherlands, and how her stage confidence doesn't always translate to real life.
A true leading-lady, Willemijn is the only person in the world to have performed Wicked in 4 countries over the space of 7 years and over 2000 performances. But there is more to her CV than turning green, and this conversation takes us through some of her hidden stories; what she likes to do away from the stage, and her predictions of the status of musical theatre in twenty years.
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SHOW NOTES
Bat out of Hell [00.58]
Being a 12 year old [02:30]
Conservatory Rotterdam [07:57]
Stamina [14.30]
Self belief [19.22]
Willemijn’s travelling and CV [29.55]
We Will Rock You [35.55]
Auditioning for Wicked [37:18]
Playing Elphaba [40:40]
Bat out of Hell Alex Melcher [49:25]
Leaving Wicked with an injury [50:30]
The status of musical theatre in 20 years [54:28]
What Willemijn would still like to achieve [59:48]
Books, Music and Videos that feature Willemijn Verkaik
Let It Go (From "Frozen" / Multi Language Medley) - a nice medley that features Willemijn amongst others
Lass jetzt los - the German version of ‘Let it go’ sung by Willemijn
Wicked - a 15th Anniversary Special Edition of this amazing show (recorded with the original Broadway cast)
Wicked Piano/Vocal book - if you want to learn to play some of this score, this is the perfect book to start
Jim Steinman's Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical - although not a recording of the German production that Willemijn was in, this is the original London cast recording, conducted by me
Frozen - this is the Dutch recording featuring Willemijn
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