Wicked London vs Wicked NY

I feel torn, tonight.

After listening to a recording of Kerry Ellis as Elphaba, alongside Helen Dallimore playing Glinda performing Defying Gravity from Wicked, I was prepared to come over here and proclaim that while I love Idina and Kristin (how could you not?) these two make it almost seem like they never existed, or like Helen never did the show with the Idina. Kerry's voice blows me away every time I hear it, without fail. It's powerful and moving, with a rocker edge to it. It's husky to the point of absolute sexiness (even when she's just talking) and filled with so much emotion that I almost break down every time I hear her version of Elphaba.

Now pair that with Helen, and the fact I saw them live, I am sure, and it's almost too much for me to handle.

Then, packed on top of their chemistry, how well they carry off all of the scenes together, and the timing that they have down, there is the emotion.
When they are happy, you laugh. When they portray sadness - desperation, or absolute despair where the character feels like their heart has been ripped out and destroyed forever - you not only feel for the character, or sense what they are going through, you start to feel it within yourself... Or at least I did, sitting there in the fifth row watching the tears flowing from Helen, seeing Kerry's eyes welling up, and seeing them up on stage...


So, now the reason I feel torn. As I was coming home on the train today, listening to Idina and Kristin singing, I thought to myself nothing, no other pairing, could beat these two. And I still believe that... But I also have an undying love for Helen and Kerry. So tonight, I have come to this conclusion. It is the same play, the same characters and story line, the same outcome...
But at the same time, they are two completely different entities, and the portrayals are so different (especially between Kristin and Helen) that when you compare them, you can love them almost as much as eachother, yet not say that they are similar at all, really.
So, from now on, I think there are two different musicals I am in love with. Wicked A, and Wicked B.