Stephanie Carswell as Glinda in Wicked Melbourne?

Wo wo wo, it seems some defence is needed here. I tried briefly above but feel I need to step in again. I also live in London and I happen to know Stephanie personally. I'd like to make the point that she has NOT ONCE said anything about playing Glinda in Melbourne, neither officially nor even to friends for God's sake. The only thing she has said, EVERY TIME it has been asked, is that she knows nothing about Wicked Australia except that Gordon Frost haven't cast anyone yet. She IS playing Glinda in a section of a variety show touring the UK from early 2008 which may be where this confusion started, but NOT ONCE has she claimed to have been cast in Wicked Melbourne. As I'm sure anyone who knows anything about this industry would agree, that would be ridiculously stupid and dangerous. You are correct that Steph was not seen in the March re-cast for the London production. I believe at the time she was doing an opera at Sadler's Wells, and already had contracts for a London play and then a UK/US feature film until July/Aug. Lack of availability during the audition, rehearsal AND show periods would have made an application to Pippa kind of pointless. As for the two Sunday Night Live shows produced by Star EFX, Steph did indeed have a lead soloist role for both Cats and Beauty and the Beast. Anyone requiring DVD evidence, please PM me. Honestly, I don't believe I'm having to do this. Apart from the fact that Steph is the most modest and self-depricating person I know and so she would never claim anything like this, I know for a fact that she has already signed a contract for something which will prevent her from being in Australia from mid-2008 anyway. So she CAN'T do Wicked in Melbourne. If anyone needs further proof, on her website, her myspace AND the Wicked Australia myspace, Steph has AGAIN denied these rumours, as already noted by many of the people who posted comments above. I'm sorry to sound so frustrated but I know both Steph and this show exceedingly well and know that there is no fact to this whatsoever. I don't know how this rumour started but I suspect that someone saw/heard that an Australian was playing Glinda in a UK variety tour and drew the longest bow imaginable. I have no doubt that Stacey-Marie meant well by promoting her but it seems that she has caused far more harm than good. Stacey-Marie, if you are able to perhaps it would be a good idea to delete this thread. Though I'm sure you mean well, you are playing with fire and someone else's career. Anyone else, I too agree that you should find out what's going on from the Official Wicked site. But for the record and as agreed on numerous occasions by Steph herself, STEPHANIE CARSWELL IS NOT IN IT! Let this be the end of the thread.