You could hear Carly Augenstein laugh as the intercom announced the cast lineup.
Her co-star’s operatic voice warmed up and drifted through the dressing room door they share.
Backstage with Carly Augenstein
Augenstein’s mirror is surrounded by movie-star light bulbs, photo booth snapshots of loved ones and cards.
And on the counter are her makeup brushes. The bristles are not tinted tan from her foundation or dusted by rose blush or golden highlighting powder.
They’re green, emerald green.
Augenstein is the standby for Elphaba, meaning that she has to be ready at a moment’s notice to step up to the role.
And she would tell you that since high school, she’s been ready for a part in the musical.
From Glinda to Elphaba
But, ironically, she saw herself more as Glinda.
“I was actually like, ‘Glinda. I want to be Glinda someday,’” Augenstein said, laughing.
As she’s taken on Elphaba’s role, she’s learned the importance of this character and her green skin — the beauty of it. She vividly remembers the first time she saw herself in full makeup.
“I did feel really beautiful,” Augenstein said. “I felt gorgeous, and I do every time I get green. Man, I wish I were green.”
The power of green
Christina Tracey, the makeup supervisor who turns Augenstein into Elphaba, explained that the original “Wicked” makeup designer had those goals in mind from the beginning.
“I really think the makeup is so important to the story because the designer — Joe Dulude — when he was training me on the makeup, what he wanted was for the makeup to be so subtle that people forgot she was green as people began to fall in love with her,” Tracey said. “The only real difference between her and everybody else in the show was that she was green.”
Tracey has worked with multiple Elphabas during her career as a makeup artist.
“Every person that plays Elphaba has to do it their way because it’s so hard,” Tracey said. “You can’t do this role unless you do it your way. That’s how I see it.”
Relating to Elphaba
For those unfamiliar with “Wicked,” it tells the story before Dorothy drops into Oz. The musical reveals the truth behind the wizard’s rule and the Emerald City’s polished image.
At the heart of it all is Elphaba, a social outcast who must either conform to the lies or defy expectations.
Augenstein resonates with Elphaba’s struggles.
“I feel like anyone who’s ever felt different or kind of like an outsider can relate to Elphaba so hard. I was always kind of a weird kid. I had weird interests, and I also, as a kid, struggled with OCD and anxiety,” Augenstein said.
"I feel like anyone who’s ever felt different or kind of like an outsider can relate to Elphaba so hard."— Carly Augenstein
She said her OCD often caused her to display tics.
“Other kids would notice stuff like that, and they would call you out on it because kids have no filter,” Augenstein said. “And I always felt like that weirdo off in the corner of the class that no one wanted to talk to.”
Those childhood experiences shaped the Elphaba that Augenstein brings to the stage.
“You act out of that … but as a woman in my 30s now, I also very much connect to Act 2 Elphaba because she grows up so much,” Augenstein said.
A demanding role
Tracey explained that the makeup actually reflects her evolution in Act 2. Elphaba’s features and beauty become more striking as the makeup changes during intermission, reflecting her character development.
“I just admire (Elphaba) so much,” Tracey said. “I admire the women that play this role and how they have to sing it. It is hard. To do this eight times a week, you have to be really disciplined.”
As the standby for Elphaba, Augenstein is one of three actors who could play Elphaba on any given night. There’s the principal, the standby and the understudy.
On tour, Elphaba is the only character that has a standby role because of how demanding the performance is. But Augenstein has grown close with a tight-knit community of swing actors, performers who master multiple roles and step in whenever needed.
“I made it a priority to really make sure I socialize as much as I can,” Augenstein said. “And just having swings around to hang out with has been huge.”
Reaching new audiences
The musical she grew up listening to has come a long way since the score was written.
Last November, a blockbuster film adaptation captivated audiences everywhere. Augenstein said she loved the movie, but it didn’t change how she plays Elphaba.
“I don’t think it’s really had an effect on how any of us interpret our roles because that’s kind of its own world, but it is something that’s always on the back of our minds,” Augenstein said. “I think about that all the time — all the young kids who are seeing the movie and are going to fall in love with the show. It’s special.”
For her, making theater accessible to those new fans is just as important as celebrating their discovery of the theatrical arts. One of her favorite ways the production does this is by offering sensory-friendly performances.
“So, a sensory performance is for people with different disabilities, people that might be on the spectrum, people with all sorts of neurodiversity,” Augenstein said. “I have seen that just from doing this show, we’re able to bring it to so many more people. I think the more people we can bring to this show, the better, because it’s for everybody.”
Why ‘Wicked’ still resonates
Outside of being green, this is what Elphaba stands for, according to Augenstein: “She’s true to herself. She’ll give it to you straight. She won’t sugarcoat anything.”
Augenstein’s hair and makeup were completed. She donned her costume and dark blue cap.
Heading out of her dressing room doors, she smiled and waved.
As soon as Augenstein crossed the threshold backstage, the audience roared — not because Elphaba was onstage already, but because the production as a whole had begun.
“I feel like no matter what year it is, you can be like, this is so timely,” Augenstein said. “This is exactly what’s happening right now. No matter what’s happening in the world, it matters.”
"Wicked" runs through March 2 at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Tickets are going fast, and Broadway San Diego is offering a daily lottery for $30 tickets.
