Wicked

I love “Wicked"

After many months of waiting, I finally had the honor and the privilege to see Wicked, the musical stage production based on the novel by Gregory McGuire. I don’t even know how to begin to describe the performance. Let me start simply by saying I left the theatre in awe. I have heard from many friends both inside and outside the theatre community what a phenomenal production this is. When I heard that it was coming to Tampa, I used one of my connections and was able to procure tickets before they went on sale to the general public to assure I did not miss it. Since that time I have been waiting patiently while the anticipation grew to a final crescendo which culminated in Friday evening’s performance. If you are not aware of the back story for this show, it is the story of the world introduced in The Wizard of Oz long before the events of Dorothy and Toto and how these characters came to be leading up to the event of the tornado. The set design was breathtaking in it’s simplicity to accommodate set changes yet kept your attention when the performers were not on stage as you inspected every minute detail. This combined with the artistic and precise placement of the lighting completed a beautiful stage. The costumes and make-up were intricately elaborate and colorful. Stephanie J. Block’s interpretation of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, was both engaging and intoxicating as by the end of the show, you fell in love with her character and felt compassion for the reason behind her actions. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Block previously in New York in The Boy From Oz with Hugh Jackman where her impersonation of Liza Minnelli was dead on. I was absolutely captivated by her voice in every number. Her incredible range and powerful ability to project hypnotized the audience. Kendra Kassebaum played the perfect foil to Elphaba as Glinda the Good Witch. (Or should I say "Ga-Linda") Her air headed, little rich girl yet sincere and loving interpretation of her role was vastly entertaining and kept me in stitches. Carolle Shelley as Madame Morrible was entertaining as always for this well known character actress although it was somewhat reminiscent of Dame Edna. David Garrison as the Wizard was somewhat believable but it was hard for me to see him as the character early on due to his previous typecasting in Married With Children. By the end of the show, he won me over and allowed me to see the more sinister side of the wizard that you would not normally expect based on our childhood memories from the Wizard of Oz. Both Sebastian Arcelus as Fiyero and Jena Leigh Green as Nessarose were believable but I’m afraid their characters were overshadowed by the other four. The same holds true for rest of the cast. The wirework for the Flying Monkeys and ensemble was very impressive for a stage play. The wires were barely visible and the swinging combined with the mid air choreography actually gave the illusion of flying. For the most part however, the story revolved around Elphaba and Glinda and they stole the show. The musical score by Stephen Schwartz was magical as each number flowed so easily into each scene. The lyrics of “For Good” affected me the most and had the most profound impact on my emotions. As each note and word was being sung by these lovely actresses, I could close my eyes and picture every person in my life both past and present and how each continues to have such a profound impact in making me who I am today.

On the philosophical side, this was more than just a production to provide entertainment. If you pay attention and look for the undertones and subplots, it is an allegorical tale told in fantasy, metaphor and parable about the state of the world we live in and it’s history. The things I walked away with are that no matter what comes between the relationships we establish in our lives, each person in our life is a sum of all of our parts that define us. There were numerous references to history and the message here is that history is written by the victors, seldom by the losers of any conflict. The body politic and those who manage it are not always as benevolent as they appear and a person can be turned from good to wicked in the eye of the public through propaganda to meet a government agenda. One can only imagine how our text books would read today if written by those who were defeated. Finally, being an animal lover, the animal rights subplot was not lost on me as it was also a metaphor for racism and prejudice and it’s continued existence even in a modern world. I realize this may not make much sense to you if you have never witnessed the performance of this fine musical. But if the fates should grant you with such good fortune, look for these as they are there. I will definitely be purchasing the books of which this story is based and reading them in the near future.

Many of my theatre friends have always spoken of their favorite show or musical production. I have never had one I could choose as my favorite until now. While I did not get to see this on Broadway, I cannot imagine it being any better than the fine performance I enjoyed from this touring company. I will be seeing this show again and again not matter where my travels take me. If you should have the time or inclination, I highly recommend and strongly suggest you run to buy tickets as soon as they are available.

“T”