Tuesday, August 5, 2014

No One Mourns The "Wicked"

People are not always familiar or up to speed on Broadway musicals-I often get blank stares when I bring up musicals that I think are well known but turn out to be more obscure than I realized.  I suppose it is somewhat rare for a Broadway musical to become a part of popular culture and a part of mainstream media, but a few certainly do on occasion such as Les Misérables or Phantom.  This status is reserved for shows that are able to explode onto the scene such as The Lion King with enough gusto and commercial appeal to keep them going for years and years as tourist attractions and hot ticket items for even those who are not fans of the theatre.  Another juggernaut of a musical that has managed to create this kind of momentum in the past decade is a little show called Wicked.


Wicked is nothing short of a phenomenon, running for 10 years solid and with no signs of slowing down any time soon, and with good reason.  This is a show that touches the heart, is relevant to just about everyone, and is large, loud, colorful, and sparkly.  What makes a musical so relatable and so popular?  It is a simple recipe: begin with a foundation based on a bestselling novel (which in turn is based on the beloved story of The Wizard of Oz), reinvent a once villainous character to promote a theme of acceptance that is relatable to everyone, pile on an exquisite score by the talented Stephen Schwartz, pepper in some incredible divas who can belt these incredible songs beautifully, and top if off with some clever comedic and dramatic moments.  I suppose that's the convention for any musical really, but it certainly works!  What really works in Wicked, is that the show simply has heart.  This is a show that is family-friendly, fun to watch, and that people of all ages enjoy thoroughly and despite the whimsical elements and "wow factor", it is also very human.

The driving force behind the story of Wicked is summed up by this one line in the show: "Are people really born wicked?  Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?"  There is something to consider.  Is someone truly born bad, or is there a chain of events in their lives that drives them towards villainy? In the case of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (a clever play on the name of the original Oz author, L. Frank Baum), it stems from many obstacles she must overcome including bullying, pressure, magical powers she must learn to control, and rumors that are started by others about her wickedness in the first place.  Elphaba's journey is one of heartbreak and despair, but also of empowerment and love.

The "Emerald City" tour of Wicked is in Salt Lake City right now, with a few more weeks left of the seven week run.  This is a show that Utahns LOVE and it has returned for another sold out run.  I recently attended a performance again at Capitol Theatre and even though I have seen the show (ahem) six times now, it is so fresh and still so powerful that I enjoyed every minute of it.  Actually I enjoyed it so much that I am seeing it again on August 17th before the run ends!

Nick Adams as Fiyero
The performance on this run was brilliant and as breathtaking as the first time I saw the show in 2007 in Florida.  As the orchestra began to play the opening music, I looked up to see the giant steel dragon atop the proscenium breathing smoke with eyes glowing red and I remembered why I love this show.  The music is lush and gorgeous, the emotions run deep, and the message is powerful and relevant.  The cast is as strong as ever on this tour-the main standout being Nick Adams as Fiyero.  Not only is Adams GORGEOUS, but his voice is simply beautiful and he brings such passion and honest love to the role.  I also really enjoyed Gina Beck as Glinda-I actually think she is the best Glinda I have seen.  She just played the role in such a way that she was genuine.  She didn't have to play up the laughs or the attitude, she simply WAS Glinda and it was very sweet to watch her progression.  Beck has since left this tour, so it will be interesting to see a new Glinda when I attend the show again.



I was looking forward to seeing Emma Hunton play Elphaba as I had seen her in Next to Normal in Los Angeles and thoroughly enjoyed her performance.  I was disappointed at first to see that her standby, Emmy Raver-Lampman, was playing Elphaba that night-but then I was proven SO wrong very quickly.  The minute she began to sing "The Wizard and I", I simply melted into my seat.  I perked up and realized I was in for a treat through the rest of her performance.  Her powerful voice is only part of her strength; she was so emotionally raw and made Elphaba immediately relatable.

Gina Beck as Glinda and Emmy Raver-Lampman as Elphaba
The scenes with these incredible actors working together only added to their strength and the chemistry was palpable.  Raver-Lampman and Beck made the two leads really feel like sisters and friends and yet you could feel the tension between them as well.  Also I have never seen a Fiyero and Elphaba so on FIRE during "As Long As You're Mine".  The passion was so intense I even saw a mother (jokingly) cover her young son's eyes in the row in front of me.  Joking aside, this moment was incredibly touching.


The technical aspects of this show are nothing short of magical as well, and they hold up fabulously 10 years later. The costumes are bizarre and brilliant, particularly the Emerald City citizens who wear outfits that seem to have been dreamed up by Lady Gaga (although this predates Gaga).  The sets are a brilliant compilation of cogs and gears that hearken to the novel's infamous time dragon clock although it is not explained at length in the musical.  There are a few such treats for fans of the book as well as fans of the original Wizard of Oz.  The flying effect during "Defying Gravity" is still a breathtaking showstopper, and the giant mechanical head the Wizard uses to intimidate and impress the citizens is...well...intimidating and impressive.  The lighting design is also flawless and realistically transports you throughout the various lands of Oz.  Simply put, this is a tech-heavy show that is worth seeing if only for the spectacle.  It is no surprise that Wicked took home the Tony Awards for Costume Design and Scenic Design (in addition to a Best Actress Tony for Idina Menzel as Elphaba).

The score of the show is breathtaking, and the songs are only strengthened by the incredible performers in this current cast.  The book does suffer from some unfortunate plot holes and I have a problem with the ending.  I have always had a problem with it, but I will not explain here in the interest of avoiding spoilers.  Suffice it to say that you are not likely to notice these minor issues because the show itself is pure magic.

What really makes Wicked work is the appeal of these characters who are absolutely human despite the fact they live in a magical world.  Elphaba is bullied and harassed due to the color of her skin which can really be a metaphor for any kind of discrimination.  I think we have all felt left out or discriminated at some time or another.  Glinda through the course of the show finds that there is more to life than popularity and the idea that everyone should look a certain way.  Elphaba and Glinda both learn a valuable lesson that it is not what is on the outside that truly matters.  One of my favorite moments in the show is this exchange between Fiyero and Elphaba:

Elphaba: I wish I could be beautiful... for you.
Fiyero: Elphaba...
Elphaba: Don't tell me that I am, you don't need to lie to me.
Fiyero: It's not lying! It's... uh... it's looking at things another way.

For reasons I won't explain (due to spoilers again), Elphaba has an opportunity to repeat this line toward the end of the show.  This is what Wicked is all about-perspective.  Elphaba's wickedness is a result of misunderstandings, tragedy, fear, rumors, and many other factors.  Is she really wicked?  Probably not.  Maybe we would all benefit from taking a step back in our lives and trying to look at things another way. The real lesson here is taking the perspective of compassion throughout our lives.

Wicked continues the run at Capitol Theatre until August 24 and is absolutely worth seeing for those who have the opportunity.  If you want to get tickets this late in the game, your best bet is to go on a Sunday when tickets are less in demand (Arttix). You can also try your hand at lottery tickets on the day of the performance (Broadway in Utah Facebook Page).