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WICKED
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book Winnie Holzman
Based on the novel by Gregary Maguire
Directed by Joe Mantello
BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
At the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre
24 West Randolph
Chicago, IL
Call 312-902-1400, Tickets $25-$95
7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays
2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Running time 2 hrs 43 min with intermission
Open run
Reviewed by Beverly Friend
"Wicked" is back -- this time, the award-winning, $14 million, musical prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," features a Chicago Company, and is scheduled for an open run which its producers hope will hold for at least two years. At 10 a.m. Sunday July 24, tickets will go on sale for performances from Sept to Jan, 2006.
On opening night, the show got a standing ovation! The cast certainly deserved the accolade -- especially Ana Gasteyer as emerald green Elphaba and Kate Reinders as blond, glitzy Glinda-- and so did Susan Hilferty for the brilliant costumes and Eugene Lee for the elaborate set which had been left in place by the touring company.
But in spite of this, and the numerous awards the musical has garnered, I was disappointed.
It was probably too much to expect that the songs, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, would be as catchy and wonderful as those in the original. Nothing is as lovely as "Somewhere over the Rainbow," as catchy as "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead," or as memorable as "Follow the Yellow Brick Road." The only one which comes close is "Wonderful" -- sung by the Wizard (Gene Weygandt) who maintains that the reason he took the job is that when people extolled him he was seduced by their flattery.
Then, there is the plot -- which is almost always the weakest part of a musical -- and is amazingly heavy handed here as it deals with school-girl friendships and rivalries, and animal rights. The plot goes off in several directions, and lacks unifying logic. The best and cleverest moments rely on allusions to the magical original while it fails to achieve any magic of its own.
The main plot deals with Elphaba born green, and therefore ostracized who is sent off to accompany her crippled sister Nessarose (Heidi Kettenring) to Shiz University (shades of Hogwarts) where she rooms with gorgeous, air-headed Glenda in what becomes an on-again-off-again friendship shaken by their mutual attraction for handsome Fiyero (Kristoffer Cusick)
A secondary, odd and unexplained plot deals with animals that are losing their ability to speak. One of these unfortunate creatures is a goat who is teaching at the school. Obviously there is an evil force at work. Is it the wizard? If it is, why would talking animals be a threat to him? The whole thing seems extraneous - dragged in by the scuff of its neck. Neither the impetus nor the resolution is explored, although trying to solve the problem nets Elphaba her (falsely deserved) evil reputation. That hardly seems purpose enough.
Dealing with three icons from the original story: the cowardly lion, the scarecrow and the tin man provides considerable humor yet is at odds with what we know will be their tale in the Oz story when Dorothy will meet them -- which supposedly follows this tale. It won't jibe.
Is this caviling? Probably. The play is spectacular with its flying monkeys and marvelous time dragon -- at treat for the eyes if not for the ears or the intellect. Purists -- devotes of the original -- are warned. Enthusiastic audiences and critical evaluations don't agree on this play.
To cite the widely varied key assessment of "what the critics had to say" about the New York production, gleaned from http://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/wicked03.htm
BEN BRENTLEY of the NEW YORK TIMES: “'Wicked' does not, alas, speak hopefully for the future of the Broadway musical.”
HOWARD KISSEL of NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: “It's such a 'Wicked' waste of talent.”
ELYSA GARDNER of USA TODAY: “The most complete, and completely satisfying, new musical I've come across in a long time.”
LINDA WINER of NEWSDAY: "Overproduced, overblown, confusingly dark and laboriously ambitious jumble."
FRANK SCHECK for THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: "Far too arch and sophisticated for children...lacks... sophistication and wit that would make it palatable for adults."
ROMA TORRE of NY1: "The best thing about "Wicked" is its stars, whose talents cast a powerful spell."
MICHAEL KUCHWARA of ASSOCIATED PRESS: "Lavish, ambitious and problematic."
But --don't take their word -- or mine -- see for yourself!
Date Reviewed July 13, 2005
Jeff Recommended
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