It's time to try Defying Gravity... (Wicked The Musical)

Member Name: angel_at_birth

Product:	Wicked The Musical
Date:	12/05/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well performed, excellent set and costume design and a beautiful story.

Disadvantages: Ticket price can be steep (but worth every penny) and Kerry Ellis has left the role of Elphaba.

Currently showing 6 days a week at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London Wicked is definitely one of the unmissable musicals around on London's West End at the moment. The story is set in and around the familiar story of The Wizard of Oz and is a clever twist on the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good which is never predictable and keeps you enthralled until the end. Revolving around the developing friendship between the two witches, the story uses all the key elements - love, friendship, revenge, betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness to produce a tale which will capture the hearts of even the most cynical audience member.

From the elaborate set design complete with mechanical dragon to the stunning costumes, Wicked is a feast for the eyes. The dance numbers are energetic and well choreographed and the musical numbers, although not well known, are catchy and well performed. In particular the final song of Act 1, Defying Gravity is truly inspirational and the final duet between Glinda and Elphaba For Good is so heartbreakingly poignant that it will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. The casting is, in some cases, inspired with Kerry Ellis a worthy choice to play the idealistic and misunderstood Elphaba and Diane Pilkington playing the bubbly, ditsy Glinda to perfection - providing some of the classic comedy moments throughout the show.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Inspiring and thought-provoking it will have you laughing, crying and completely indignant at the injustice of Elphaba's tragic story. I doubt there is anyone out there who does not know the story of the Wizard of Oz, but Wicked is a clever look at the lives of two witches, one supposedly 'evil' and the other 'good', that will have you doubting everything you ever thought you knew about the Emerald City...

Summary: Completely unmissable and proof that there are two sides to every story...