Wicked....or not so Wicked as it seems (Wicked The Musical)

Member Name: tinkerbell18

Product:	Wicked The Musical
Date:	18/06/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant story, costumes, music and set

Disadvantages: Doesn't follow the book

I am a huge fan of musicals, from Sound of Music to Phantom. I am not quite sure how I managed to find Wicked the Musical, but I'm glad I did. It is very definatly a musical, with humour for both adults and children, though it seems to have a slight pantomime twist, without detracting from the story.

The story itself is a new twist on an old tale, the Wizard of Oz, and as most American stories do, it has a bit of a moral hidden in there - things aren't always as they seem. The story starts way before the Wizard of Oz begins, and it's main character is the Wicked Witch of the West, here named Elphaba. It tells of her struggle to fit in, her blossoming friendship in school with a girl named Galinda (Glinda the Good), her skills with magic, and most importantly, what turned her 'evil'. As the story progresses it enters the Wizard of Oz timeline, with scenes in the musical occuring just before or after a scene from the original film - a behind the scenes look in a way. The musical begins at the end of the tale, with the news that the Wicked Witch is dead. Glinda the Good then sets out to tell the crowds the true events that led to the death of the Wicked Witch.

I found that the tale was quite cleverly portrayed, showing how a series of misunderstandings led to Elphaba being branded evil, even though she was desperatley trying to be good. It also explained how the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow were also brought about, and finally, why Elphaba was green. There is also a love story entwined into the musical, between Glinda & a man named Fiyero (who met during school), eventually leading to a love story between Fiyero & Elphaba. This leads to another heart-breaking moment in the story, but with a suprising twist at the end of the tale.

For fans of the book, you may be disappointed with the musical as I found it used the book as a very basic frame, deviating largely in a lot of places. However, I found the musical a much better telling and believe if it had followed the book completly, it would not have been anywhere near as good. For fans of the Wizard of Oz all of the characters are present, including Elphaba's sister the Wicked Witch of the East (Nessarose), whilst introducing new characters such as Madam Morrible, the Wizard's advisor and the 'evil' character of the musical.

I did drama and lighting whilst in school so I couldn't help noticing all the effects, especially with the lights. There is a giant mechanical dragon set above the stage that moves about at key points in the tale, a mechanical bubble for Glinda to move around in, and even the moving face that the Wizard hides behind. I did have to have the mechanical bubble explained to me as at first I thought it was just the only way a stage production could portray it. However, the bubble (and the mechanical face) were showing that the Wizard was merely an inventor which is why he needed the magical abilties of first Elphaba and then Glinda.

The effects are incredible - including Elphaba flying, flying monkeys and, of course, the infamous melting scene. One of my favourite parts of the musical was the visit to the Emerald City. The entire theatre was lit up with green lights in the ceiling, walls and pillars, making you feel like you were actually in the city and part of the tale - it was definatly breathtaking.

Not to be forgotten are the costumes. Every character, from the leads to the chorus have impressive costumes - no attention to detail is spared, even if a costume is barely seen. Elphaba has about 3 costume changes, whilst Glinda has a new costume every scene she is in. For the lead characters, the costumes reflect the personality of it's owner; for example, Glinda is very girly and seemingly 'blonde', so all her costumes are frilly dresses in yellows and pinks, whilst Elphaba, who is quite strait-laced and sensible, has just simple black dresses.

The music, written by Stephen Schwartz, may not quite be Andrew Lloyd Webber but it is brilliant in its own way. It works perfectly with the story, with a good mix of ensemble, duets and solo pieces. Two of the most powerful pieces of the story are Defying Gravity & For Good. Defying Gravity is the moment when Elphaba decides to go her own way and also learns to fly (hence the title). It's a very powerful song, very moving and a perfect first half finale. For Good is moving in a different way as it is when Glinda & Elphaba say farewell to each other as they are never going to see each other again. It defiantly brought a tear or two to my eyes.

Wicked is definatly a musical I recommend, even if you have never seen the Wizard of Oz or read the book. It is a powerful tale for the whole family, and will definatly move everybody who see's it. It will keep you captivated from the very beginning, the the final twist at the end.

Summary: The true story behind the Witches of Oz