A Review of Wicked, the Broadway Musical

Okay, so I know that everyone has their guilty pleasures. It could be a movie that you fall asleep to every night which, for me, is The Notebook (I must have seen the first half of The Notebook 75% more times than I’ve seen the second half). It could be a book that you’ve read so many times that the cover has fallen off. There’s a series by Betty MacDonald called Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. When I was younger, I somehow acquired the first book of this series and, being an avid reader, read it through once. Then I read it again and again and again; read it so many times that the cover actually fell off. But I digress – I’ll get back to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle another time. Back to the subject of guilty pleasures.

I obviously have a lot of guilty pleasures, but the one that takes the cake has to be the Broadway musical, Wicked. I have, to this date, seen the musical four times – twice at the Pantages in Los Angeles and twice at the San Diego Civic Center. The original Broadway cast performed at the Pantages and, let me tell you, there is just no comparison. The San Diego cast was amazing, but the original Broadway cast just can’t be beat. The combination of these amazing actors, spectacular stage settings, magnificent music and the story lead to an unforgettable performance. Although my bank account has considerably less money, it was completely worth it.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the story of the witches of The Wizard of Oz. Before she was known as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba had a friend named Glinda, who is later known as Glinda the Good. Wicked delves into this relationship and shows the paths Elphaba and Glinda take that leads them to their fates.

What stuck with me most after watching Wicked was the staging. The use of lighting, fog, props, background, etc. all work together to make something magical. There is one scene that gives me the chills every time I watch it. (I know I can’t tell you what happens, but I’ll give you a hint – It’s right before the intermission at the end of Act I. If you watch Wicked and don’t feel something when you see this scene, then I’ll eat my shoe.) Each scene is defined with different props, lighting and background. It’s amazing how one stage can completely change from a school to a forest in one scene.

The stage not only amazes by looking authentic, but it catches your eye because it is so colorful. The costumes are brilliantly made with bright colors and outrageous designs. Each costume suits the characters’ personalities perfectly. It is hard to imagine Wicked without the reflection of the shine from the glitter on Glinda’s dress.

The costumes, however bright they may be, are definitely not the main attraction. The highlight of Wicked is, of course, the actors and actresses and their amazing voices. Now, let me tell you, I have the original soundtrack of Wicked. This is the in studio recordings of the songs. The crazy thing is that the actors on stage sound comparable to how they sound on the CD. You would think with all the dancing, walking and running around that the actors would sound out of breath and definitely wouldn’t sound as good as they would after recording over and over in a studio. I admit that the actors do occasionally sound out of breath, but it is rare enough that you barely notice it. But seriously, when I heard “Defying Gravity,” I teared up. No joke.

The songs, acting, stage, music and costume all work together to create the musical that I love. Wicked is a story that audiences of all ages can connect with. It has elements of all genres in it – from romance to horror to mystery. You will be shocked, uplifted, gratified, horrified, and filled with joy when you watch Wicked. I sure was.