The drama and mystery along with the humor and romance of Wicked creates a musical that is truly one of a kind. Wicked is a fun spin off The Wizard of Oz and focuses on the true life of the Wicked Witch of the West, her friendship with Glinda the Good and the true intentions of the characters from The Wizard of Oz.
The base of the musical is built on the Tony nominated play and Award wining book Wicked written by Gregory Maguire. The book translates brilliantly into a musical with a captivating plot that is well written, understandable and presents enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested.
The musical is The Wizard of Oz meets high school drama and real-life challenges that most people have experienced, which gives Wicked an oddly personable feel. It presents the perfect amount of humor and romance, and captures the sympathy of the audience by portraying the true story of the wicked.
The presentation and talent in the show is impeccable. The main characters are Christine Dwyer as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, and Tiffany Haas as Glinda the Good.
Dwyer does a great job as the good kid gone “wicked.” Her character incorporates a sinister side with a splash of intelligence, dry humor and grounded morals that beg for the audience’s support. You won’t ever want to turn against her and you will hope she comes out on top, despite her menacingly green appearance.
Haas keeps the audience in a similar bind. In spite of Glinda the Good’s superficial personality and conniving ways, her positive and perky attitude, along with her sheltered view of the world keeps the audience laughing and hoping that her character receives a fairy-tale ending.
Music and lighting deserve applause as well for extending the feel of the set all the way to the viewers’ seats. At one point, the Wicked Witch is levitated off the floor, but due to the lighting it appears that the rest of her body disappears and her green head is all that is left floating above the audience. It is without a doubt one of the best visual moments of the performance.
The music is not obnoxious, but still very relevant. It does not create the desire to walk away humming the entire musical track, but it leaves a good impression.
Often disregarded as minor, the set of the play is faultless and the way all of the characters are portrayed in terms of costume is well done. I could not imagine Emerald City any more emerald or with any more of a mystical feel.
