Get yer Wicked outfits here... Heh, heh!
Something "Wicked" this way comes... Act IV, Scene 1, Macbeth - Shakespeare
According to Wikipedia: "Wicked is a musical with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The story is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a parallel novel of Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz."
The return of the Broadway hit musical "Wicked," to the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco has been tumultuous! The house was packed last Friday night with folks of all sizes, ages and genders! Many of whom got into the spirit of the thing and even wore their "wicked-est" evening wear. Quite a few were wearing the show's trademark "green and black" colors. One almost felt out of place, not to be sporting these hues.
This is the story of two girls, one a goody-goody two-shoes (who becomes the Good Witch of the North) and the other, the victim of a "birth defect" which has left her skin a sickly shade of green, who in her isolation turns "bad," (becomes the Wicked Witch of the West). The two become friends through being thrown together, after first loathing one another on sight. Eventually they find that they really love each other and that is tested when the boy that Glinda is in love with and engaged to, runs away with Elphaba. Finally, Elphaba is killed (but not really, since this is a quasi-fairy tale) and we find that love does not conquer all in the end...
The show's leads, Kendra Kassebaum (Glinda) and Teal Wicks (Elphaba) were not nearly as strong as the Broadway cast, which included the inimitable Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda and Idina Menzel as Elphaba, with Joel Grey as the Wizard. Having said that, they really give it all they've got and are supported by a strong ensemble cast. Kassebaum appears to be doing her best "Chenoweth" emulation, and it works for most of the play. Unfortunately, this is a musical and she just doesn't have that fabulous Chenoweth voice. Teal Wicks seems afraid to get deeper into her character and really "let go" with the role. Most actors I know, would kill for the chance to play a really despicable "baddie" and this role cries out for a "real bitch!' If she did that, then the distinction of good and evil would be really clearly etched instead of barely there.
Carole Kane as Madame Morrible was memorable and she owns the stage whenever her character is on. The writer, however, has no qualms of conscience about having drawn this role from an amalgam of Harry Potter characters. David Garrison as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz was enchanting... He sings, he dances, but there really isn't a real character for him to inhabit. Wicked resembles a Lloyd-Webber musical in which there are no hit songs. Even the scenes which were supposed to be the highlights, don't quite make it to the crescendo point. In fact, when one arrived at what should have been the highlights, there was nothing there. Nothing for the performer to draw from and nothing for the audience to exclaim at. The technical effects, although potentially awesome, were like our friend the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, or the huge red-eyed mechanical winged dragon mounted above the stage, not as "fearsome" as advertised. David Garrison's Wizard wasn't scary at all. It almost seems as if more money was spent on props and scenery, than time was spent on concocting the plot...
This is not a suitable presentation for young children. It was obviously written for adults. There are adult themes: a girl in a wheelchair (Nessarose, Elphaba's sister) is in love with a boy who doesn't love her and is only paying her attention to please the one he loves (Glinda). This is not a good message, it seems to endorse emotional abuse of the handicapped. There are a lot of strong images -- demons complete with horns, tails and wings, flapping about in a smoky, red-lit backdrop, enough to give your 4-year-old nightmares. There is no telling what deeper damage this may inflict on your youngest. Get a sitter, leave the kiddies at home.
Despite all that, the hullabaloo from the Broadway production, with Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda still weaves its sparkly magic and people who couldn't get seats in New York, will probably flock to get them here. Wicked has an open-ended run. So, if you are a die-hard Wizard of Oz fan, nothing I say will deter you and yours from seeing this musical umpteen times, nor will it stop you from dressing up in your gaudiest black and green outfit and running down to the Orpheum to 'defy gravity.' Enjoy!
Wicked: Orpheum Theater, Market (x 8th Street), San Francisco. On-line ticket purchase: www.shnsf.com. Tkt. prices: $30-$99.
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