Wicked - The Musical

[Kat]

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

Friday night Michael and I went to see Wicked. It was wonderfully entertaining and I highly recommend seeing it if you get the opportunity. It is playing in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and London and also is visiting other cities on tour. Watch the trailer.

Kat

[Chris Grieb]

Kat,

Thanks for the recommendation!

I must say that the plot theme of Wicked would not occur to me but it sounds like interesting work.

Is this musical by American writers? Has anyone who looks at what is on Broadway notes that most of the musical seem to be coming from abroad or Disney. I like both of these works but I like to think that something is coming from an original American writer.

I don't know if Wicked has been done here in Washington but I will keep a look out for it.

Edited May 13, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[Danneskjold]

I saw this last september while it was in Oregon. Luckily for me the Broadway lead lives in the area so she was actually playing in it on tour so I got to see it with the first lead in. Boy, it was great. Michael and Kat, I'm surprised you didn't see it last summer when it was in Chicago.

Chris, it's based on a book. Although I've heard that they deviated quite a bit from the book and the book itself was pretty bad and ridden with politics that ideologically are just bad.

[jordanz]

I guess I'm in the minority. My wife and I saw it in New York this past weekend and hated it. I thought the music was trite and unmemorable. Worse still, though, was the story.

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The story smacked so much of modern multi-culturalism and moral relativism that I was, frankly, disgusted. The entire premise of the Wizard of Oz is inverted such that evil is portrayed not as a choice you make but something that "happens to you" and "needs to be understood". The characters are poorly rendered and change motivation willy-nilly. Little context is given for any choices that the main characters make and when context is given, it's usually some modern-day pablum (saving animals, helping others, etc.).

[jordanz]

FYI - we also saw The Pirate Queen and it was wonderful. The music/book is by the same team that made Les Miserable and the production is by the Riverdance people. Great music, incredible heroic story and great dancing and production.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I thought the music was trite and unmemorable. Worse still, though, was the story.

. . .

The story smacked so much of modern multi-culturalism and moral relativism that I was, frankly, disgusted. The entire premise of the Wizard of Oz is inverted such that evil is portrayed not as a choice you make but something that "happens to you" and "needs to be understood". The characters are poorly rendered and change motivation willy-nilly. Little context is given for any choices that the main characters make and when context is given, it's usually some modern-day pablum (saving animals, helping others, etc.).

Jordan,

I fully agree that the music was not very good (I speak of the songs, not the performance of them). It worked for what it did, but I don't see any standard songs coming out of that musical.

On the interpretation, if I look at Wicked from your perspective, I have to agree with you. I recently did a film critique based on a similar view (Little Miss Sunshine). Everybody loved the film, but it really got to me in a negative way. Sometimes this spirit descends on us and this is the side we see.

On Wicked, there is another perspective I saw (at least this time) and I think this perspective is the reason for its universal appeal. I don't think the moral message was that evil is merely something that happens to you. I think it was more personal. (I am speaking subjectively and speculating, so please don't take this as more than it is.) Despite the title, evil or wickedness was not being examined here, but instead The Wicked Witch herself as a person. I think people saw the shift in message from the earlier story as reclaiming a part of a childhood story in a charming manner ("Hmmmm... so the Wicked Witch wasn't so wicked after all..."). I have gotten a similar emotion from Disney cartoons of classics at times, where the villain becomes less villainish and more lovable, despite still being the bad guy.

Seen from this angle, the abstract message I got was not moral relativism, but instead that when a person suffers injustice and destruction of his values by hypocrites in power, he becomes bitter and an enemy. Then his acts are often spin-doctored into something they are not and the victim becomes scapegoated. This can make him bitter at life itself. We have all suffered that kind of injustice and this message was so clear that it struck a chord in the hearts of the general public.

The greenness reminded me of Cyrano de Bergerac's nose—sort of a reminder that we all have problems that set us apart from others. It is charming to see how these characters handle their defects with good humored acceptance and still take their best shot at the good things in life.

These messages are strongly present and I believe that they are the reasons that Wicked is so enormously popular. I don't believe that people would turn out in droves for a message that evil is not chosen or multiculturalism is good (although these messages are there, too, but on a secondary level IMO).

On the angle of reclaiming a part of a childhood story in a charming manner, it was a lot of fun to see where the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow came from. The whole plot was telegraphed and still it was fun.

The comedy lines were very well staged and the acting, stage props, etc., were all first class.

I enjoyed most everything but the songs. This was not Stephen Schwartz's best score.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Jordan,

Is The Pirate Queen still on Broadway?

Michael, What else has Stephen Schwartz written?

I still want to see Wicked but now I have more info.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Chris,

Here is more information on Stephen Schwartz. Here is the Wikipedia article on Stephen Schwarts.

Some works from the article:

Stage

* Butterflies Are Free (1969) title song (play and movie)

* Mass (1971) English texts (in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein)

* Godspell (1971) composer, lyricist

* Pippin (1972) composer, lyricist

* The Magic Show (1974) composer, lyricist

* The Baker's Wife (1976) composer, lyricist

* Working (1978) adaptation, direction 4 songs

* Personals (1985) composer, 3 songs

* The Trip (1986) children's show - composer, lyricist

* Rags (1986) lyricist

* Children of Eden (1991) composer, lyricist

* Wicked (2003) composer, lyricist

* Thiruvasagam 2005 - The English translation of selected verses of the Tamil hymn on Lord Siva by Manickavasagar, done by Mr. Stephen Schwartz. Maestro Ilaiyaraaja has scored the music.

* Snapshots (2005)

* Captain Louie (2005)

Film

* Pocahontas (1995) lyricist

* The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) lyricist

* The Prince of Egypt (1998) composer, lyricist

* Enchanted (2007) lyricist

Michael

[jordanz]

Jordan, Is The Pirate Queen still on Broadway?

Yes. It just opened, actually. It's at the Hilton Theater on 42nd between 7th and 8th. Rita and I bought Saturday matinee tix the day before the show and got great seats.

Edited May 15, 2007 by jordanz

[jordanz]

Michael, you make some good points about Wicked. The things you mention were definitely present but completely overshadowed by the main story and music, in my opinion.

BTW - I agree that Little Miss Sunshine was awful. I'll take a look at your review.

[Chris Grieb]

Jordan & Michael,

After I saw the list of Schwartz I realized I had seen Pippin here in at the Kennedy Center pre Broadway. Pippin was enjoyable although the story was somewhat anti-hero. It had a very young John Rubenstien in the title role with Jill Clayburgh in the female lead. In the supporting cast was Irene Ryan who played Pippin's grandmother. I believe it Irene Ryan's last big role before her death. Irene Ryan achieved frame as Granny Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies.

I don't remember any memorable songs from the show.

Edited May 15, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[Danneskjold]

I don't see how Wicked was at all for moral relativism. It was quite clear to me, in this version of the story at least, that the Wizard and Glenda and the other "good" witch were the evil and that Elphaba (sp) was good. The people that constantly talked of moral relativity and such were all on the evil side of the line. As for animal rights and such, well, the animals in that play were self-aware and basically human in all but the physical sense, so I don't mind that theme.

[emb021]

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

What about the other 2 witches??? Oz had 4.

Didn't know that? We only see/hear of 3 of them in the movie. If you read the books, you learn that Oz is a land divided into 4 quadrants: blue Munchkin Country in the east, yellow Winkie Country in the west, purple Gillikin Country in the north, and red Quadling Country in the south. In the center is green area with the Emerald City.

Each country was ruled by a witch: two evil witches in the east and west, two good witches in the north and south. Glinda was the Good Witch of the South. Overall the land of Oz was ruled by a king or queen. The Wizard deposed the previous king, Pastoria, and hid his daughter, Ozma. Ozma would later becomes the new queen.

FWIW, neither the Wicked Witch of the West or the Wicked Witch of the East (which Dorothy 'killed' when her house fell on her), nor the Good Witch of the North were ever named in the books. Since the WWW and WWE were both killed off in the first book, and the GWN made few appearances in the others, it was no big deal. Glinda, however, had larger roles in several of the books.

See, this is what happens when you read books, and not just watch movies that take great liberties with their source materials.

[jordanz]

I don't see how Wicked was at all for moral relativism. It was quite clear to me, in this version of the story at least, that the Wizard and Glenda and the other "good" witch were the evil and that Elphaba (sp) was good. The people that constantly talked of moral relativity and such were all on the evil side of the line. As for animal rights and such, well, the animals in that play were self-aware and basically human in all but the physical sense, so I don't mind that theme.

Are you talking about the book or the musical? My comments refer to the musical. In the movie Wizard of Oz, the evilness of the Wicked Witch came from her choices/actions. In the musical, Elphaba's choices aren't particularly good or bad. The corresponding thing can be said about Glinda. The Wizard and Madame Morrible are more scheming than evil.

As for animal rights and such, well, the animals in that play were self-aware and basically human in all but the physical sense, so I don't mind that theme.

It was such a thin veneer for multi-culturalism. Didn't it make you sick?