The Other Side of the Rainbow: Wicked
By Noël Norcross – July 1, 2011
We all know the story of Dorothy, her ruby slippers, and the yellow brick road, right? A tornado somewhere in Kansas whips a young girl in pigtails (and her little dog too) into a fantastical Technicolor world with cackling witches, singing Munchkins, and an all-knowing wizard. In the end, everyone wins: the lion gets his courage, the scarecrow gets a brain, the tin man gets a heart, and Dorothy gets back home. Well, that’s the story according to the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz,which was based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
However, as we also know, there’s often another side to the story in which the villain may actually be a victim or even hero. In 1995, Gregory Maguire decided to add a few more chapters to the Oz story by publishing Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s book offers the villainess’ perspective and explains why she may have gotten a bad rap.
A few years later, Maguire’s novel also made the leap into the musical genre, this time with the help of Winnie Holzman who rewrote the book for the stage and Stephan Schwartz who crafted the music and lyrics. Despite initially mixed critical reviews, audiences embraced the show, and Wicked the stage musical has since broken box office records around the world. Perhaps what makes the story most intriguing is the perspective of an outsider, someone that’s a little different (Elphaba’s skin is green), who is faced with a difficult choice and decides to allow herself to be vilified and in order to do what she believes is right.
After premiering in San Francisco in May 2003, the show moved to Broadway in October of the same year. Since then, it has been produced on international stages from London to Tokyo and toured in over thirty cities across North America. In 2004, it was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won three including Best Actress for Idina Menzel who first played Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West). Kristin Chenowith also received accolades for her performance as G(a)linda (the Good Witch of the North). Some fans argue that the original female leads, who won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Onstage Pair, were and will remain the heart of the show. Unfortunately, they have gone on to other work. Although you may not able to see them in Wicked, you can hear both of them on the soundtrack, which is wonderful on its own, but twice as powerful once you’ve seen the show.
Don’t see Wicked expecting to learn much more about Dorothy and Toto. While there are references to the plotline of the Wizard of Oz throughout the musical that elicit laughter and nods from the audience, it’s all of the “blanks” that get filled in, including the histories of the tin man and the scarecrow and the origin of the ruby slippers, that make the story new and entertaining.
What makes it compelling on a human level is that like its predecessors, Wicked is still a story of friendship. However, in this case, it’s not the camaraderie that develops between Dorothy and three characters each seeking something personal, but rather the bond between two women. Elphaba and Galinda (who eventually shortens her name to Glinda) start off as likely enemies, but forge a lifelong friendship despite the different paths that have brought them together and that they will take in the future. Wicked also appeals to adults in that it has a love story that’s absent from the children’s novel as well as some social commentary in terms of how easily the public can be swayed by the media. In the end, we are reminded that if the Wizard of Oz is smoke and mirrors, it’s possible that there are other characters that aren’t what they seem either.
If you have the opportunity to see Wicked, it’s definitely worth the ticket price. Currently, it’s playing in New York and and touring throughout the US. It’s also in London (UK), Japan, Germany, and Australia. If you’re interested in learning more or hearing some of the songs, check out the website: www.wickedthemusical.com. Two fine actresses, Dee Roscioli and Erin Mackey, are currently making their Broadways debuts as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
At the moment, the New York show is open-ended, meaning there’s no scheduled closing date, and tickets are being sold throughout the year. There are evening and matinees performances.
Like many shows, Wicked has a ticket lottery (see the FAQs). Each day, 2½ hours before the show, you can put your name in a “hat.” Thirty minutes later, they’ll announce the winners of 26 front row tickets for $26.25. Although your chances of winning the lottery depend on the number of people that show up and may seem dismal when you see the crowd waiting around at the box office, it’s definitely a great way to see the show. Your author was the winner of lottery tickets a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed a performance with Shoshana Bean as Elphaba. Once you’ve got your ticket, sit back and enjoy seeing a familiar story for the first time.
By Noël Norcross – July 1, 2011
We all know the story of Dorothy, her ruby slippers, and the yellow brick road, right? A tornado somewhere in Kansas whips a young girl in pigtails (and her little dog too) into a fantastical Technicolor world with cackling witches, singing Munchkins, and an all-knowing wizard. In the end, everyone wins: the lion gets his courage, the scarecrow gets a brain, the tin man gets a heart, and Dorothy gets back home. Well, that’s the story according to the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz,which was based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
However, as we also know, there’s often another side to the story in which the villain may actually be a victim or even hero. In 1995, Gregory Maguire decided to add a few more chapters to the Oz story by publishing Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s book offers the villainess’ perspective and explains why she may have gotten a bad rap.
A few years later, Maguire’s novel also made the leap into the musical genre, this time with the help of Winnie Holzman who rewrote the book for the stage and Stephan Schwartz who crafted the music and lyrics. Despite initially mixed critical reviews, audiences embraced the show, and Wicked the stage musical has since broken box office records around the world. Perhaps what makes the story most intriguing is the perspective of an outsider, someone that’s a little different (Elphaba’s skin is green), who is faced with a difficult choice and decides to allow herself to be vilified and in order to do what she believes is right.
After premiering in San Francisco in May 2003, the show moved to Broadway in October of the same year. Since then, it has been produced on international stages from London to Tokyo and toured in over thirty cities across North America. In 2004, it was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won three including Best Actress for Idina Menzel who first played Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West). Kristin Chenowith also received accolades for her performance as G(a)linda (the Good Witch of the North). Some fans argue that the original female leads, who won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Onstage Pair, were and will remain the heart of the show. Unfortunately, they have gone on to other work. Although you may not able to see them in Wicked, you can hear both of them on the soundtrack, which is wonderful on its own, but twice as powerful once you’ve seen the show.
Don’t see Wicked expecting to learn much more about Dorothy and Toto. While there are references to the plotline of the Wizard of Oz throughout the musical that elicit laughter and nods from the audience, it’s all of the “blanks” that get filled in, including the histories of the tin man and the scarecrow and the origin of the ruby slippers, that make the story new and entertaining.
What makes it compelling on a human level is that like its predecessors, Wicked is still a story of friendship. However, in this case, it’s not the camaraderie that develops between Dorothy and three characters each seeking something personal, but rather the bond between two women. Elphaba and Galinda (who eventually shortens her name to Glinda) start off as likely enemies, but forge a lifelong friendship despite the different paths that have brought them together and that they will take in the future. Wicked also appeals to adults in that it has a love story that’s absent from the children’s novel as well as some social commentary in terms of how easily the public can be swayed by the media. In the end, we are reminded that if the Wizard of Oz is smoke and mirrors, it’s possible that there are other characters that aren’t what they seem either.
If you have the opportunity to see Wicked, it’s definitely worth the ticket price. Currently, it’s playing in New York and and touring throughout the US. It’s also in London (UK), Japan, Germany, and Australia. If you’re interested in learning more or hearing some of the songs, check out the website: www.wickedthemusical.com. Two fine actresses, Dee Roscioli and Erin Mackey, are currently making their Broadways debuts as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
At the moment, the New York show is open-ended, meaning there’s no scheduled closing date, and tickets are being sold throughout the year. There are evening and matinees performances.
Like many shows, Wicked has a ticket lottery (see the FAQs). Each day, 2½ hours before the show, you can put your name in a “hat.” Thirty minutes later, they’ll announce the winners of 26 front row tickets for $26.25. Although your chances of winning the lottery depend on the number of people that show up and may seem dismal when you see the crowd waiting around at the box office, it’s definitely a great way to see the show. Your author was the winner of lottery tickets a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed a performance with Shoshana Bean as Elphaba. Once you’ve got your ticket, sit back and enjoy seeing a familiar story for the first time.