Reviews: Wicked
"Only bad witches are ugly." said Glinda the good Witch of the North in the 1939 musical The Wizard of Oz. But the 2003 Wicked Broadway musical is totally different. This show is based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is also a re-imagining of Frank L. Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.I have been waiting since '05 to see this show on Broadway but wasn't able to because all the tickets were sold out! Luckily, my mom managed to grab two tickets for yesterday nights show for under 50 USD each! It was totally worth it! I love the show! It was funny and gave a pretty good insight on why the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, became wicked.
I think I came twice to shedding a few tears through the show since my heart went out to Elphaba, who was once a misunderstood girl and shunned because of her green skin. It was also explained why she had green skin at the start of Act 1.
The plot pretty much centered on Elphaba and Galinda the Good (the Good Witch of the North), who were roomies in Shiz University. Incidentally, it was Galinda (who later changed her name to Glinda) who gave Elphaba her black pointy hat and they became friends while also becoming rivals for Fiyero's love. I loved the way they portrayed Glinda, a stuck up, self-centered, seemingly spoiled, rich girl who wanted to study magic. The Wicked Witch of the East was Elphaba's sister Nessarose who opressed the Munchkins because she was obsessed with Boq (later became the Tin Man), who was in love with Galinda. This witch was killed in Act 2 because a house fell on top of her (now, doesn't that sound familiar?).
Act 2 ended with a happy ending for the Wicked Witch, by the way. Of course, after being doused in water by Dorothy, she was presumed dead. The joke was on the people of Oz since it was all an elaborate set-up by Fiyero (who became the Scarecrow) and Elphaba.
The plot pretty much centered on Elphaba and Galinda the Good (the Good Witch of the North), who were roomies in Shiz University. Incidentally, it was Galinda (who later changed her name to Glinda) who gave Elphaba her black pointy hat and they became friends while also becoming rivals for Fiyero's love. I loved the way they portrayed Glinda, a stuck up, self-centered, seemingly spoiled, rich girl who wanted to study magic. The Wicked Witch of the East was Elphaba's sister Nessarose who opressed the Munchkins because she was obsessed with Boq (later became the Tin Man), who was in love with Galinda. This witch was killed in Act 2 because a house fell on top of her (now, doesn't that sound familiar?).
Act 2 ended with a happy ending for the Wicked Witch, by the way. Of course, after being doused in water by Dorothy, she was presumed dead. The joke was on the people of Oz since it was all an elaborate set-up by Fiyero (who became the Scarecrow) and Elphaba.
Wicked in Pictures
At Universal City (2 stops away from Hollywood & Vine)
At Hollywood & Vine
Hollywood and Vine, the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, became famous in the 1920s for its concentration of radio and movie-related businesses. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is centered on the intersection.
At the Pantages Theater, Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, California
The Pantages Theatre, formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, is located at Hollywood and Vine (6233 Hollywood Boulevard), Hollywood, California in the United States of America. Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca, it was the last theatre built for the impresario Alexander Pantages. The palatial Art Deco theatre opened on June 4th, 1930, as part of the Pantages Theatre Circuit.
In the train back to Universal City.
The Metro Red Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a heavy rail rapid transit line in Los Angeles. It is one of Los Angeles' two rapid transit lines (along with the Metro Purple Line), and also the busiest of the five Metro Rail lines (the other three are light rail, largely surface lines). Unlike LACMTA's other rail lines, the Red-Purple Line subway tunnels run entirely within the city of Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take pics inside the theater because it wasn't allowed. Anyway, I'm leaving you with my favorite song from Wicked, Defying Gravity. Pics also posted on Multiply.
Details
Music Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics Stephen Schwartz
Book Winnie Holzman
Based upon Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked
Awards
Drama Desk Outstanding Musical
Drama Desk Outstanding Book
Drama Desk Outstanding Lyrics
Grammy for Best Cast Album
Wikipedia