Monday, June 2, 2008

Wicked the Musical (Chicago)

Forget everything you think you know about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz! Wicked is the untold story of everything that was happening in Oz before Dorothy dropped in. It follows the life of intelligent and ambitious Elpheba, who is born green (much to the dismay of her family and peers). Throughout the musical, Elpheba struggles to be accepted, even as she tries hard not to care what anyone thinks. After she enrolls at Shiz (a boarding school), her life seems to take a turn for the better. Away from the glaring disappointment of her father, Elpheba flourishes under the care of kind teachers, and has hopes to one day use her magical talents to join the Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, her social life still leaves something to be desired. That is, until she meets the beautiful and popular Galinda (yes, it is Galinda...she later becomes Glinda), who is everything Elpheba is not. The two form an unlikely friendship, one that will ultimately change both of their destinies forever. The sets, costumes, and production were well worth the cost of the ticket price, and of course the music is wonderfully superb (with songs like Popular, What Is This Feeling?, I'm Not That Girl, and my personal favorite, Defying Gravity). Fans of The Wizard of Oz will love seeing details from the book dropped throughout the plot exposition; such as how the ruby slippers became ruby, why the tin man doesn't have a heart, etc. I also loved the underlying moral issues that Wicked tackles: there are two sides to every story, follow your heart, don't judge a book by it's cover, and it's OK to be yourself.

Wicked is a fantastic theatrical show that will leave you absolutely breathless with delight!

3 comments:

Ann Marie said...

What a good review! It makes me want to see it! Thanks for the doll info! I need to check it out!

Marie said...

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Have you read the book? I'm thinking I might have to. :D

The Cowan's said...

McKaizlee and I really want to go see this... I'm so jelous. My mom has the sound track and McKaizlee has to listen & sing along to it every time we go with grandma. It's pretty funny she's my little actress!!