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Wicked *WICKED-Music & Lyrics by
Stephen Schwartz. *REVIEWED 11-8-03 Evening Performance. Directed by Joe Mantello Musical Staging by Wayne Cliento Starring Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Carole Shelley, Norbert Leo Butz, Michelle Federer, Christopher Fitzgerald, William Youmans, and Joel Grey.
WICKED After seeing WICKED at the Gershwin Theater, it can be safely said that you will never look at Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West (WWW) in the same "green" light ever again.
WICKED the musical is a lot like the famous yellow brick road that our famous Kansas girl in red ruby slippers and her three sidekicks took on that journey to Oz. At times the musical is spectacular, powerful, glittery, gorgeous, and grand. But then get ready for some major potholes, speed bumps, and road kill that lies ahead on this very same path.
WICKED is based on Gregory Maguire's bestseller book that shows us what happened before Dorothy dropped some Kansas real estate on a Witch. The book dealt deeply into social economics , religion, racism, politics, and darker issues of those relationships within Oz. Winnie Holzman's book for the musical only takes portions of Maguire's book and creates new situations and plots to hopefully streamline the book's meaning. The end result is a mingled bag. WICKED on stage begins with the death of WWW, who we find is named "Elphaba" (Idina Menzel). But then we are thrusted back to see her birth (keep your eyes open, clues are thrown at you right and left in this montage-it ties up the loose ends at the end of Act Two). The baby is born with skin that looks like granny smith apple green.
We learn that Elphaba has a sister named "Nessarose" (Michelle Federer), who is wheelchair bound. Then the musical hauls its audience quickly to both girls now about to begin college at Shish University. Here is when Ephie meets her dorm roommate, the glitzy, ditsy, blonde tresses Galinda (Kristen Chenoweth). There is a running joke on why she calls herself "Galinda" and not "Glinda". From this point there is a battle of authority, love triangles, a war against animals that speak, and racism thrown all over the place within this lopsided book.
Holzman's book scores superbly when it stays primarily focused on Elphaba. The musical here reaches intense emotion and scope with raw, powerful honesty. We see a girl of a different color trying so hard to fit in. The layers of subtext here are endless. There are book scenes that rip at the very fabric of racial tension within society that-as a person of color myself-leaves your face tear streaked.
The musical's book also brilliantly reveals to us the reason why we have a Tin Man, a lion, and a scarecrow in Oz. Holzman's book also keeps the color of the slippers the same color as that of Mr. Baum's THE WIZARD OF OZ, that of silver. It's only in the film where it was changed to red ruby slippers. Why? The film's creators thought the cameras picked up the red much better on film than silver. It is revealed on stage why the slippers meant so much to the WWW, and it is heartbreaking to say the least when you find the "real" reason why.
But its that second act where the book becomes extremely confusing and at times frustrating. There are two time lines happening at once. One is what is actuality happening to all our principal characters on stage, and the other is the actual 1939 MGM film itself. There are situations and subplots that occur on stage that simply do not fit with what happened at that exact same time as it did in the film. I know we're not supposed to compare the two, but when they bring into the stage production those very situations from the film, you cannot help but try to match both stage and film versions and their timelines.
The somewhat lethargic score by Stephen Schwartz only enhances the book's flaws. This composer has brought us GODSPELL & PIPPIN, but even those scores contain songs that sounded flat and lifeless. WICKED's score has the same problematic themes as Schwartz's previous scores. Some of Schwartz's penned songs for WICKED are fantastic and lyrical, but others crash and burn.
The strongest songs are actually the ones assigned to the leading ladies. Here's where the music achieves glorious success. Such songs as "What Is This Feeling?", "Something Bad", "Popular", "I'm Not That Girl", "Defying Gravity", "No Good Deed", and "For Good". A majority of these songs are power ballads, but they are crafted beautifully. Sadly a lot of the other songs have no substance, purpose, or any real sense of character inner dialogue, subtext, purpose, or even plot driven. I honestly cannot remember one ensemble number that was truly hummable.
But Schwartz not only fails the ensemble, he also fails the principal men. The songs for our leading men are written in a haphazard fashion. But Joel Grey's one solo "Mr. Wonderful" is deplorable to say the least.
Holzman wrote a deeply moving book scene between Grey's "Wizard" and Menzel's "Ephie" in Act Two, where this song takes place. Both actors are tearing into the organic pain of the scene, with the end result both riveting and dramatic. Then out of nowhere, Grey goes into this horrific up-tempo solo, "Mr. Wonderful".
Grey played Amos Hart in the revival of CHICAGO, so this song in WICKED resembles "Mr. Cellophane" way too much. Schwartz even wrote some jazz flavored riffs, as to add salt to injury!
Its almost as the creators went, "oh oh, we need a song for Mr. Grey, he did win a Tony and an Oscar after all". But the end result is a ghastly solo that kills the dramatic emotion that was being achieved before.
Then there is Wayne Cliento's god-awful choreography. This has got to be the worst choreography ever created for a Broadway musical. The dancers gyrate and spasm out with these erratic hand/arm movements that you wonder if the dancers were on crack or crystal meth. The choreography never looks clean, smooth, polished, or even in unison. Cliento's dance creations become a major distraction of the evening, to the point that you wished the house dropped on Cliento instead on the Wicked Witch.
However, we thank the great and powerful Oz for Eugene Lee's sets, Susan Hiferty's costumes, Kenneth Posner's lighting, Chic Silber's special effects, and the flying sequences provided by Paul Rubin/ZFX inc.
The elephantine Gershwin Theater is overflowing (literally) with Lee's scenic design. The proscenium has multii-levels, tree branches, and lamps extending out like two large arms reaching out into the audience. Above the audience is a silver steel dragon with red eyes that actually moves and spews out smoke. Lee has created massive towers (with revolving metal wheels) that slide in and out. This gives Oz a slick, machine like world. Images of that classic film, METROPOLIS comes into view here. Lee also creates everything from a massive Gold head for the great Oz, to a lush poppy field with a bridge floating about the stage. There's even Dorothy's house and many other splendid creations. The sets are just breath taking. Hiferty's has designed some of the most sumptuous, eye popping, elaborate, opulent costumes ever created for a Broadway musical. You thought THE LION KING, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, AIDA, or LA CAGE AUX FOLLIES had over the top costume designs? Wait till you see what is on stage at WICKED!
Hiferty designed costumes for the citizens of Oz and Emerald City, for the flying monkeys, and a ballroom scene that is jaw dropping! Hiferty has many other confections that are an extravaganza of design.
But you need to sit pretty close to see the detail on these costumes. Such as the gorgeous beading on Galinda's "bubble" gown, or the yellow gold bricks on Fiyero's General coat. Or the incredible detail to Elphaba's black crepe gown with its sweeping train. It has faint hints of green and purple. Honestly, these costumes are exquisite. The special effects have everything from monkeys flying over the audience, to a spinning broom, and Elphaba's descent into the sky that had the audience gasping.
Carole Shelley is "Madame Morrible", the head mistress of the college, who later becomes press secretary to the Wizard. Sadly the character has no major solo whatsoever. But Shelley nonetheless gives the black-hearted character the right dose of nefarious villain. Joel Grey is decent as the Great Wizard of Oz. While the actor does not have much to do, he does with what he has well.
Norbert Leo Butz tries to make something happen out of the poorly book written character that he has been assigned to. That of a rich, spoiled prince who falls for our two leading gals. Butz is wounded more by not being given a solid song to work with either. However he still is charming in the production and his chemistry with Menzel is magnetic.
Christopher Fitzgerald as "Boq" is completely miscast. The actor simply is not believable as the munchkin who is love with Glinda, but instead is tricked into taking care of Nessarose. Michelle Federer is amazing as Menzel's sister, "Nessarose". The actress has some substantial scene work that is explored with raw, organic honesty in dealing with love not reciprocated and her sister's authority. Both she and Menzel play off each other beautifully.
Kristen Chenoweth's Glinda is a cornucopia of Betty Boop, Jean Harlow, Madonna, Evita, Britney Spears, Carole Lombard, and Lucille Ball-all rolled into this one, pixie size of a gal!
Chenoweth's impeccable comic timing, pace, facial expressions, and energy are all displayed in uproarious splendor. This girl knows how to milk a laugh, down to the very last drop.
The tiny glittered gal has a hysterical solo called "Popular" that just brings the house down. A song sung to Menzel about being pretty and superficial. It's a laugh fest of a number.
But Chenoweth displays from beneath the billowing, powder blue, be- jeweled gown a genuine, deeply moving performance as well. In the second act where Glinda's dramatic arch takes different emotions, Chenoweth brings forth organic pain to the character. She displays here a dramatic range that I don't think she's had the opportunity to display before in previous roles on Broadway. It is both haunting and emotional all at once. Chenoweth delivers a first rate, imposing performance that will earn her a second Tony nomination for sure.
But the star of the of the evening comes from the majestic, sublime, first class performance of Idina Menzel.
Having observed Menzel back in 1996 on Broadway in RENT, it is just amazing to see how much she has grown both a singer and an actress. Right now she is the one to beat for the Tony for BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL.
Menzel brings compassion, empathy, and dignity to "Elphaba". She gives the character's subtext brilliant range and scope. Menzel goes from shy, quiet, internal bookworm to a sanguine woman in love, to finally a ferocious leader for people of color and talking animals. Menzel simply devours the searing pain and betrayal towards her character with such blinding force of dramatic intensity that it will break your heart.
But then there's her fantastic singing voice! This raven haired beauty belts with such commanding force that her voice actually bounces to the very back of the massive Gershwin theater! Menzel has some ravishing ballads to sing. Some personal favorites include "What Is This Feeling?", "I'm Not That Girl", "No Good Deed", and the tour de force Act One Finale, "Defying Gravity".
Menzel and Chenoweth have the best scene work and chemistry of the evening. Both women play off each other like true sisters and best friends. Their journey from dorm roommates who hate each other, to women fighting for the same man, to two women who must live up to their pre-destined roles in life is astonishing to watch unfold on stage.
But it's that final scene with their duet, "For Good" that had this critic sobbing.
It is not fair to reveal what happens here, but watching these two actresses peel the gloss of their characterizations to reveal scorching pain and loss cannot be described here. This scene alone is just vivid, intense, and tragically mournful.
I could see from my seat constant tears flow from both Menzel and Chenoweth's eyes as this scene developed to its crushing conclusion. Needless to say I was a mess by the end of this transcendent scene. Both Menzel and Chenoweth are the true reasons why WICKED works superbly. They are the glue and machinery that makes the musical fly, and are able to make us forgive its glaring flaws.
However the curtain call I feel is very wrong here. It makes no logical sense why Chenoweth comes out to take her curtain bows at the same time Menzel does. Both women come from upstage and take their bows together. You could honestly feel the audience shift into confusion at this bizarre curtain call. Menzel is the true lead and primary focus of the production. Chenoweth is more of a supporting character.
Remember that the actual book stays focused on "Elphaba", and from what I read the original workshops of WICKED had the same theory. But once Chenoweth came onboard, the role of "Glinda" was expanded to make her more evenly with "Elphaba". Which many critics and fans of the book felt is why the musical's focus is lost and uneven.
I'm not at all blaming Chenoweth for this. But the musical still stays more on Elphie's arch than Glinda's. It is very wrong for both take a curtain call, it should be Chenoweth, and then Menzel. Oddly enough, this was much the discussion afterwards with people exiting the theater.
That being said, WICKED still is a musical that is so very much worth seeing. I know for a fact that what is designed and created for the Broadway version will not tour at all, as it is. I am sure future productions will tone down the scope and design for the road. So to see it in all its gorgeous beauty, hitch a ride from a flying monkey and get to the Gershwin now!
Cause you have two performances that will stay in your heart and soul long after you have left Oz and the yellow brick road.
RATING: Menzel & Chenoweth:A+ Musical overall: B- |
