First, the production itself. Broadway Across America is fairly consistently good and this production of Wicked surely surpasses even some of their greatest productions in Utah (a recent review of Broadway Across America's production of War Horse can be found here). Wicked boasts a lavish and creative set design by Eugene Lee (consisting of a clock theme that isn't clearly explained in the show) and very dynamic lighting by Kenneth Posner.
The cast was nothing short of stellar. All performances were quite strong, but the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, played by Emma Hunton and Gina Beck respectively were of particular note. Beck gave depth and meaning to a role that can easily fall into the trap of "ditzy" and one-dimensional. Though her singing was a bit labored at times, her sound conveyed the role hearkening to the sing-song style of famous 1939 film version of her character. Really stealing the show was Emma Hunton however. From her subtle entrance onto the stage (as subtle as a full applause on the appearance of the beloved character could be) she commanded the room displaying her incredible vocal range and color. In a scene with only these two characters, Glinda sings to Elphaba about the keys to being a "Popular" girl at school. Beck and Hunton's chemistry was vibrant as their singing and acting skills were showcased. They were hilarious and charming, without resorting to "schtick" or other cheap tricks; they were convincingly sincere.
Without a doubt, the greatest moment of the entire show was Hunton's performance of "Defying Gravity" at the end of the second act. This song is by far the best of the entire show and Hunton's rendition was nothing short of spectacular. Everything in the first act (and I'll even say the second act as well) leads to this moment. All the elements of this show come together in a dazzling song that exceeds the sum of its parts: lighting, song-writing, story, effects, and especially performance. Hunton really pulled out all the stops and few actors could have such an effect on their audience like she did. Not enough can be said about this remarkable performance.
Disclaimer: if you are a huge fan of this show, and have a difficult time with someone discussing criticisms of it, I suggest you stop reading about now.
First I must say, that with immensely popular shows like Wicked, Frozen, and The Hunger Games, I think it's safe to say that audiences have no problem with female protagonists and even love them! These all have strong female representation, stories about women, for all. They are extremely interesting characters with interesting stories and I hope to see more and more of them. Even with its failings, the greatest things about Wicked are the characters of Elphaba and Glinda and their relationship. Almost nothing else matters as these two personalities carry the show alone.
As I watched this show, my first reaction was "Is this a story that needs to be told?" I couldn't help but compare it to the the Star Wars prequels, about how Darth Vader became so evil. Do we really even care? The Wicked Witch of the West is pure evil, and that's why we love her. Giving her a back-story seemed to dilute the original character we've grown to love and was completely unnecessary. I realize that this is not supposed to be directly related to the film version, or even the Frank L. Baum stories, but the reality is that it is related! Wicked is inspired by the originals and they can't help but to constantly reference them, sometimes bizarrely specifically, which ended up being little more than a gimmick.
Ever since American musical theater existed, it has taken on themes of racism, and Wicked continues this tradition. Whether it's Elphaba's green skin, or a bizarre subplot involving the devolution of animals, it tackles this difficult subject in the most vapid ways. A more difficult discussion about Elphaba's "daddy-issues" (not to make light of it, just speaking colloquially) would have made a more interesting plot device for her decent into evil and her rise to power. Both of which are hardly addressed as the plot is overly concerned with making her a sympathetic character. A well-written character can be both evil and sympathetic. Even Darth Vadar was completely evil, but by his death, we were emotionally attached: same could go for Elphaba, she could descend into power and evil, with a quick glimmer of the woman she used to be, and remain very interesting and very sympathetic, and even very relatable.
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| Gina Beck and Emma Hunton |
One huge problem with the show is it's irregular pacing and tone. It seems like the characters are always singing about nothing (more on the music later), or talking about something that has already happened. Very little action seems to happen on stage in front of the audiences eyes. This leads to scenes where too much is happening too quickly or to scenes that are so stagnant that one could take a quick nap and not miss a moment of story. The show also couldn't seem to make up it's mind on tone. While the first half is definitely not as dark as the second, composer Stephen Schwartz can't help but throw in an oddly placed soft-shoe number in it's darkest moments. I understand trying to not let the mood get too dark, but this delicate balancing act is drastically mishandled as the mood is juggled so furiously that the audience is completely disoriented.
Finally, the music must be addressed. Entering the theater knowing three of the songs from the show ("Popular," "For Good," and "Defying Gravity") I was looking forward to the music, as I think these are all really good songs. I now know why I haven't heard any other song from this show before. The songs are all forgettable at best, and sometimes downright terrible at worst ("Dancing Through Life"). Schwartz could use a lesson from Oscar Hammerstein in allowing the music to be a vehicle for the action, because as soon as a song starts, the plot sits and stays. Nothing happens and with such uninspired songs, something more has to occur or else we are just waiting for the song to end so we can get back to the show. Schwartz does not have a knack for writing lyrics either, even in the better songs. Unfortunately with such interesting and complex characters, the music does not mirror this, resorting to popular music and theater tropes rather than new and exciting depth.
In the end, I do not regret seeing this show, however I firmly believe it does not deserve the accolades most audiences give it. If I knew nothing about this show and just saw it I would have said "That is a very promising first draft! Trim the fat and do some revisions and I think there is a future hit on your hands!" to the producer. Wicked is a bit of a sloppy mess and if it weren't for some fine performances and exquisite set and lighting design, I fear it would fall flat.
I leave you with this which I always keep in mind: Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's good. Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's bad either. This is my mantra.
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