Wicked

Wicked
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
May 9 - June 3, 2007

I read the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire year ago. I was less than impressed with it. Despite that, the previews I have seen of the musical version looked intriguing and I was looking forward to seeing it.

Wicked is the story of the witches of Oz, years before Dorothy Gale of Kansas met them. Only they are not the one-dimensional as the ones in the 1939 movie. These women are more like us. Glinda is the popular, cheerleader type and Elphaba is the smart, nerdy girl. Naturally, it's hate at first sight. The song "Loathing" demonstrates that perfectly.


The show is full of production numbers, but none better than "Defying Gravity," where Elphaba begins her turn to the character we are familiar with. But no song is more powerful than "For Good," the culmination of the friendship of Elphaba and Glinda.

Despite our preconceptions from The Wizard of Oz, our feelings about these characters change. We realize no one is all good or all wicked. The moral of the story is wicked is perception more than fact. I have no doubt most people will find a character to identify with here. It's a show about relationships and societal pressures, something most of us experience at one time or another.

The music is infectious and personal. The sets fantastic and the characters endearing. It's a powerful message of love and acceptance. But mostly it's about friendship. No wonder Wicked has struck a chord with so many audiences!