Wicked Good
Ho My God was this show phenomenal!
The number right before the intermission was one of the finest numbers I’ve ever seen on stage.
Simply awesome.
Update below the fold
Whew. Ookay, where to begin? The set is very cool; the walls are all covered with interlocking wooden gears and cogs and then to the outside of that is this wild growth of vines and ivy. Centered above all of it is this large dragon that moves. Very neat.
The show starts with the announced death of the Wicked Witch of the West and the munchkins asking Glinda where she came from, and Glinda has to uncomfortably admit that they where friends at one point. So the whole “Wizard of Oz” tale that we are familiar with is intertwined through this show, but viewed in a different way. It’s very well done and often very humorous (and based on a question my bride had I checked this morning and found that all of the works of L Frank Baum are in the public domain now) in a twisted way. I won’t give any more of the plot away, other than to say it is focused on the development Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glinda.
And boy does the show appeal to its target demographic: the audience was packed with teenage girls, 11 to 18.
Cast notes:
Eden Espinosa (Elphaba) is great. She has a fantastic voice with a lot of oomph in the lower end and can really belt out some of the songs with out noticeable strain, and despite being, well, green, she is able to convey a lot of emotion and thought. And does she have Margaret Hamilton down cold. I tell you, when she cackled I wanted to buy some Maxwell House…
My only complaint, and my daughter noticed this too, so it’s not just me, ok?, is that when she sings she has a very unattractive mouth. The way she forms her lips is is just unpleasant and distracting at times frankly. A great voice, a great actress. Fix the mouth.
Megan Hilty (Glinda) is great as well. Fantastic voice, and plays the blond part to a ‘t.’ She develops her character very well during the show, and even though she’s set up as the character to dislike you end up liking her alot. She plays the slapstick aspects of her role perfectly.
Carol Kane and Ben Vereen were frankly disappointing. Kane seemed to be trying to play Maggie Smith, and she just doesn’t pull it off. Oh she’s not awful, just..bland, really. Ben’s problem partially stems from his part, as there’s not a lot of depth to his character, but he too is just sort of …eh. Neither of them detract at all from the show, but you don’t come away with any special memories of their performances either.
But I would go see it again in a flash. A very enjoyable show, and the sets and effects are wonderful.
Media | Mr. Bingley | 
March 19, 2006 10:18 pm
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::sigh::
My GF has seen the show – but I think she’d like to go again.
All the folks I know who saw it loved it. THS, come up for a show and a few ball games.
Sis is not able to travel more than a 50 mile radius from Banglacola, Cruella. You know that. Something to do with the anklebracelets and Martha Stewart.
I rapidly develop a phobia thanks to the service of my country and get to spend the rest of my life being mocked by those I love.
Oh, the humanity.