Nothing like a hugely successful Broadway play, that sells out for three weeks in Nashville, which I didn’t really care for, to make me seem soooo out of it.
Wicked wasn’t.
I didn’t know much about the play before we saw it Saturday, except that it is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. I heard on one of the Nashville Tee Vee stations that the performances had sold out for three solid weeks. (Even the Saturday afternoon performances, right in the heart of college football season.)
I was shocked. We’ve been season ticket holders for three years, and on Saturday afternoons, the section (Loge R if you must know) is always pretty sparse of patrons.
Walking in Saturday to a packed house was amazing. I was prepared to be blown away by Wicked.
I was.
Once.
At the close of the first act. About a five minute scene with fantastic lighting, outstanding special effects and powerful singing.
BTW: the actor who played Elphaba, one of the leads, for the touring show of Wicked was the same as for the Broadway play. She sure was no slouch in the singing and acting department.
Here’s the deal: it was too much opera for me.
Now, everything I learned from about opera, comes from watching Amadeus a couple dozen times.
Wicked reminded me of Don Giovanni (the guy in the Darth Vader outfit breaks down the brick wall and eventually the flying monkeys take over.)
There were some nice laugh lines throughout Wicked to break the heaviness. But those scenes reminded me of Legally Blonde. (Perky little blonde, in this case Glinda, tosses off cute little laugh lines.)
Wicked is a combination of Legally Blonde and Don Giovanni.
Give credit to the playwright, Winnie Holzman. She did an excellent job of devising a script to explain how the wicked witch became wicked, why there was a Tin Man and flying monkeys, and more. She even does a fun job with Glinda’s name change.
The Nashville critic said
A strong book by Winnie Holzman, beautiful music and lyrics by the great Stephen Schwartz and assured direction by Joe Mantello are mixed with such ingredients as Eugene Lee’s terrific sets, Chic Silber’s astounding special effects and Susan Hilferty’s brilliant costumes. Stir in some top-notch actors, and it’s an intoxicating brew…
I’m sure Evans is righter than me. I used to know Evans Donnell and Evans never lied to me before.
He bs’d me a lot, but never lied.
