Wicked is not just a musical, it's an international phenomenon. Ten years after it opened on Broadway, it continues to sell out both on Broadway and on tour, and is number 11 (and climbing) on the list of longest running Broadway musicals. It has spectacular sets, fantastical costumes, and a huge moving dragon above the stage. But as many musicals have demonstrated, a big flashy production does not make for a great musical. The truly wonderful thing about Wicked is that in addition to all of the hoopla, it's a really great piece of theater. The Stephen Schwartz score is fantastic, with clever lyrics and endlessly singable tunes, the story is inspirational, and the characters are relatable; it's both showy and satisfying. I've seen it four times now, and listened to the score hundreds of times, and it never fails to move me. Several moments in the show are guaranteed to give me chills and bring tears to my eyes (namely, when Elphaba first takes flight in "Defying Gravity," and when she and Glinda sing about their friendship in "For Good"). Whether it's your first time seeing it or your 100th, Wicked is an unforgettable experience. In short, it's a nearly perfect musical.
The National Tour of Wicked is stopping at the beautiful and historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis for a six-week run through the end of October. In case you've been living under a musical theater rock for the last ten years, here's a brief plot summary. Wicked is based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire, which is a re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. In this new mythology, before Dorothy and her house land in Oz, Glinda the good witch and Elphaba the wicked witch are two young women who find themselves roommates at school and become unlikely friends and allies. All is not right in the land of Oz; human-like Animals are seeing their rights and voices taken away. Elphaba discovers that the Wizard is behind all of this, and becomes a fugitive as she works against him to free the Animals. Glinda is seemingly on the Wizard's side, but the two never lose their connection, despite both loving the same man. The romance is compelling but it is refreshingly not the focus of the show; Wicked is really about the friendship between these two very different women and each of them discovering who they are, and helping each other in that discovery ("Because I knew you, I have been changed for good"). Anyone who's ever felt like an outcast in any situation can relate to Elphaba; she's a wonderful inspiration, especially for girls to grow up as strong women ("I'm through accepting limits, 'cause someone says they're so. Some things I cannot change but 'til I try I'll never know"). Wicked explores the ideas of good and wicked ("are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?") and the fact that in real life (and sometimes in musicals) it's never as simple as good and wicked, there's a lot of room in between where most of us live. Like Fiyero, Wicked is much deeper than its beautiful exterior might imply.
Alison Luff and Jenn Gambatese as the
unlikely best friends
The original Broadway cast is a tough act to follow (including Idina Menzel, who won a Tony for playing Elphaba, Kristin Chenowith, Norbert Leo Butz, and Joel Grey), but this cast does a phenomenal job of living up to the standards they set. Alison Luff is the star of the show as Elphaba, with a powerful voice and a believable transition from green misfit to political-activist-slash-wicked-witch. Jenn Gambatese is perfectly Glinda-like, which is delightfully bubbly but with a bit more depth as she discovers that getting your dreams is a little more complicated than it seems. Curt Hansen (from the first national tour of Next to Normal) is an appealing Fiyero who understandably makes all the girls fall for him. A couple of TV stars shine on the stage. Guiding Light's Kim Zimmer is enthusiastically evil as Madame Morrible, and '80s game show host John Davidson (who still has that gorgeous head of hair, now turned white) is a charmer as the Wizard who isn't what he seems, providing much of the biting social commentary ("there are precious few at ease with moral ambiguities, so we act as though they don't exist"). Supporting them is a huge ensemble of talented singer/dancer/actors who embody everyone from the green-clad citizens of Oz to flying monkeys.
As I mentioned, the sets and costumes are incredible. From the school uniforms at dear old Shiz, to the black and white party outfits (men in skirts!), to the circus-like green-hued wardrobe in the Emerald City, the costumes (by Susan Hilferty, who won a Tony for her work) just keep getting better throughout the show. The more spectacular elements of the set (by Eugene Lee, another Tony-winner) include the aforementioned dragon (who doesn't really figure into the plot, but looks cool), a bubble transport device for Glinda, and the huge talking wizard head. A clockwork motif runs through many of the sets, as if you're in the inner workings of some huge machine.
Wicked features over the top sets and costumes, but it has a fantastic score and great story and characters to back it up. The production doesn't overwhelm the content, but enhances it. It's that rare musical in which all of the different artistic pieces come together to form a wholly satisfying theatrical experience. Unfortunately it's the most expensive theater ticket it town, which makes it inaccessible for some people. But if you can afford it, it's worth the money. (Or try your luck for $25 tickets in the daily lottery.) Unlike the first time it came to town seven years ago, it is not completely sold out, although weekend tickets are scarce. Visit Hennepin Theatre Trust's page to find more info about how to get your ticket to this wonderful world of Oz.
I first saw Next to Normal two years ago on Broadway, shortly after it opened. I went into the show knowing next to nothing about it, other than it was getting some good buzz, and it was about a family dealing with mental illness. That's unusual for me; I usually know something about the show I'm seeing and sometimes even get the soundtrack before I see the show. But this was the perfect way to see Next to Normal. I was completely blown away by it. It's really unlike any other musical I've seen. It's not just the subject matter that makes it unique, but also the small cast (just six actors), modern and affective set, and driving rock score. It never lets up; you go on a journey with this family and end up emotionally exhausted. I saw it again on Broadway last year, which is also unusual. I typically don't spend two precious NYC days on the same show! But Next to Normal is worth it. The show closed on Broadway in January and is now touring across the country, with a stop at St. Paul's Ordway Center this month. This is the third time I've seen it, and Alice Ripley has starred in the show each time. She only gets better each time I see her, and settles more comfortably into Diana's skin. (Although there's really nothing comfortable about Diana or this show.) She owns this role and we're so lucky she's traveling across the country sharing it with us all!
I don't want to say too much in case you have yet to see the show (tickets still available through this weekend!); it's best not to know too much going into it. The basic story is this: Diana and her husband Dan married young and started a family. They suffered a great tragedy that triggered Diana's bipolar disorder, which she's been dealing with for years. Everyone in the family suffers in their own way. Dan has to be the strong one as Diana falls apart, and therefore never gets the chance to deal with his own feelings about what happened. Their children, Gabe and Natalie, live in the shadow of the tragedy and are trying to deal with it on top of the normal problems that come with adolescence. Natalie's afraid that she'll follow in her mother's footsteps, and Diana's unable to be the mother that she wants to be. Diana hits rock bottom and undergoes ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), aka shock therapy. It erases her memories, both the good and the bad, and she struggles to get her life and family back.
As I mentioned earlier, Alice Ripley is brilliant as Diana, and the Tony voters agree with me; she won the Tony in 2009. (As they say in [title of show], she's fierce!) And she has a strong cast around her, including understudies Jason Watson as Dan and Caitlin Kinnunen as Natalie. I would imagine that with such a vocally intense show and small cast, understudies go on often. It's a seamless exchange; they're so comfortable in their roles and with the cast that you'd never know they didn't perform every night. Completing the family is Curt Hansen as Gabe, who gives an electric performance. Rounding out the cast are Preston Sadleir as Natalie's on again off again boyfriend Henry, who tries to help her move beyond the issues of her family, and Jeremy Kushnier as Diana's doctor, who in her hallucinations is sometimes her dance partner and sometimes a rock star.
The simple and modern set consists of three levels that represent the family's house, or maybe levels of consciousness. It's a really inventive use of space; the actors run up and down the stairs and sing from the different levels. The awesome band is scattered on either side of the top two levels. The colors are cold and jarring; it's not a warm fuzzy home.
Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics) won the Tony for best score, and I couldn't agree more. It's one of my favorite and most played musical soundtracks (and I have a lot of musical soundtracks). There isn't a whole lot of talking between the songs, which really drive the story forward and convey the emotions of the characters in a way mere words cannot. It's at times angry, mournful, beautiful, funny, sad, resigned, gorgeously melodic, and fiercely staccato. Just like the emotions the characters are going through. My favorite song is "I'm Alive" sung by Gabe in the first act, but there are too many amazing songs to mention. With such a small cast you can really hear the precise harmonies; the voices of the cast blend beautifully together, whether it's two, three, four, or all six of them.
This is not a show for the faint of heart. It'll bring up emotions in you that you didn't know you had. Even if your life hasn't been touched by mental illness, there's likely something in the dysfunctional but loving Goodman family that you can relate to. I saw the show with two good friends of mine last year and they got into a seriously intense argument that spilled out onto the streets of New York City after the show. It's that kind of show. And that's why I love it. It's everything that I want musical theater to be: smart, funny, original, relevant, and emotional. It makes you feel something.
I saw the show on a Wednesday night, which is when the Ordway frequently does their "Ordway Extra" pre-show, as well as a post-show talkback with the actors. The pre-show talk was by a local psychiatrist from the University of Minnesota and one of his patients, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He bravely told his story, which was remarkably similar to Diana's. One thing that struck me was when he said that after he started taking meds and his delusions of being followed ended, he felt empty. Diana sings about that in "I Miss the Mountains." The meds smooth out the highs and lows and she ends up feeling nothing. After the show, our Dan and Natalie, Jason Watson and Caitlin Kinnunen, came out to answer questions, along with Pearl Sun, understudy for Diana (who thankfully did not perform that night, no offense to Ms. Sun, but I would have been quite disappointed not to see Alice!). They talked about what it's like to perform in such an important and well-respected show, what it's like to be an understudy, and several other topics.
I know I throw around the word "favorite" a lot, but if I were forced to pick my top five musicals, this would definitely earn a place on the list. If you're a fan of theater (and if you're reading this blog you probably are), trust me, go see this show. You will not be disappointed. Emotionally spent, yes, but not disappointed. It's not every day that a Tony-winner reprises her role here in Minnesota, so that alone should get you to the theater! Add to that one of the best musicals written in the last decade, and it's really a no-brainer. OK I'll stop now. But really, go see it. ;)
Here are Alice Ripley with original cast members J. Robert Spencer and Aaron Tveit performing "You Don't Know/I Am the One" at the 2009 Tony Awards.
