CMU School of Drama


Monday, September 08, 2008

Stage Review: 'Wicked' just as entertaining as on first visit

Post Gazette: "Talk about magic: 'Wicked' manages to have it both ways at once, several times over. It attracts us with the beloved story of Oz, but it turns it upside down, revealing it to be a whitewash. This revisionism is full of allusive pleasures for the thinking adult, but it's also become a favorite of young girls. And although the major story line is tragic with horrifying side plots, there's giddy humor in the telling."

9 comments:

aquacompass said...

Good to know the touring version is holding up to its Broadway reputation. I was in the Benedum a week ago as they were getting ready to load-in the show -- man for those of you who haven't been there -- GO. What a beautiful space.

Best of luck to the Local 3 guys for the run!

Anonymous said...

Having seen two productions of Wicked, one it New York and the other in Chicago, I remember being stunned both times by the complexity yet apparent ease of the mammoth sets and intricate designs. Wicked's flaw? Casting. Because of the widespread success and long term run that Wicked has enjoyed, I believe many think that the characters are thus accessible and can be played by any actor who can sing, dance and, in some cases, cackle. However, for a designer or PTM, Wicked will regardless be an exciting and stimulating experience.

AndrewLeitch said...

I saw this when it toured through Charlotte; and, although I hadn't seen the Broadway one, I was extremely impressed with how well the show worked and was set up. Usually, tours that go through Charlotte have sets that look slightly un-proportional and with horrible sightlines (because of the strange theatres in our town). I was just impressed as to how well everything transfered; and, perhaps thats just luck. I hope to see the show again when it tours through the Benedum and see if it holds up as well as it did a few months ago!

Anonymous said...

I know this will black list me as a heathen of theater, but Wicked was one of the few shows I've seen that I felt was almost over hyped in some aspects. Don't get me wrong, there are some truly amazing parts (especially from a technical point of view) but for each of those amazing parts there was something that just didn't quite do it for me. The two things that bugged me most about Wicked (I believe its in both the mobile and the non-mobile version) was Glenda's metallic bubble thing, and the utter lack of use for the amazing looking dragon thing hanging over the stage.
That being said, I'm glad that people outside of New York are getting a quality showing of Wicked. On the few slightly mobile shows I worked in high school it always felt like the moving sets just didn't equal the stationary ones so I'm glad to see that I can look forward to working moving shows that are broadway caliber no matter where they are.

Dave said...

I have not seen the Broadway original but I am glad to hear the tour is living up to its Broadway reputation if I am able to see it.

AShotInTheArm said...

I often compare a show like Wicked to a John Mayer album. Here me out...
Wicked is an impressive show with elaborate tech and beautiful imagery. However because of its recent success, due partially to the worshiping little girls who come every weekend when its in town, Wicked is now a show that's laughed at by theatre artists. Blame it on the populous, a chance to say you didn't like something that received so much praise. When it comes down to the big picture, John Mayer is a damn good guitar player with a strange following, this same role has been given to Wicked.

Anonymous said...

I saw wicked 3 times in New York, once in LA and once in London. And it's still pretty good. I don't understand exactly why they have to change the script when touring and I feel that this is a violation of the original script. However the tour is very well organized and I am impressed how the tours managed to "compartmentalize" the set to travel and fit various stages. The production in New York has a set that encompasses the audience and the feel of the tour does the same thing very well considering the restrictions of touring. All in all its worth seeing yet again.

PS we should totally groupify a trip to one of the ASL shows

MBerger said...

Echoing Andrew's comments I have seen the tour pass through Boston as well as the London production. One of the most striking differences I found was how in the London production, and I assume the Broadway production as well, the designers were able to pull the show out into the house. Whether this is with a proscenium arch which is built past the pit or LED chandeliers that light up in the Emerald City. While this is not an expectation on a tour, I am certainly looking forward to see how the tour handles here in Pittsburgh.

MichaelSimmons said...

Wicked is interesting the first time you see it, but that's about all it gets. I saw it twice in new york, once in london, and once in houston. While Eugene Lee's design never... ever gets old, seeing two 20 somethings, in full black and pink respectively, trying to outdo one another vocally, does.