Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The splendiferous Emerald City rises again, and, once more, flying monkeys soar as "Wicked" returns for a third stay at the Benedum Center as a presentation of PNC Broadway Across America -- Pittsburgh.
The show has proved wildly popular on Broadway where it still plays to full houses eight years after its debut and on the road where it has broken box-office records in every city that the national tour has played.
Those who have seen it know why.
7 comments:
I saw Wicked a couple years ago and definitely agree that it has a high degree of spectacle and provides some high quality entertainment. However, I am curious to know what about this show sets it apart from others. Certainly it is not the only show in recent years that has given audiences a flashy show with fun music. What about American Idiot and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson? Both shows were very popular for a short time and fell out eventually, despite how showy they were. What is it about Wicked that has kept the house full for so long? Why are people seeing it time and time again, rather than seeing it once or twice and then moving on? Does anyone else have some thoughts on this?
I remember when I took my first trip to New York and had tickets for what was, at the time, the most talked about musical on Broadway, Wicked. I didn’t exactly understand what all the talk was about until I actually got to see it for myself. As soon as intermission came around I had fallen in love. The first act ends with a bang from the song, Defying Gravity, leaving the audience in awe when Idina Menzel(Elphaba) flies up in the air with her cape hovering over the the entire stage. At the remainder of the show I found myself speechless at the various technical aspects that were all squeezed into a two act show. This show is what reassured me in my decision to go into Technical Theatre. It is no surprise that the show still going strong on Broadway after eight full years of record ticket sales and sold out houses across the country. The three Tonys awarded to the show for best costumes, set, and actress did nothing but kept the people coming. I myself have seen it three times and will probably see it again if, or should I say when, it comes to my home town! This unbelievable written show is sure to go strong for a ways in the future.
The article says that wicked has dark subject matter. Really?
Anyhow, one of the interesting things about Wicked's national tour and the four to five miles of cable mentioned is that they'll send a crew to each theater ahead of time to run a lot of the sound and power bundles before the production arrives to save time at the load-in.
As I recall, the set for Wicked was hand-drafted, which is a little mind-boggling given its complexity.
Wow! To react to the comment before me- i had no idea that hand drafting was behind such a complex set! I too am in love with the show Wicked, I saw it a couple of years ago with my aunt and sister. It was an experience I will never forget- sitting, looking up, listening to that single belt at the end of act one sent shivers down my spine. It was phantasmagoric. I think the secret that made Wicked so powerful on Broadway was the combination of all elements of theater executed in such an excellent way, whether it be in the gripping score, dramatic lights, talented performers, awe inspiring sets, or simply fabulous costumes and garments. Wicked is not only a spectacle for the eyes and ears, but also for the heart: its endearing plot draws viewers into the world of Oz even further. All i can say is that is I hope everyone gets a chance to experience the magic Wicked brings to every performance, before, now, and for many years to come.
The stats listed at the end of the article are very impressive! Like David, I am curious about what makes this show stand out so much. I have yet to see a performance of Wicked but I was able to sit in on a day of load-in of Wicked's tour at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio. It was neat to see how efficient the load in process was for a show that is used to touring for so long.
Wicked came out when I was in high school, and when I was first considering going into technical theatre as a career. I realized when I saw the production how many people had to have been behind the creation of it and the running of it every night. I decided I wanted to be that someone one day. I think the production has been so popular because it takes a tale that almost everyone knows from their childhood, and puts a whole new spin on it. Then they set it to music and gave it amazing spectacle. I am glad the writers were able to make it more interesting than the books, though. I love the stories written by Gregory MacGuire but they are extremely dry and take a long time to get through, even with the amazing storyline.
It is great that a show is going this long. I am surprised that this show is only 15th longest running show and it has been going for some time. It seems that it is not going to lose momentum anytime soon. I have yet to see the show and would like to see it and see what the hype is all about. I wonder if spider-man will make a run like this. I know that they want to have a run for a long time to just get thier money back. I know that it is every ones hope when they invest in Broadway to have a hit like this one and make a lot of money. I hope to see this soon.
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