With the festive season almost upon us, CultBox despatched a couple of its Munchkins to sample the magic of musical theatre.
Wicked is billed as ‘The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz’ and frames the original tale, best known for the 1939 film starring Judy Garland, by delving back into the past and showing the friendship between Glinda the Good and Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. It bears no relation to the recent Oz the Great and Powerful film, but rather draws its inspiration from a 1995 novel which gave an alternate take on the world of Oz.
Of course, prequels can be a strange beast as we know full well the story’s destination. Indeed, this begins with celebrations for the death of Elphaba, with a rousing anthem entitled “No One Mourns the Wicked”.
Meeting the characters as they go to college, there is a High School Musical vibe as the pair come together as friends, unsurprising given its mid-2000’s pedigree. The route to friendship is not a direct one though, with the green skinned outcast Elphaba shunned at first, while the popular Glinda is fawned over by her entourage. In fact, their instant dislike spawns one of the show’s most entertaining ensemble numbers, “What Is This Feeling?” with the resounding answer being loathing!
Magical abilities change the dynamic between the pair and set them on their journey to the Emerald City for an encounter with the fabled Wizard. When his true nature is revealed, it pushes Elphaba towards the show’s musical high-point, the barnstorming “Defying Gravity” which triumphantly closes the first half.
Current star Jennifer DiNola, a veteran of the show on Broadway, as well as Chicago, Seoul and Sydney, lights up the stage as Elphaba but she is well matched by the home grown talent of Savannah Stevenson as Glinda. Rounding out the cast, Martyn Ellis makes for a charmingly seedy showman of a Wizard.
As the show progresses, the back story concerning the loss of rights of animals in the kingdom of Oz, rights being directly equated with the ability to speak, gets a little lost in the relationship drama.
Also, there are plenty of pieces to be manoeuvred into position for The Wizard of Oz, and we did feel quite conscious of that taking place, while Elphaba’s sister, the tragic Nessarose, remained both underdeveloped and ill-used.
Although it arrived in the West End some eight years ago, Wicked shows no signs of slowing down and easily elicited a standing ovation for its two leads. Some clever set design and impressive effects make for a real spectacle to match the strong emotional balladry on display.
Performed on Thursday 27 November 2014 at Apollo Victoria Theatre in London.
> Book tickets on the official Wicked website.
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