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Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern Wicked Also see John's review of Anything Goes
Wicked debuted on Broadway at the George Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003. The show received six Drama Desk Awards and ten 2004 Tony Awards nominations, winning Tony Awards for Best Actress, Best Scenic Design, and Best Costume Design. It originally received mixed critical reviews and was panned by the New York Times. In reference to the critics' response, Schwartz commented: "What can I say? Reviews are reviews ... I know we divided the critics. We didn't divide the audience [though], and that's what counts." Schwartz was obviously right, as more than eleven years later the huge popularity of Wicked continues to speak for itself. Wicked begins with the citizens of Oz celebrating the death of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, outside of the Wizard's palace. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, descends in her gleaming bubble to confirm the circumstances of the Wicked Witch's melting; Glinda is asked if it is true that she and Elphaba were once friends. Her answer is the moving story of the relationship between the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witch of the North. We are taken back in time to the birth of a green-skinned Elphaba Thropp who is the daughter of the governor of Munchkinland. She suffers an unhappy childhood, facing discrimination because of her skin color and frightening magical powers. Elphaba tends to her younger sister Nessarose (later the Wicked Witch of the East), who is confined to a wheelchair, as they set out together for Shiz University. It is there that she first meets the popular but vapid Galinda Upland (later Glinda). There the girls are assigned as roommates and immediately dislike each other. Elphaba's magical talents are noticed by the headshiztress, Madame Morrible, who takes her on as her private pupil in the art of sorcery in hopes that Elphaba might be of use to the Wizard. Although it is Elphaba's dream to work with the great Wizard, Madame Morrible truly seeks her own advancement through the use of Elphaba's powers. When Elphaba discovers acts of persecution and discrimination at the hands of the government, she sets out to rectify it. Her world is torn apart when her well-intentioned acts of rebellion and the subsequent series of events are either misunderstood or manipulated to make her look evil. Despite the very different way in which they are perceived by the world, Elphaba and Glinda come to share a truly deep friendship. In the end, both women, as well as those around them, are forever changed by their journeys of personal growth. Regardless of your age or how much theatre you have seen in your life, Wicked is simply a must-see. There is a magical marriage of scenic design, special effects, lighting design, projection art, and imaginative costuming that transports the audience to another dimension and elevates the theatrical experience to its finest. Often, production elements seem designed merely to make a statement. Bigger isn't always better—it's about how well it all serves the story. And in the case of Wicked, every element serves the story magnificently. Background projections woven into the impressive set, flying monkeys, rolling fog, and Glinda's magic bubble are a just a part of the seamlessly executed technical side of this production. I say seamless because I truly was never aware of a scene change, just that we were suddenly there in the next scene. The technical aspects of this show alone contain a nearly breathtaking amount of talent and skill. Carrie St. Louis is hands down the funniest Glinda I've ever seen. It makes the character far more likeable for her to possess a degree of vulnerability in the goofiness of her humor, than to merely play her as pampered and shallow. St. Louis also belts as well as she sings her highest soprano notes. Most importantly there is huge believability in the warmth of her friendship with Alyssa Fox as Elphaba. That warmth pulls the audience eagerly into their story. The song "For Good," despite emotionally written lyrics, can fall a bit flat due to the stagnant nature of its staging; but driven by the sincerity expressed by Fox and St. Louis in this production, it is every bit the poignant moment it is meant to be. A handsome Ashley Parker Angel is charming as Fiyero, the man destined to be made of straw. His boy-band, pop idol good looks and sound serve the part well, and we do get to see the transformation of his character. His voice is lovely though a bit small. Jane Brockman as Madame Morrible nearly chews the scenery. She has huge presence, impeccable comedic timing and complete awareness of what she is doing on stage. Her Madame Morrible is a force to be reckoned. John Davidson is endearing as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There is a happy energy in the slightly befuddled nature of his character. The rise and fall in pitch of his expressive speaking and singing voice choices do make it hard to understand the occasional word, however. Alyssa Fox is an Elphaba with heart. Thankfully she doesn't scream her way through the belted parts of the role as some do. And, yes, though "Defying Gravity" is as glorious as one would hope, her best sung moment is really "No Good Deed." Her take on the character is not as dark as others, or at least for not as long. Her Elphaba feels impelled to make her transformation due to the acceptance of the friendship and love she feels from and for Glinda. This is a subtlety sometimes missed that is important. Elphaba doesn't believe she is worthy of love until she is loved by Glinda. For Elphaba, that is the essence of the lyrics "because I knew you, I have been changed for good." How nice to have both Fox and her co-star St. Louis really focus their acting energy on this part of the story. Though composer Schwartz is perhaps currently most identified with Wicked, he also wrote the music and lyrics for Godspell, Pippin, The Baker's Wife, Working, The Magic Show and Children Of Eden. At one point Godspell, Pippin and The Magic Show were all running on Broadway concurrently. Schwartz went on to write the lyrics to Charles Strouse's music for Rags; and later collaborated with composer Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas, for which he received two Academy Awards and a Grammy. He also provided songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt, for which he received another Academy Award for the song "When You Believe." This production of Wicked will be appearing on the Lynn Wolfson Stage of the Ziff Ballet Opera House, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, through March 29, 2015. The Adrienne Arsht Center is located at 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132. For tickets visit www.arshtcenter.org, or call the Box Office at 305-949-6722. For more information on the tour, visit www.wickedthemusical.com. Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world's leading performing arts organizations and venues. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 500 events each year across its eight flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs 12 signature series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, the biggest flamenco festival on the East Coast, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 30,000 children each year. Cast: Crew: The actors and stage managers in this production are members of Actor's Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
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