Wicked
And you thought you knew Oz. The wonderful musical, based on Gregory Maguire's novel, takes the familiar tale and spins it around. As the musical says, several times, you will be "looking at things another way." Long before Dorothy had to play the home version of Flip This House, Oz fell from grace. A virus of marginalization infected the region. Among those made Other: green-skinned Elphaba. She will become the Wicked Witch of the West with good reason, bless her defiant heart! Wicked's loaded with splashy effects (myriad cogged wheels make the stage resemble the inside of a watch), but the musical works its major wonders in the characters' interactions. The leads are excellent. While Elphaba (Donna Vivino) is adamant, young Galinda (Katie Rose Clark) and male ingenue Fiyero (Richard H. Blake) come off, at first, like Ken and Barbie. But unlike the movie, which opts for the status quo ("there's no place like home" - i.e., if your life feels like a black-and-white movie, be content), in Wicked Galinda and Fiyero grow up. People can change - for the better.
Critic's Pick.
When
Ongoing until Sunday, August 30, 2009
Hours
Sundays, 1pm & 6pm |
Tuesdays, 7pm |
Wednesdays, 7pm |
Thursdays, 7:30pm |
Fridays, 7:30pm |
Saturdays, 2pm & 7:30pm |