If you want to watch a musical where you are captivated by the amazing theatrics, shining costumes, and a storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat, “Wicked” is the show to watch. I got the chance to watch it during Thanksgiving break when I traveled to New York. The great storyline leaves the audience with a whole new perspective through phenomenal acting and costume designs. While I was impressed with the show, the ending fell short, as I didn’t think it fit with the main theme of the show: the importance of learning someone’s backstory before you judge them for who they are today.
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is a classic children’s tale written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. “Wicked,” a musical prequel to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” directed by Joe Mantello, made its debut on Broadway in 2003. The story is narrated by Elphaba, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, who was played in this production by Jackie Burns. Despite being depicted as pure evil, just how wicked is she really? Well, this show tells you her side of the story and just “how much happened before Dorothy dropped in.”
The first act starts with Glinda – the good witch played by Kendra Kassebaum – announcing the death of Elphaba. It is then revealed that the two used to be friends at school. A flashback to the first day at Shiz University where Glinda and Elphaba are assigned as roommates begins the story. Their relationship takes many twists and turns as the polar opposite girls navigate their time together. The two eventually become friends until the cliché plotline comes in: the two girls are in love with the same guy. While that isn’t the end of the girls’ relationship, it becomes a rocky road when Elphaba is invited to the train with the Wizard of Oz.
From there, the story takes absolutely shocking twists and turns. First, Elphaba learns that the Wizard of Oz is a fake and has no magical powers, in addition to figuring out he is her biological father. The person she looked up to most has been lying the whole time? Hurt and angry, she tries to expose him for who he is: a fraud. Trying to take down the Wizard of Oz isn’t something anyone would want to do. Elphaba’s attempt resulted in her reputation being twisted and ultimately destroyed. This is essentially how she becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West: since the Wizard of Oz tells everyone that she is an evil liar who is trying to destroy the Emerald City.
Now, the iconic moment in “The Wizard of Oz” is when Dorothy throws water on the Wicked Witch of the West and she starts melting. Or so we think. Well turns out she doesn’t really melt down to the ground. The Wicked Witch just falls through a trap door and remains alive. The audience was absolutely shocked, and so was I: shocked that they would steer so far away from the ending of a story that has been around for decades.
The theme of the play was the importance of learning someone’s backstory before you judge them now, which was displayed by showing us why the Wicked Witch might not be as evil as we thought. This ending did not help you understand why not to judge someone without knowing what they have gone through but added new details that changed the story instead of adding to it.
Overall, while being a great show, there were some parts I didn’t agree with. The acting was incredible and so raw. Jackie Burns’ acting was touching and showed how much hurt she had built up inside, from being different from everyone else. Kendra Kassebaum captured the careless, spoiled girl that Glinda is: with her big naive eyes, high pitched voice, and a bubbly personality. Although Glinda showed character development turning into mature woman by the end of the production. This character development is evident when Glinda bravely tries to help Elphaba’s attempt to take down the Wizard of Oz. Far from the selfish Glinda we saw in the first act.
Not only did the acting captivate the audience, but the costumes did too. Glinda could be often seen in pink, glittery outfits and heels complete with her blonde hair and bright smile. Elphaba usually wore a black or heather gray modest outfit with her long brown hair, making her look serious and sophisticated. What made Elphaba’s look especially unique is her green skin which is all makeup (no face paint) and takes around 18 minutes to complete.
The show also has many important lessons weaved in through the story. The antagonist, the Wizard of Oz, showed the audience how getting caught up in riches and popularity can truly change your moral values. Through Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship, you can learn how if you stop judging a person by how they look, a true friendship can form. Perhaps the biggest lesson the show taught was that you have to know a person’s backstory before you can judge them. By reading the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” you would never know that Elphaba is not actually evil.
Though no show is perfect, I would still highly recommend seeing “Wicked.” The play is heartfelt with strong messages and spectacular acting, singing, and costume designs that make it a must-see production.
