I first saw WICKED the Musical at the Oriental theater in Chicago in 2005. Although I knew a bit about the story behind the musical, I was mesmerized by the twist on the WIZARD OF OZ story particularly, from Elphaba’s point of view. WICKED starts where the WIZARD OF OZ ends. It is the story of a smart lonely young girl’s journey through rejection, love, and hatred. She is portrayed as the dark side of the rainbow.
In Chicago, Ana Gestayer, a former Saturday Night Live cast member who satirized Martha Stewart, Hillary, and Celine Dion, delivered a spellbinding performance as Elphaba. When she sang “Defying Gravity,” I had frissons. I realized that this actress was much more than a comic. She had great stage presence, a powerful voice, and verisimilitude. My husband, who seldom attends musicals with me and whose music tastes lean toward blues and country, said he loved the music.
Last night I attended the performance of WICKED at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. Mamie Parris debuted as Elphaba. She is a distant relative of Samuel Parris who persecuted witches in 17th century Salem. Such irony. A born-green idealist, Elphaba learns that her overbearing, unaffectionate father is not her real father. Her relationship with her handicapped sister is ironic; they are both handicapped physically in different ways, Helspeth by her greenness and Nessarose by her wheelchair. Their relationship is complicated.
The first act finale will take your breath away. Elspeth belts out “Defying Gravity” as she is lifted higher and higher into the air to proclaim her newfound independence. You see nothing on stage but her, then the stage goes black. I was frozen to my seat.
So much of this play is smoke and mirrors-deception, trickery, conjuring, and pretense. The wizard, of course; Elspeth’s mother because of her indiscretion, Madame Morrible [play on word horrible, as in her horrible mispronunciations, horrible deceit, and horrible self-serving attitude], and especially the theme of what is good and what is wicked.
Ga-linda, the Good Witch, who renames herself Glinda when Dr. Dillamond [goat] cannot pronounce her name, played by Amanda Jane Cooper, is hilarious. The powerful voice that emanates from her tiny body defies nature. She’s a dizzy, popular, peppy prom queen, a self-absorbed, superficial brat, and a vamp whose malapropisms define her spaciness. Her dumb blonde persona reminded me of Reese Witherspoon in LEGALLY BLONDE. She and Helspeth become unlikely friends, and their show-stopping harmonies pull together the fact that they are classmates- roommates, friends- enemies, beautiful-strange, and diminutive-powerful.
For the first time in my life, because of the thoughtfulness of a friend, I was able to tour backstage after the performance. The dismembered sets, lifts, trapdoors, and other stage equipment were huge and mindboggling, and ugly. I realized how much the interplay of light, music, and imagination created a sense of wonder.
As our group stood among the mammoth sets, at an appropriate time, I asked the guide if I could see Glinda’s shoe rack. He commented that no one else had ever asked that question, as he and a gaggle of gay guys in our group eyed my zebra Rocket Dog stilettos. I saw it. OMG!! But . . .the shoe display that on stage appeared ten feet high, lined with dazzling shoes on every shelf, was small, and dusty, and worn. He warned me not to touch it. I was still elated.
I then asked to see Glinda’s $14,000 bedazzled gown and Elspeth’s wicked witch costume. He led us into a curtained area where some lesser costumes were hung on racks. He explained the task-oriented costuming. We then walked into a special adjoining area where I secretly touched Glinda and Elspeth’s costumes. I wanted to take pictures but my daughter and her friend had all their arms wrapped around my body. Unbelievable experience.
Viewing any entertainment at the Fox is always a memorable experience, but this $14 million production was mind bending. The Stephen Schwartz score, particularly Parris’ “Defying Gravity,” recently sung on the TV show GLEE, brought the audience to its feet. The themes of friendship, love, the true nature of beauty, and the question about whether wickedness is innate or learned resonate on every level in every act.
