Even my sister who hates musical theater loves Wicked. I think that it resonates with women because we have all felt like Elphaba or Glinda at some point in our lives. The songs really hit home on the feelings women have. The desire to acheive validation in The Wizard and I, the feeling like you are not good enough to be loved in I'm not that Girl, the desire to get to the really good part of your life in One Short Day, the unrelenting push to be yourself in the face of everything in Defying Gravity. I could go on all day.

That's funny. How anyone can sing Sondheim is totally beyond me.

As an aside, Daughter number one is Lily in The Secret Garden here in the Denver area at the moment and her husband is directing. Unbelievably great reviews. The really are doing an outstanding job.

She has played Martha three times going back to high school, and we never realized how much her (matured) voice sounds like Lily on the cast CD.

Got to love Forbidden Broadway. :)

As for Wicked's lyric:

Nessa, Nessa
I have something to conffess-a

Seriously, that is pathetic.

The melodies, on the other hand, will stick in your head for hours. I can't get POPULAR out of my head.

I admit that particular line (and there are others too) is pathetic. But you have to admit that "Popular" is a very clever song.

One of my all-time favorites. (Love Forbidden Broadway, too.)
Technically, though, that's not the lyric:

Uh -- Nessa
I've got something to confess, a
reason why, well --
I asked you here tonight.

Sure, it can sound a little hokey if the singer's not careful, but breaking the lines that way is a time honored method -- from Cole Porter to Sondheim (and Dr. Suess) -- of keeping the rhyme scheme interesting and moving.
That's one reason I love him. His music is challenging to be sure, but also rewarding, both to sing and to listen to.
Very, very cool. Wish I lived closer to Denver.

Ok, I've made it about halfway in the book (Glinda, Elphaba, and Nessa have just been "propositioned" by Morrible)...please tell me it gets better....so far it's not what I expected at all. I thought it would be sort of like Harry Potter - meant for teenish age, but older people enjoy it too... I was shocked when I started reading...definately NOT for kids!

Aw, forget the book and enjoy the music. Who cares about storylines anyway.

This is Entertainment, not Literature.

(Waiting for the flames...)

I am going to see it in Chicago in July! :D

Re: Wicked--the musical
 

The tickets are more than worth it. The show is absolutely amazing.

You might be able to find a discount on theatermania.com or broadwayoffers.com (you'll have to register). I'm in NYC and I got orchestra seats for $55 each the first time I saw it, which is pretty cheap.

Ok, so I finished the book last weekend.

NOT IMPRESSED. You were right DA. Skip the book. (No gloating though:) , not that you'd ever do that;) )

I really liked the book -- very thought provoking and well-done in my opinion. It's a "book club book" -- after you're done with it, you need some people to discuss it with.

The book and the musical are two different things, not unlike the original book and the Judy Garland movie, which as good as the latter is, took some almost unforgivable liberties with the book, I think.

I think it was Joel Gray in Playbill who said Wicked the book is more Don Giovanni while the musical is more The Magic Flute. Both great operas, but one is lighter than the other.

I noticed that there were "group questions" in the back.

I think my problem with the book was

(Spoiler, so don't scroll if you don't want to know)
































I don't like how they left it with Fiyero at the end of one chapter, then Ephie in the nunnery, and then 3 chapters later you found out Fiyero was dead and maybe Liir was his/her son, maybe not, but probably...I guess basically I went into the book thinking it was going to be a liesurely read, instead of a brain teaser. I think had I known it was more of a thinking book then a pleasure book going into it, I might have enjoyed it more. Oh - and as for Frex thinking of Nessa as his and TurtleHeart's child...that's just creepy.

I just saw it here last night, and the cast was fabulous. You will love it!!!

As for the book v. the musical; they really are two different things. I loved them both, but if you're reading the book after you've seen the musical, then you really do have to realize that they are only loosely related. The book is much much darker and far more thought provoking. While the musical is kid-friendly, the book is definitely not, and you've got to know that going in. Otherwise you're going to be disappointed.

I just saw on the Wicked webpage that Eden Espinosa is playing Elphiba in NY now.

She is amazing!

She was Idina's understudy for a while and then left the show to do the lead in Brooklyn, The Musical which she had helped create here in Denver before it went to Broadway.

I saw it both places and really wish it had done better simply because of great voices in the cast.

If anything, I think she has a better voice than Idina.

(And, yes, I did see Idina in the NYC production -- as well as in RENT in NY. I think she's great, too)

Ok, I have just lost my mind. I just bid on a pair of tickets for Atlanta from a seller who has NO Feedback, NO Previous sales, and only registered 3 days ago. I only bid $25, but still! I'm going Memorial Day weekend with my mom, but I'd really like for my husband to get to see it too.

LOOOOOVVED Eden when I saw her, can't say enough good things about her. I don't know about flat out better voice, but definitely better for the role of Elphaba. IMO, not to knock Idina cause I love her too, but to me Maureen is her role.

Yeah, she didn't get to "moon" anybody in Wicked.

OK, I was just looking at the Wicked website and tickets are on sale for the London run which starts in early September.

I want to see it in London!

I saw it in January here in Chicago and now Mr. kansas13 and I are going tomorrow and taking our Mom's for Mothers Day!! I can't wait!!

So far it's playing in Chicago till August. It started summer 2005 and was suppose to end in March, but then they extended it to May and now they just extended it till Aug. I guess if people keep on seeing it here they will keep on extending it!!

I've spent my time between finals and summer school back in the Chicago area (Orland Park) selling tickets for Wicked via Ticketmaster. From what they (ticketmaster) tell us, Wicked may be in Chicago for up to another year. It's still a top seller; the new group of seats went on sale on Sunday(through August), and we sold about $2500 worth. We would have sold more but our system went down at 3:30.

On a personal note, I've seen it twice, and read the book a couple of times as well. I enjoyed both.

That's pretty cool!! I know alot of parents at the school where I work would be happy to know that. IMO, looking at all the prices for tickets online and how much they are costing I don't think tickets for here in Chicago are that bad. It is definately a must see if you live in the area or are visiting!!

They're getting set for return engagements in Toronto starting this Fall and here in Denver as well as Tampa, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia and Boston in the Spring and Summer of 2007!

I still want to see it in London, though.

Saw it last evening...

It was wonderful, awesome, spetacular.

I was dissapointed at first when I opened my program and two pieces of paper fell out saying that Elphaba would be played by the Standby and Glinda would be played by an understudy...but I actually think they put on a superb performance because they we so excited to be out there. Elphaba even picked up Glinda and swung her around during the curtain call, they were so excited.

Listening to the soundtrack, I was debating if they ever release the rights to amatures before the only role I'm young enough for is Morrible, whether I would rather audition for Elphaba or Glinda. Then As the show started, I made a decision...there is no way in hell you are getting me to sing from that swinging pendulam that Glinda enters in.

If it ever comes anywhere near Charlotte again, I will defineatly be there!!:D :D


Oh, and I got this shirt:
Front:
http://www.wickedmerch.co.uk/images/...ball-front.jpg
Back:
http://www.wickedmerch.co.uk/images/...eball-back.jpg

I say the rights will be released in about two ecade or when they closed the show on Broadway, . So . . . you'll be old enough to play Morrible. :D :D :D

Don't remind me...I have already figured on that, but still, I don't need my fantasy ruined.:p :p

ETA: I made the director at my local theatre very aware that she better be first on the list for rights...so I better start practising...

::clears throat:: As press secretary I have striven to ensure that all of Oz knows the story of your braverism.;) :p

i just want to be the flying monkeys. not really fond of the show, but i do love them flying monkeys.

You mean you don't want to grow out your hair into long, lovely locks and be Fieryo???;)

Er, with that pants, NOOOO. I'm all about the monkeys.

We'll let our son do that in NY or on tour now that he has his Equity card. We need to get parts for him so we don't have to support him for the next four years in New York. Or longer.

DA, do you like nail polish too?

-Rudey

Forgot to say that I saw it in Atl and loved it although the seats weren't as close as I thought they would be, lol.

There were some classic one liners:cool:

I read in the theatre notes that they probably will never make a move although Universal has the movie rights.

We had an understudy for El...Victoria somebody.

Everyone was wonderful!

I started the book before I saw the play but didn't get very far. Hubby finished the over night so I'll start it now.

He'll be in OH for 3 weeks so I can finish it...plus Son of a Witch and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.;)

Huh? Fiyero is the male lead. Do you know something I don't?

Or, are you trying to get personal?

This just in...

Complete casting has just been announced for the London cast of WICKED. Starring in the production will be Idina Menzel, who will recreate her Tony Award-winning Broadway performance as Elphaba; Helen Dallimore, who will make her West End debut as Glinda; Adam Garcia as Fiyero.

I just read the book, and would love to see the musical, but I'm a little apprehensive about it, since I LOVED the book so much! Think I'll be disappointed?

That is, of course, if it ever comes anywhere near me. Arkansas doesn't really see a whole lot of Broadway shows coming this way...

Yay for Idina!! Adam Garcia?? Hmm...

I was more thinking of him in Coyote Ugly...same type role, the "runaway bad-boy" thing, but I'm just imagining him singing... You could easily fake "Dancing Through Life", but "As Long As You're Mine" would NOT be easy to fake your way through.

Broadway.

And I disagree with him being undeveloped. Especially if you read the book. He's got 100% more substance in the musical then the book. It's not a bit-part by any means, but there is some room as to how you play that role.

After going back and looking at pics of Adam, I've decided that it doesn't really matter anyway. He could stand there on the stage and let the musical happen around him, and the ladies wouldn't care one bit.;)

If you LOVED that the musical was a fluffy fairy tale DO NOT read the book, you will hate it. If you enjoyed the political/propaganda of the subplot, you'll love the book, because that's about the only part that stayed true.

I saw Wicked yesterday and LOVED IT.

Kristoffer Cusick (he played Fiyero) is teh hawt.

Does anyone (and by anyone, I'm thinking I mean DA, but someone else might know) know if they are planning a London cast recording??