Last night made my third time seeing “Wicked”. I’ve seen it once before at the Fox in Atlanta; I saw it on the West End when one of Sam’s friends played Glinda; and this third time, on the West End with work. (I’m really fortunate sometimes.) None of that includes the countless hours I’ve spent listening to the soundtrack.
Image via Wicked Official site. 2013/2014 London Company. Photo by Matt Crockett
“The Wizard of Oz” was my favourite film as a child, so when this untold other perspective was written by Maguire I jumped all over it. (Though not at it’s initial time of release. It came out in 1995 and had some weird sex scenes that would have been a bit too much for my tiny mind. Yes, the musical is quite different than the novel.) But as soon as I was old enough to read “Wicked” I did. And the first opportunity I had to see it, I took.
Anyone who’s been to a musical theatre audition knows how done to death all of Elphaba and Glinda’s songs are, but they are a joy to listen to in the production nonetheless. Glinda coming down in her bubble during the opening number of “No One Mourns the Wicked” is one of my favourite moments in musical theatre.
The Apollo Victoria Theatre in London is a gorgeous. It’s fabulously art deco (built in 1930) and seats 2300, making it one of the largest theatres that I’ve ever been in. “Wicked” has been in the Apollo for nearly 9 years now.
Image via Wicked Official site. Savannah Stevenson (Glinda) and Emma Hatton (Elphaba). Photo by Matt Crockett.
I thought all the vocals were amazing. It was one of the most vocally strong performances that I’ve ever seen. Emma Hatton (Elphaba) was insanely talented. She belted without pushing it and showed her range with absolute ease; her sound was rich from the top to the bottom of her range. I would, however, say that she’s not the strongest actor I’ve seen play Elphaba. Savannah Stevenson was superb as Glinda. Her soprano is so perfectly clear and she’s so vivacious that you can’t help but care more when she’s on stage. Her Glinda is wonderfully nuanced and you get as good of a sense of her disappointments as you do her joys. (One reviewer even said she was the finest Glinda he’s ever seen.) What really cinched the cast for me was Oliver Savile as Fiyero. I’ve found before that Fiyero is the weakest vocally and acting-wise in the company. I can firmly say that Savile’s Fiyero is the best that I’ve seen. This cast has the makings of excellence, but I was a bit let down by the energy level. Everyone in the ensemble needed to up their stakes slightly. But there were multiple instances where everyone hit the right beat, the harmony was flawless and it sent shivers down my spine.
Following the success of the film version of “Les Miserables” it was rumoured that a film version of “Wicked” would be released in 2016. I’m not the biggest fan of the film version of “Les Mis” while the stage musical always moves me to tears, so I’d be interested to see how “Wicked” transfers to screen.
Have you seen “Wicked”? What are your thoughts?
