Reviewer: Howard Steven Frydman aka “The Howard”
Production: WICKED
Theater: Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Based on the Novel by: Gregory Maguire
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Book: Winnie Holzman
Director: Joe Mantello
Choreographer: Corinne McFadden Herrera
Music Supervision/ Stephen Oremus
Orchestrations: William David Brohn
The Howard Says – “WICKED” – Return to OZ for this Musical Triumph!!
“I haven’t got a brain, but I think there’s naught to worry; I haven’t got a heart, but I feel a pleasant palpitation. As the King of the forest, I like the situation.” A most WICKED situation is presently at hand as we roar with sincere satisfaction. For a word to the wise my pretties – the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, WICKED, winner of three Tony Awards, and currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre returns to The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, as part of their Broadway Series. Based on the 1900 L. Frank Baum’s novel, “The Wizard of Oz”, and adapted from Gregory Maguire’s book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”, this musical fantasy has Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz with book by Winnie Holzman. The Howard implores you to take family in hand, and Toto too, to see The National Touring Company of WICKED, an irresistible, exquisite magically-mounted roadshow before it is Somewhere Over the Rainbow!
My friends, though there be no yellow brick roads, however for the next several weeks, all roads do lead to Connecticut’s “Emerald City” the ever-majestic Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Tis currently 6:30pm, Thursday, as I arrive for the critic’s night invitation to review WICKED the Musical. The Bushnell is all aglow with not only bright lights, but Ozian fans of all ages, from countless young lassies, with combed hair in braids, adorned with dresses of blue and white gingham, others dressed in shades of Elphaba black, while both lad and lassies can be found flourishing full Edwardian styled evening wear with various Derbys and Top Hats- Folks I want one of those head toppers! Though the production is still at this point another twenty minutes away, clusters of folks are busy perusing WICKED keepsake paraphernalia, while I like many others, once seated, take quick photos of the glorious outward set design by Edward Pierce depicting the entire map of OZ, while a silent immense dragon sits silently, hovering above ready to come alive. WICKED here we come!
My friends, we all live in a land of OZ, from Dunkin’ Donut Munchkins to the sci-fi film Zardoz, starring Sean Connery, the influence and popularity of L Frank Baum’s characters are still alive today, influencing a new generation. We must state we are quite fond of Gregory Maguire’s revisionist interpretation of the life and times of both The Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and her “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha” counterpart- the “self-absorbed” Glinda or as she asks to be called Ga-Glinda. The tale begins with the unfortunate water drenched demise of the W.W.W. Elphaba by “the one and only” Dorthey Gale, a bubbliscious bubble soon appears and lands in OZ, its inhabitant, Glinda the Good.
After a jubilant “Ding-Dong the Witch is dead” type celebration, one of the Ozians remarks to Glinda, “Were you not both friends at one point?” With that we are transported back in time, from Elphaba’s birth, her married mothers’ tryst with a traveling salesman, the shock of her being born “emerald” green, to their eventual meeting at Shiz University. Folks, let state here, this is not the OZ tale you remember-this is a grand tale with various major outcomes, from moments of vast sympathies for W.W.W., character transformations, and unseen eventualities that will simply put a smile on your face-let me state there is even an illustrious romance set in place at plays end.
I am a firm believer, that what makes any true musical great, it the ability to have a theater patron recollecting the various songs by humming them home- WICKED does not disappoint with such memorable tunes including: “The Wizard and I”, “Popular” and the glorious “Defying Gravity”. We have fallen in love with these two iconic characters as never before, and state our sincere admiration for our two leads, Olivia Valli as Elphaba and Celia Hottenstein as Glinda for both their acting and sensational singing skills. Brava to you both. Major kudos are presented to Tara Kosmayer as Nessarose, Kyle McArthur as Bog, Kathy Fitzgerald as Madame Morrible Boise Holmes as Doctor Sillamond and Tom McGowan as the ahem – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. As they say “there is no place like home” we ask you to click your heels three times and journey to “Somewhere over the Rainbow”- Return to Oz, for this heartwarming, musical extravaganza. Enjoy!
Tickets for WICKED are available online at bushnell.org, by calling (860) 987-5900 or by visiting The Bushnell Box Office at 161 Capitol Avenue (Mon-Fri from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The Bushnell’s Broadway Series is sponsored by Travelers with support from Webster Bank.
For more information about WICKED, please visit http://www.WickedTheMusical.com.
Howard Steven Frydman is General Manager and Executive Director of BATV – Channels 5, 95 & 96 and a member of the CCC. Please feel free to contact Mr. Frydman with your thoughts and ideas at TheHoward24@gmail.com.
The Howard - On Stage & Screen Reviews 