Wicked
I finally saw Wicked this past weekend. It has been in Chicago for a long time and keeps selling out. And I had a chance to see it for free this weekend.Don't get me wrong. It wasn't terrible. And I loved seeing a big musical production, which I haven't been to in way too long. A couple of main characters were really wonderful, too, but...
- There were far too many duets and solos with Elphie and Glinda. I mean, I totally get tht you two are so different and yet friends and all that. Let's move on.
- For the story being told I felt like it could have been a little more over the top. Bigger musical numbers, more dancing, some more layers to the story, etc.
- Theaters are just too big these days. I know that they are trying to make money and it is expensive to do, but when I was near the front of the balcony, and even from there it was just so far away and detached for me.
- The show drags in so many places. We know where it is headed.
- The songs in the show don't tell the story. They act as a response to story a lot of the time. X happens to Y character and then they sing about it. Instead of X happening while Y is singing about it.
- The jokes and gags are just too corny for me. I love puns, but come on...
Grade: C-
posted by Chargenda at 11:22 AM
4 Comments:
You know, you're right. I like that the two "main" characters are both women, rather than it being the classic male-female love story, and I think the music is fabulous, but it's overblown without being overblown ENOUGH. And the puns are pretty bad.
Anyone good or famous in your cast?
No, nobody famous. Anna Gastyer isn't in the Chicago cast anymore. And I got the understudy Glinda.
I saw it when I was in NYC and LOVED it. But of course, like any good fag, I read the book, memorized the soundtrack and bought the bright green baby T with glittery "Good Witch" on it before I went. Anyway, the power ballads and duets are really the core of the show and, if the leads are as good as they're supposed to be, make you forget everything else. You're right about the puns -- it's a device from the book that gets horribly translated in the show. And the script is much less clever than the songs, which don't move the story as well as they advance the characters. I still want to see it here, but only if someone great is in it. What are Reese Witherspoon and Vanessa Williams doing?
I harbor the same feelings for this "hit." It appeals to young girls and hausfraus. The act 1 closer is fun, but please...the show is such an overinflated piece of crap.
I saw it was Anna and Kate Reinders. Both were fun and very talented, but overcome by the sets/lighting/costumes.
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