Review: Wicked is a green phenomenon

First I must confess that I’ve never been a fan of the film or stage version of The Wizard of Oz, so naturally I have never bothered going to London to see Wicked.

The multi-award winning 1939 MGM Wizard film has often been described as one of America’s greatest musicals and, while it made a star of Judy Garland, I love the ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ song, especially when it was sung by Eva Cassidy.

Wicked has certainly been packing them in at London’s Victoria Apollo for the past eight years while on Broadway it’s been a major hit for more than a decade.

Putting all prejudices aside, I watched the show at Milton Keynes Theatre and immediately realised just what I’ve been missing!

Thanks to the Ambassador Theatre Group’s decision to bring yet another touring musical blockbuster to the new city, Wicked is almost certain to play to full houses over its four week run.

This fantasy extravaganza is packed with fabulous sets, technical wizardry, stunning costumes and lighting although the jury’s still out on Stephen Schwartz’s musical score.

In fairness I did purchase the original cast CD recording a few weeks ago while I also played it on the way to the theatre to try and get a feel. The music is excellent and lyrics clever, but I now feel I need to listen to it all over again!

The show is about an unlikely developing friendship between two student witches: pretty blonde Glinda the Good (played by Emily Tierney) and the misunderstood green-faced Wicked Witch, Elphaba (Nikki Davis-Jones).

Lyman Frank Baum wrote the original 1900 novel ‘The Wondeful Wizard of Oz’ which has been turned into numerous theatrical versions over the years including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘red shoe special’ which closed in September 2012 after a successful 18 month run at the London Palladium.

Wicked is seemingly set in a parallel universe to that of the original ‘Wizard of Oz’ and it was novelist Gregory Maguire who came up with the idea. He felt that the original story was still to be finished so decided to pen the untold story of the Witches of Oz. And the phenomenon that has grown to be Wicked was born out of his novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’.

I know that over five million have seen the show in London alone – and some 38 million worldwide – but I felt Wicked actually began in a slightly confusing fashion with Glinda being praised for helping Dorothy – you must remember her from the Wizard of Oz? – for the way she defeated the Wicked Witch of the West which spawned the rousing opening number, ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’.

Wicked then flashes back to a time before author Baum’s original story by telling us how Elphaba got to be green with her mother (played by Chrissy Brooke) giving birth to something akin to Kermit the Frog.

Fortunately the remainder of the show is far easier to grasp. Glinda looks as though she’s stepped straight off the ‘Legally Blonde’ set to become the richest and most popular student at the University of Shiz.

Meanwhile Elphaba, and her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose (Carina Gillespie), also attend the same university while their father is the governor of Munchkinland. Meanwhile the self-obsessed Glinda is deeply unhappy after being forced to share a room with the green newcomer.

There is an instant teenage obsession as likeable Munchkin Boq (George Ure) falls for Glinda who naturally wants nothing to do with him, especially after the handsome and even richer Flyero (Liam Doyle) turns up, having been ejected from countless other colleges for being lazy and uncooperative.

Shunned by the other pupils despite having displayed some remarkable magical powers, Elphaba’s only ambition is to go to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz.

And with the help of magic tutor Madame Morrible (brilliantly played by Marilyn Cutts), she finally achieves her objective after herself becoming popular with her classmates, all thanks to Glinda’s intervention.

In fact my favourite two numbers came next, ‘Popular’ sung by Glinda (although she was called Galinda at the time) and Elphaba’s ‘I’m Not That Girl’ who watches from the shadows as her roommate goes off with her new beau.

By now I was wondering if it would all drift off into ‘Hogwarts the Musical’ as there were so many similarities to the Harry Potter theme. Emotions then began to run high after the goat-like Dr Dillamond (Dale Rapley) was forced to leave Shiz, much to Elphaba’s dismay.

And the Wizard (Dale Rapley again) turned out to be something of a magical fraud much to Elphaba’s amazement.

Wicked is very much a female-led piece of enjoyable theatre and there are superb performances from both Nikki Davis-Jones and Emily Tierney. Their voices really complimented one another while the vocal ranges were superb and they also received great support from Carina Gillespie as Nessarose.

Marilyn Cutts (a founder member of ‘Fascinating Aida’) was pretty intimidating as Madame Morrible while Dale Rapley had a strange American accent as the Wizard of Oz while he doubled-up as Dr Dillamond and was really impressive at bleating like a goat!

There’s a full 15-piece orchestra in the pit under the show’s musical director and conductor Dan Jackson while director Joe Mantello’s production was certainly up there with the best of the touring musical shows, the scene changes with cogs, clocks and a giant mechanical Wizard being particularly impressive.

Wicked runs for 2 hours 45 minutes (including the interval) and is certainly the hottest ticket to hit Milton Keynes since ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ played a four week run in October 2012.

It’s certainly one not to be missed if you like musical theatre and as I’ve already confessed, i was sceptical at first but Wicked has certainly won me over.

Wicked runs until March 6 with tickets from £20 to £52.50 when booking in person at Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office or for full details when booking on-line or over the phone, visit 0844 871 7652 (booking fees apply). For group bookings call 01908 547609 or online at www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes