You’ve seen the movie; you can rehearse the lines by heart. You thought you knew the whole story; well, you were wrong. The classic tale of “The Wizard Of Oz” has been taken to an entirely new level with “Wicked.” The musical that everyone is talking about has graced Boston with its presence.
If you’ve visited the Campus Center in the past few weeks, or checked your UMB email, you would have noticed that the Student Arts and Events Counsel offered discounted tickets to the October 11th showing.
If you failed to observe the countless advertisements, well, too bad for you. But, the good news is that the Broadway show will still be at the Boston Opera House in Downtown Crossing until the 11th of November.
The story offers a different perspective of the timeless tale we all grew up watching. Secrets are discovered, lies are spread, and director Joe Mantello still manages to squeeze in a love triangle.
Though L. Frank Baum originally wrote “The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz” way back in 1900, the precursor “Wicked” a novel by Gregory Maguire wasn’t published until 1995. The book was adapted into the critically acclaimed Broadway musical just 5 years later, a full century after Baum’s work was originally published.
Actress Christina DeCicco portrays Galinda, whose name was later shortened to Glinda after she decides to silence the Ga, in one of the best performances I’ve seen to date. The blonde, bubble-traveling “good” witch gave the most memorable performance, and completely made the story come alive for me.
Victoria Matlock, Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, was also a fine choice for the green girl, and worked well with DeCicco. The infamous Wizard of Oz, played by P.J. Benjamin, and Madame Morrible, depicted by Barbara Tirrell, also provided audiences with impressive presentations, both concerning acting talent as well as immense vocals.
I entered the Opera House without the slightest clue as to what to expect, and I was shocked to find out that the musical had anything to do with “The Wizard Of Oz.” I quickly became skeptical, thinking how could the classic be touched when it was already so, wonderful?
Alas, to my surprise, I found that I not only enjoyed the addition, but that it tied together some of the lose ends from the movie I hadn’t even realized existed. I wanted to go out and rent “The Wizard of Oz” the very moment I got home to see if I could piece things from the two books together, curious to find even more connections.
Though the two do, essentially, go hand in hand, one could easily go to see “Wicked” without ever having been exposed to “The Wizard Of Oz.” The play holds its own with explanations and entertainment, and will leave audiences begging for more.