Wicked The Musical Review

Since making its way to the big stage Wicked has been awing audiences, and breaking box office records in theaters all around the world. The show has been around since 2003, and has been seen by more than 2 million individuals.

The music and play, written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, are based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. The puts an unexpected twist on the famous Wizard of Oz story.

Wicked begins a long long time before Dorothy shows up. The story focuses on the relationship between Elphaba, who is better known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and her sister, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The musical tells the story of the witch's relational struggles and even disagreements over a boy they both come to love. Even more than that, the story even gives the audience a few tasteful references about the old movie we've all seen.

The story begins with the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. After Glinda, the good Witch of the North, arrives the citizens of Oz ask her if she actually knew the Wicked witch. Reluctant to answer, she eventually acknowledges they had met back at the University.

The scene changes, as Glinda begins to recall the past. Elphaba's mother, Melena, it is revealed, is cheating on her husband. Elphaba was born out of the infidelity. Her skin is an unnatural green hue which puts Frex, Melena's husband,to shame
Eventually Frex and Melena have another daughter whom they name Nessarose who is born a cripple. Frex, who never got over his embarrassment of Elphaba, adores Nessarose. When Nessa is old enough, Frex sends her to Shiz University. He also sends Elphaba, although she goes as a mere attendant. And as a parting gift, Frex gives Nessarose a pair of slippers.
After arriving at the University, Elphaba's surprised by how quickly her plans change. Madame Morrible, the school's headmistress, discovers the young girl's talent for magic. She compels Elphaba to enroll in the school's curriculum specifically geared to students with magical abilities. In addition, while Elphaba had expected to be staying with her sister, she ends up rooming with Galinda, a stuck up, bratty, rich witch. The beginning of their relationship, as can be expected, is rocky.

Elphaba loves her classes, although she encounters problems. In her class, Dr. Dillamond (a talking animal), discusses the strange fact that animals throughout the land of Oz are forgetting how to speak. This distresses Elphaba greatly. She feels powerless to help however. When one day, Dillamond is taken away because of bias against talking animals, all of that changes. The first action of the Professor who takes Dillamond's spot, causes Elphaba to spring to action when he traps a lion in a cage. She rescues the lion, and vows to make it her life's goal to protect all of the animals of Oz.

Soon after that, Elphaba and Galinda, who are now friends, are asked to meet the great Wizard of Oz. Galinda, at this time, changes her name to Glinda. Elphaba finds that the Wizard of Oz is powerless. She becomes disillusioned, and escapes from the Wizard on a broomstick.

Oz is stirring with the rumor that Elphaba could be killed by being dowsed with water. When Fiyero hears this nasty rumor, he storms off to find Elphaba. He leaves Glinda for the green witch, which baffles everyone.

Elphaba and Fiyero are together only for a short time though. Elphaba gets wind that her sister might be in trouble. She leaves Fiyero right away, only to find that her sister has been killed by a house landing on her. This is where the tale of the Wizard of Oz begins, as this home is the famous flying house that Dorothy arrived in. Elphaba steams with anger when she finds that Dorothy has stolen Nessa's shoes (the ones that Frex gifted her before she went to Shiz).

At the end, Elphaba and Glinda meet for one final goodbye. They sing a little song, and the famous, final scene from the Wizard of Oz is reenacted. Elphaba is dowsed with water and "killed". What is delightful to find is the grad twist. Elphaba was never killed. The green villain, it is shown, fell through a trap door. She find Fiyero, and runs away to be with him for the rest of their days.

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