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Through August 30
Bass Concert Hall (510 E. 23rd Street)
Tues- Fri 8 pm, Sat 2 & 8 pm, Sun 2 & 7:30 pm, prices vary, seats limited, the lottery is your best bet (see review for details)
[info] | [tickets]
Now, about the show. In 1900, L. Frank Baum’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published, introducing Dorothy and the Land of Oz and all that. Two years later, the book was produced as a play. Thirty-seven years after that the movie version, The Wizard of Oz, came out and remains one of the best loved films of all time.
As if all that weren’t enough, in 1995, novelist Gregory Maguire revisited the tale and came up with his own twist on things. The book, Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, takes a look at life from the perspective of Elphaba, said witch. This book, too, inspired a stage production, Wicked, which debuted on Broadway in 2003 and has gone on to be a smash hit musical, which, lucky you, you now have an opportunity to see in Austin.
In short, the production, now playing at Bass Concert Hall, is beyond splendid. You name it, Wicked has got it: that big, bold Broadway sound, incredible makeup, dazzling special effects, breathtaking sets, catchy tunes, and a spectacular storyline. Best of all, the traveling cast is truly outstanding, filling the very big shoes (ruby red and otherwise) created by the original cast.
Turns out the Wicked Witch of the West was actually misunderstood, dating back to the day she was born. If Kermit thought it wasn’t easy being green, well, he had nothing on Elphaba, who is scorned by parents and peers alike. At heart she’s deeply sensitive, highly talented, and—based on her affinity for animals—would’ve been a great member of PETA.
Sent away to school where she’s forced to room with the wildly popular and blonde Galinda, she has an even harder time fitting in. The two hate each other until… until they love each other. No need to give away much more than that, except to say there are some classic story elements—the love triangle, the evil forces, the fallout that comes when things are presented one way but perceived another.
Though the show runs a whopping 2 hours and 45 minutes—with a very strict fifteen-minute intermission that does not allow for all full bladders to be emptied (hello, Bass? We NEED MORE LADIES’ ROOMS), and no late entry for the first ten minutes of the second half—it moves along at a fast clip and invites no snoozing or watch-checking. There is great strength in the pacing—heavier moments are perfectly punctuated with lots of humor, well placed puns and callbacks to Baum’s original story.
Though there is a male lead, Fiyero (Colin Donnell) and though he does a fine job of it, as the show’s poster suggests, this tale focuses mainly on the relationship of two women, Elphaba (Marcie Dodd) and Galinda (Heléne Yorke) who later will drop the “Ga” and simply become Glinda (the Good Witch). Dodd and Yorke are each brilliant in their own right. They are also paired perfectly, neither overpowering the other, both with a fantastic set of pipes and excellent comic timing. Whether front, center and solo or performing a duet, these ladies sparkle brighter than those slippers that set so much shit into motion in the first place.
With an equaling outstanding supporting cast plus a marvelous munchkin chorus and some fabulous flying monkeys, Wicked truly deserves a full-house, enthusiastic standing ovation.
Wicked runs through August 30, 2009 at Bass Concert Hall.
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For the Lottery you must have CASH, if you don't have cash they will move on to the next person and you will not get tix, please be prepared with cash in hand.