Even as an adult I loved the mysterious land of Oz in the movie The Wizard of Oz. The musical, Wicked, tells us more about this world. It’s the story about a woman born with
green skin who is misunderstood and labeled because of her appearance. She
becomes the Wicked Witch of the West but as a young girl she had a beautiful
popular friend, Glinda, the Good Witch. Wicked
is an adventure about political struggles, social injustice, but mostly, friendship
and love in this mysterious world.
Reflection
As a lover of the Wizard of Oz I wondered why the Wicked Witch was so upset about those jeweled slippers on Dorothy’s feet, why the flying
monkeys were so loyal to the witch, and who really was the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow.
Wicked explained all this though
masterful music and the use of a mesmorizing set that brings the wonders of this
world to life (view TheWizard of Oz trailer here).
The witches, dragons, flying
monkeys, munchkins and the Emerald City are part of this production with an elaborate
set that took two and a half days to build with the help of 100 individuals. Movement on the set with huge mechanical clock like gears
and a dragon that frames the stage are just as spectacular as the music in this
show! (Read more about the set here )
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| No One Mores the Wicked |
The musical opened with “"No One Mourns The Wicked" following the recent death of Elphaba, The Wicked Witch Of The
West, as Glinda, elevated in her big bubble, recalled their school days together. We learn the story behind Elphaba’s green birth, her magical powers discovered
during her teen school days and her
initial “loathing” of her popular, wealthy, bubbly, and not too bright roommate,
Glinda in the humerus song "What Is This Feeling". They eventually looked past "the physical" and became friends despite their affection for the same man, Fiyero.
Wicked flies with the vocal power of both Mary
Kate Morrissey as Elphaba and Ginna Claire Mason as Glinda. The music crescendoes at the end of the first half when Elphaha who
is determined to correct the social
injustices in Oz, unleashed a visual and vocal explosion in, “Defying Gravity.” She elevates like a volcano as she belts, “Everyone
deserves a chance to fly…If I am flying solo at least I am free… Nobody is ever
going to bring me down…defying gravity” (listen here). Go girl!
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| Elphaba and Glinda in their school days |
Wicked really focused on the friendship between two very different women, charming Glinda and strong Elphaba, who together could have made a successful pair to right the wrongs of Oz. They however took very different life paths but their strong bond is felt in the heartfelt song, “For Good”.This song fueled thoughts of the many people that have made an impact on my own life as they sang, “People come into our lives for a reason...bring something we must learn. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but because I knew you, I have been changed for Good” (listen here).
Wicked with powerful vocals,
music and an ornate set takes you on a ride to this fascinating world. We enjoy the journey of love and friendship as we escape to Oz.
IN PERSON $25 LOTTERY: There is also
an opportunity to get a limited amount of tickets for $25 by going to the
box office two and one-half hours before each show and by placing your name
in-person in a lottery. Names will then be drawn 30 minutes later. The
tickets are limited to 2 tickets per name and tickets are for cash only. )
Spiritual Refection
People learn from each other, just as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17)
Other Sources
Tickets https://trustarts.org/production/52318/wicked
Defying Gravity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf9Bt5WFZKs
Broadway https://www.broadway.com/shows/wicked/