Dave White's Musical Revue-Er-Review: WICKED
It's a tradition in my future wife's family to go out for dinner and attend a Broadway show the day after Christmas. Good tradition, and also gives me fodder for blog reviews. And since I'm not a man who is not at all versed in the art of the musical (other than I've seen my share)... this should be fun. Call me the Anti-Quertermous.
This year's play? WICKED.
Spoilers lie ahead... Be wary...
The play, if you don't know, is about the Wicked Witch of the West and Good Witch Glenda... and how they got to be the people they were in THE WIZARD OF OZ.
Great concept, and based on a book.
Okay, first off, the performances. Fantastic. Great singing all around, great comedic timing, a lot of fun. The characters in the first half of the play are well drawn and seem to be building toward the inevitable "I'm MELTINNGGGGGG" conclusion.
The music. No breakout hits. Nothing I really remember. I remember them being well sung. Something about Gravity. A bouncy song sung by the Wizard. But good stuff overall. And the singing was great.
The plot. Sigh... okay go with me on this one.
I really liked the first half. I loved the Glenda character and learning how she and The Wicked Witch interacted. The first half promises of a great second half, and a play that builds to something really well done.
But then, once the play realizes they have to get certain characters in certain places it completely falls apart.
First off, the people who become the Tin Man and the Scarecrow don't make sense. The Tin Man was a woodsman who cut down trees. Not a munchkin. By the time Dorothy gets to Oz, he's rusted up and stuck in the woods. (I've even looked up the backstory from the books... He wasn't a munchkin.)... Not someone who rallies the troops against the Wicked Witch.
And the Scarecrow... If he was someone who fell in love with Wicked Witch, why would he be scared of her, terrified of her in the Wizard of Oz. Wouldn't he know she wasn't all bad, but kind of good? I guess he has to act that way for the play to end how it ends (we'll get there). But, then, when captured by the witch and tortured by evil flying monkeys, he'd probably change his mind about her.
The Wicked Witch of the East. She gets some shoes, learns to walk, gets pissed at her b/f and takes his heart and is killed about 90 seconds later. How does the entire munchkin population know about her so they can celebrate? Come on now. She has no time to be built up as this horrific woman in Oz. She's just some sister who did a bad thing out of anger and sadness. FALSE.
As for the ending...
A FAKE DEATH? The WITCH DOESN'T DIE? She just sinks into a trap door and waits for the Scarecrow to save her? I mean seriously, this is a story about the tragic downfall of a woman to witch and they go for a tacked on happy ending? The witch melts. Some people who knew her turn out to be sad. Stick with that.
GUH!
Here's what I'm starting to learn about musicals. Story doesn't matter as long as you're distracted by moving, gigantic pieces of scenery and loud singing.
If I wanted that instead of a good story, I'd go to a concert.
Grade: B
Next week: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
This year's play? WICKED.
Spoilers lie ahead... Be wary...
The play, if you don't know, is about the Wicked Witch of the West and Good Witch Glenda... and how they got to be the people they were in THE WIZARD OF OZ.
Great concept, and based on a book.
Okay, first off, the performances. Fantastic. Great singing all around, great comedic timing, a lot of fun. The characters in the first half of the play are well drawn and seem to be building toward the inevitable "I'm MELTINNGGGGGG" conclusion.
The music. No breakout hits. Nothing I really remember. I remember them being well sung. Something about Gravity. A bouncy song sung by the Wizard. But good stuff overall. And the singing was great.
The plot. Sigh... okay go with me on this one.
I really liked the first half. I loved the Glenda character and learning how she and The Wicked Witch interacted. The first half promises of a great second half, and a play that builds to something really well done.
But then, once the play realizes they have to get certain characters in certain places it completely falls apart.
First off, the people who become the Tin Man and the Scarecrow don't make sense. The Tin Man was a woodsman who cut down trees. Not a munchkin. By the time Dorothy gets to Oz, he's rusted up and stuck in the woods. (I've even looked up the backstory from the books... He wasn't a munchkin.)... Not someone who rallies the troops against the Wicked Witch.
And the Scarecrow... If he was someone who fell in love with Wicked Witch, why would he be scared of her, terrified of her in the Wizard of Oz. Wouldn't he know she wasn't all bad, but kind of good? I guess he has to act that way for the play to end how it ends (we'll get there). But, then, when captured by the witch and tortured by evil flying monkeys, he'd probably change his mind about her.
The Wicked Witch of the East. She gets some shoes, learns to walk, gets pissed at her b/f and takes his heart and is killed about 90 seconds later. How does the entire munchkin population know about her so they can celebrate? Come on now. She has no time to be built up as this horrific woman in Oz. She's just some sister who did a bad thing out of anger and sadness. FALSE.
As for the ending...
A FAKE DEATH? The WITCH DOESN'T DIE? She just sinks into a trap door and waits for the Scarecrow to save her? I mean seriously, this is a story about the tragic downfall of a woman to witch and they go for a tacked on happy ending? The witch melts. Some people who knew her turn out to be sad. Stick with that.
GUH!
Here's what I'm starting to learn about musicals. Story doesn't matter as long as you're distracted by moving, gigantic pieces of scenery and loud singing.
If I wanted that instead of a good story, I'd go to a concert.
Grade: B
Next week: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Labels: Anti-Quertermous, Dave White's Musical Revue Er Review, Singing, Wicked
posted by Dave White at 8:00 AM
8 Comments:
I saw that 'Gravity' song on the GLEE tv show and hopped over to the iTunes for it. I enjoyed that one.
My pal @shoryland said that WICKED book was really good.
Too bad the musical wasn't enjoyable for ya.
Well done review. I enjoyed the show when I saw it but knew I was going to have to take it for what it was, not a literal continuation of the story. The tone was much more like the books with all of the political stuff and whatnot. The biggest problem my wife had with the story was that it all came down to the witch being an animal rights activist which seemed a bit odd.
Phantom is good too, but man, you want plot holes...
Oh come on Dave - it is fiction! Even real life has "plot holes"!! Couldn't you just sit back and enjoy - not review - for a change? Or was this the way you toughed it out with your stomach thing?
Listen, no offense (and I know who this is "anonymous is") but if your play sets out to tell the "backstory" of the Wizard of Oz, then it is up to you to actually LINK UP to the Wizard of Oz. Not make up your own story. If you don't actually want to link up to the Wizard of Oz, why not tell your own story about some random witch... Not a witch everyone knows. The story does not work. Real life may have plot holes, but people behave in a certain way in their life. That means the Scarecrow would show that he knows who the Wicked Witch is. The Tinman wouldn't be a munchkin... It doesn't work.
But I must repeat, I really liked the singing, the performances and the first half of the plot. And I had a great time out. My fiancee's family's tradition is great.
you are gay and faggot
The best musicals are the old ones, before the Lion King when they began to thinking staging was everything. And ones not written by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Hate his music. Try Guys and Dolls sometime. Or best of all West Side Story.
I mean honestly - aren't we ALL the anti-Quertermous?
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