Wicked at TPAC

How does one get to be the Wicked Witch of the West? Gregory Maguire’s source novel offered an answer, imagining what transpired long before Dorothy Gale reached the merry old land of Oz. Serving up an intriguing revisionist take on the rivalry between Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch, and goody-two-shoes Glinda, Maguire found a surefire recipe to hook fans of L. Frank Baum’s enchanted kingdom (i.e., virtually everyone). The idea for the musical adaptation came from composer Stephen Schwartz, whose ’70s staples Pippin and Godspell are clearly the work of a writer rooted in commercial pop (and one who later escaped to the Disney factory). But within its hooky, Disneyesque limits, his score is surprisingly ambitious, marked by long-lined, conversational verses, multiple-crescendoed choruses, shimmery contemporary arrangements and a Broadway veneer that convinces. Everyone wants to return to Oz, and here the misunderstood Elphaba finds empowerment in soaring songs like “Defying Gravity.” (Imagine a young Margaret Hamilton singing, “And if I’m flying solo/At least I’m flying free.”) Marcie Dodd and Helene Yorke co-star in this national touring company production, which arrives amid deafening hype: TPAC has been promoting the heck out of the show’s three-week run, even enforcing strict guidelines on media privileges. The theater recently announced day-of-performance lottery tickets for a limited number of orchestra seats, available for cash only ($25) if you’re a lucky winner. Got any ruby heels you could hock?
Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Sept. 2. Continues through Sept. 20, 2009