THE MUSICAL 'WICKED' IS BACK---AND BAAAAD
                        But It's Good---and Loud!  
                                              By Carol Benet
        artssf.com, the independent observer of San Francisco Bay Area theater
                                                                 Weeks starting Feb. 17, 2009
                                                                 Vol. 11, No. 66
            You say that the Broadway musical is dead? That the only evidence of its existence  is yet another revival of a one-time hit show (South Pacific, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, or Pal Joey the most recent examples)? Shocker---you find a production like “Wicked” so original and so entertaining that you want to buy the musical score to live with it longer.
            Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics are the reason that “Wicked” will stay around. In the style of Bernstein and Sondheim, the music is based on rhythms and intervals both  fresh and exciting. 
         “Wicked,” the retelling of the Oz story, returns to San Francisco for the third time.  It made its world premiere here in 2003 and came back for the summer of 2005.  Both times it ran to sold-out audiences.  Then it did the same thing in Broadway where it won many Tony nominations and awards. 
            “Wicked”  is based on Frank Baum's  and W.W. Denzlow’s books and a more recent book by Gregory Maguire.  The play focuses on what was formally known as the good and the bad witches, until we encounter them here.  It starts with a beautiful, blond Glinda (Kendra Kassebaumn) in a fluffy, sparkly white dress and crown coming down from the sky.  She tells the story of the death of Elphaba (Teal Wicks), a.k.a. The Wicked Witch of the West.  Then she goes into the story of Elphaba’s tragic childhood – born with emerald green skin from an illicit union, forced to care for her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose (Deedee Magno Hall),  scorned by everyone because of her disability (the green skin).  We witness the scenes in her life based on these events.
            When she goes to college with her sister, she meets two people who change her life, Madame Morrible (Carol Kane), the nasty headmistress and the everything-girl Glinda.  When she is assigned to room with Glinda, you can imagine the scene.  There were not two girls who were more different: Elphaba is intelligent, lively and yet very despised because of her looks and Glinda is the popular, ambitious consistent blond-joke.  Then enters the school Romeo, Fiyero (Nicolas Dromard) and he first takes up with Glinda. 
            School is a challenge, especially when Doctor Dillamond (Tom Flynn), a scholarly goat, tells the class that all the animals are loosing their voices and are being put in cages.  Here is where the story becomes environmental as well as Maurice Sendak-ian when the deformed, endangered and maligned ones turn out to be the good guys and the beautiful and accepted people are the bad.  The story also points a finger at the establishment, the government officials in the form of the Munchkins. But Elphaba thinks that The Wizard of Oz (David Garrison) will solve this any other problem. We know better.
            Eugene Lee’s set looks like a Sendak as well with spooky constructions resembling the inner workings of a clock surrounding the stage and up to the rafters of the theater.  The Oz compound is spectacular with its fiery Dragon and varied smoking contraptions guarding it. 
            Susan Hilferty’s costumes are brilliant.  Starting with an Edwardian theme, she then de-constructs the outfits so that bustles are placed on shoulders or on upper backs; the many layers are twisted and turned, so that the characters become their costumes. Elphaba’s simple dress, beret and clunky boots in the midst of this entire splendor are actually chic in today’s standards, but she is the obvious misfit. And Glinda’s opening gown is just a little too “Prom” dressy, too cutesy, by design.
            Joe Mantello, with countless hits and Tonys to his name, directs, and he’s flawless.   He also directs the Pal Joey just about to open on Broadway.
            Schwartz had also composed music for Godspell, Pippin, the films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Enchanted, The Prince of Egypt and he collaborated on the English texts of Bernstein’s Mass.
            The excellent live “orchestra” is conducted by Bryan Perri, who is placed just below the stage so he can follow the actors.  The sixteen musicians can see him from their deep pit by means of small screens attached to their music stands.  There are three Yamaha electronic keyboards, one each of cello, violin, bass, guitar, French horn, and a few reeds and trumpets. 
            The music is loud, but not ear-drum breaking.  I always take earplugs to any musical event nowadays, including the San Francisco Symphony.
            Stephen Schwartz's “Wicked” runs through June 27 at the Orpheum Theatre on Market and Hyde, San Francisco. For info: (415) 512 7770, or go online. 

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        © Carol Benet 2009
        Carol Benet is a regular theater reviewer for artssf.com.
    These critiques appearing weekly (or sometimes semi-weekly, but never weakly)focus on theater, dance and new musical creativity in performance, with forays into recordings by local artists, and a few departures into books (by authors of the region)as well.
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