Defying Gravity

The wicked witch is dead.

Sorry Dorothy, but not according to Broadway. Actually the wicked witch is one of the most popular characters on Broadway.

Everyone has seen, or atleast heard of The Wizard of Oz. It is a timeless classic. But has anyone ever wondered how the Wicked Witch came to be wicked, or how Glinda came to be the good witch of the North? Probably not, but Author, Gregory Maguire, wrote a book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West", detailing how these two characters came to be. You could almost call it a prequel to the movie, and from this book comes the popular musical "WICKED"

I have seen this musical twice and absolutely love it. My knowledge of WICKED before seeing the show came from the music itself. My voice teacher loved the music, so therefore I studied the songs in her lessons. The music is incredible, listening to Idina Menzel, the original wicked witch, belt Defying Gravity gives me goosebumps. I tried to emulate the Tony award winning Menzel in my singing, but once you hear her sing you know that is not possible. Unfortunately I was not able to actually see Idina play Elphaba in WICKED when it came to my town. But I was lucky to see the talented Jenna Leigh Green perform this role. Some of you may know Green as Libby from Sabrina: The Teenage Witch.

WICKED is a very exciting show and sheds some light on The Wizard of Oz. Mike Trobiano of TheMinaretOnline best described the show as "a series of deleted scenes from the movie". And that is exactly what it feels like. In this show you learn why the wicked witch is green, where the red slippers come from, and why the cowardly lion is a coward. For those who the love the movie this is a great addition.

Besides the great story line and the awesome special effects, the show also asks a question that makes one think, "Are people born wicked? or is wickedness thrust upon them?" Galinda asks this question in regards to Elphaba, the Wicked Witch. It is also a topic that has been discussed and argued about for centuries. The show does not answer this question, but it does call into question the common assumption that the witch is "naturally" wicked. Most assume that she is just plain wicked, because that is how the movie portrays her. WICKED on the other hand complicates this view. It leaves you wondering whether she was as wicked as the Munchkins made her out to be or did her morals and values drive her to make the decisions that she did.

I already mentioned how amazing the music is to this show. Melissa Cabrera of AOL Radio Blog listed WICKED's soundtrack as #1 on her list of 10 Best Broadway Musical CDs. I could not agree more. If you never see the show, atleast listen to the music. Stephen Swhartz, who I mention in my blog Spark of Creation, is a master at writing and composing music. I am always moved by his songs. But I strongly encourage you to see this show. WICKED is currently playing at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, formely the TBPAC. I sadly do not have the time to go, but highly recommend going to see this musical, you will not be disappointed.