“Wicked” is so this year. And also so last year. And ditto every year back to its beginning in 2003. With its clever reframing of the familiar “Wizard of Oz,” told from the point of view of the idiosyncratic Wicked Witch of the West, “Wicked” will likely appeal to audiences who like their good and evil labeled in novel ways for decades to come.
“Wicked” is reappearing at the Kennedy Center, directed with fireworks by Joe Mantello, bringing back all the glitz and glamour that made it a super hit in D.C. back in 2005.
| Onstage |
| ‘Wicked’ |
| Where: Opera House, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW |
| When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through Aug. 21 |
| Info: Tickets begin at $37; 202-416-8500; kennedy-center.org |
“Wicked” fools with our expectations of Oz, making the story happen before Dorothy arrives, when two young wizards, Elphaba (Dee Roscioli) and Glinda (Amanda Jane Cooper), are thrown together as roommates at wizardry school.
Much of the first act is taken up with the bonding process between Elphaba, whose emerald green skin horrifies everyone who sees her, and Glinda, a super-sparkly, little-Miss-Popularity who determines to give Elphaba a makeover. Roscioli and Cooper nicely emphasize the differences between their character types: Glinda is as bubbly as champagne, interested only in romance. Elphaba is concerned with politics, animal rights, human rights and the well-being of her sister, the wheelchair user Nessarose (Stefanie Brown).
The friendship between Glinda and Elphaba threatens to self-destruct when they fall for the same man, Fiyero (Colin Hanlon), whose life is transformed for the better by Elphaba. Hanlon is an excellent singer and dancer; he seems truly sincere in his love song with Elphaba. Randy Danson is impressive as the formidable Madame Morrible, headmistress of the wizard’s school. The Wizard of Oz, a sleazy politico with the heart of a cheery old vaudevillian, is deftly portrayed by Mark Jacoby.
Eugene Lee’s set redefines the word “spectacle.” A huge dragon with immense, moving wings and glowing red eyes hovers over the proscenium. Scenes of massive gears, suggesting the interior of a colossal clock, give way to garish, bright green lights identifying the land of Oz, which before Elphaba’s arrival is on the verge of being an evil empire.
There are flaws in “Wicked” in terms of story and songs. Its few truly memorable numbers (“For Good,” “Popular,” “I’m Not That Girl” and “Defying Gravity”) get lost among a wash of truly forgettable numbers destined to entertain pop-music consciousness.
Yet “Wicked” perseveres, more as a story than as a musical, because of its timeless themes: of friendship and courage, of the triumph of substance over superficiality, of the appeal of the outsider over the insider, and of good (once you identify it) over evil.
