Defying the lukewarm reception from critics at its 2003 opening, Wicked continues to entrance sold-out theatres around the world. Back in Boston at the Opera House through November 11, the current national tour does not disappoint: It delivers the thunderous power ballads, fantastic costumes and tender themes that first catapulted the show to its Grammy and Tony wins.
Wicked tells of the friendship between Elphaba, a green-skinned, passionate and naturally-talented social outcast, and Galinda, a porcelain, ambitious and popular socialite. How these two become Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North is not only a clever reworking of popular iconography, but also a multileveled commentary on the perceptions of good and evil.
The story wrestles with deceptive political leaders and the true costs of ambition. One of the show’s best lines comes from the overlooked song “Wonderful,” in which the Wizard quips, “There are precious few at ease/ With moral ambiguities/ So we act as though they don’t exist.” This refusal to keep everything black, white and easy is what distinguishes the show from what could have turned it into a Cinderella-makeover cliché.
Friday night’s audience applauded the entrance of Victoria Matlock as Elphaba and fanatically erupted at the climactic first half close of “Defying Gravity,” during which Matlock physically rises above the stage. Matlock brings a strong presence to the demanding role, though her belting in the highest ranges is not effortless and creeps into the realm of nasal and constrained. But she forces her body to develop with the character and chooses movements – the awkward hanging arms of an adolescent, the confident strides of a leader – to reflect Elphaba’s personal growth. She understands the misunderstood witch, even when audiences don’t.
Christina DeCicco trills Galinda’s aria strains with less force, though not without precision. At the Opera House, her voice sometimes disappeared amidst the dense accompaniment, but it could be the fault of a technical crew still adjusting to the theater.
The chemistry between DeCicco and Matlock is believable; few confrontations feel forced. Both are more comfortable singing than delivering hackneyed punch lines, several of which are overshadowed by their anticipating a laugh.
The show radiates with energy, propelled by noticeably faster tempos. The choreography is limited. Dancers will scoff at some of the ensemble’s punctuated mass movement. But keeping in mind that the cast totals only about 30 and that the impressive set of gears and switches take up a good amount of space, the show’s logistical decisions are appropriate. You will not forget the focus here is Stephen Schwartz’s score.
The music and lyrics matter; they entertain also and prompt the questions that will resonate with college students struggling to define success in a world disguising its own uncertainty. Boston is lucky to have this wicked good show back in its repertoire, if only for a short time.
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