Wicked Review

Overall Rating

Wicked - Once was enough.

I've loved musicals all my life, but I have to say I really didn't like this one.

The green witch is hated from birth, and the result of an unplanned pregancy. A love song is made into a song of loathing, and Galinda glorifies being popular. Unfortunately, tons of teenie boppers are singing the song wanting to be popular, not recognizing it's a cautionary tale...

When I scanned the audience as the wizard was singing his solo about the stroking of ego and giving people what they want (instead of the truth), I knew the audience DIDN'T GET IT. They were identifying with him, instead of being unsettled.

I personally also didn't like the way the two witches were fighting over one man, hardly a women-can-survive-without-a-man theme. It isn't clear why either one wants him!

But, when the "hero" is carried off to be killed like a Christ figure hanging from a sword, my stomache churned. When "Christ" was turned into a resurrected "straw man" I was appauled.

The disabled sister appears to be kind, but turns out to be murderous (much like Coraline's mother in the "children's movie" by the same name, who wants to remove her eyes and replace them with buttons).

In sum, there are too many themes in this musical to be effective:
the unusual (stick out like green skin) and are hated by the norm,
those who have beauty are superficial/ugly have virtue, the Wizards of this world wield their power to be liked not for true social justice, religion is of no help (it's in fact a straw man), what you thing is good may be evil and what you think is bad may be good (morals are relative), and the list goes on.

None of the characters was developed; they were all Jekyl and Hydes.

If you want to come out in a foul mood, see this musicial. People who rave about it don't understand it AT ALL. It is the darkest "musical" I have ever seen. Hardly, kid stuff to be sung in a talent