Having read comments made in this forum from those on the east coast, it was easy to identify what was being talked about when I finally watched the Tony show for myself.
The highlight of the evening, for me, was Idina Menzel's much-deserved Tony for best leading actress in a musical.
It prompts me, nay, it moves me to reprint -- right here -- what I wrote about "Wicked" a little more than a year ago after I saw it in San Francisco on May 31, 2003:
I’ve been home a couple of hours.
I spent 3 hours and 10 minutes (including a 15-minute intermission) of my life today totally transported by a f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s musical fantasy. It didn’t seem like more than a couple of hours.
It’s the first time I’ve seen a musical without having been familiar with the music beforehand. The surprise to me was that I fell in love with so many of the songs (21 songs – count ‘em – 21 – with 6 reprises), instantly loved two of the performers and grew quite fond of a third after not having been initially impressed.
This show offers many stunning surprises, plotwise, and the great news is that ALL the cast is not only up to the task, but totally at home in an Oz L. Frank Baum created but never imagined in quite this way.
First, Kristen Chenoweth is adorable as a ditzy blond G(a)-linda who eventually asks folks to call her “Glinda.” She plays the “blond” for all she’s worth and she’s worth a great deal.
Comedy is her forte and they give her some dazzling opportunities to shine. First and foremost is her entrance at the start of the show -- descending in a bubble that spouts bubbles! Total kitsch played to the nth degree.
She has some wonderful songs, “Popular” being one of the best character numbers.
Idina Menzel is glorious as Elphaba (who would become the Wicked Witch of the West) and she has, by far, the very best songs in the show with the Act I closer “Defying Gravity” a house-bringer-downer. It’s chill-inducing and tremendously moving.
Norbert Leo Butz seemed, at first, a bit miscast. Primarily, it’s because his character is introduced in a number called “Which Way’s the Party” which is more of a dance number than a song, and Butz’s dancing moves aren’t up to the par of the company’s (which are MOST impressive). Once the emphasis is on character and song and not trying to be all jazzy and hep with dance, he settles into his character and rises up to the same level as Chenoweth and Menzel. He has an amazing voice!
Stellar support is lent by Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible (imagine a “Mrs. Slocum” type – “Are You Being Served” – without the British accent). The book is filled with wonderful made-up words – some almost malaprops, and Shelley has her share then some and delivers them with delicious aplomb.
Robert Morse’s wizard is a real treat. So, too, is the Throne Room “head” of the wizard with its glowing eyes and it’s stentorian voice. The “old” Bobby Morse is there – with quavering voice and cute expressions – but so, too, is the aging Morse and he fits the wizard extremely well. He has a number with Elphaba called “Wonderful” that is totally that…well, mostly. I’d make a cut in the last verse or so and shorten it a bit. I’d do the same with one of Elphaba’s big numbers – “No Bad Deed” – which is much in the vein as the first act closer, but it went on just a tad too long.
The dancers who performed as the flying monkeys are nothing short of amazing and they were well-rewarded by the audience at curtain call.
Sound was uniformly good, but I have to explain that I was on the second row, right orchestra, and 5 feet from the stage rim. Fortunately, I was treated to a lot of Chenoweth and Menzel as they had quite a few numbers that few feet from me. On the other hand, I was close to some of the speakers and the more powerful numbers are loud, bordering on shrieking. It probably didn’t sound that way five rows further back.
The set design and the lighting were SUPERB. And I thought the costumes a treat. That said, I can understand some folks NOT liking them. They were colorful, and not a little odd. I thought them Oz-like (comparable to costumes in the movie). That said, every character seems to have a full, unique costume and it's too much to take in. Also, with no contrast (simple togs, for instance), it overhwhelms.
The Oz sequences themselves, however, are PHENOMENAL – all that emerald green and lavish costumes and glorious lighting.
This was one of the seminal theatrical events of my life. There haven’t been that many, but I have to tell you that this show – even with a few quibbles (below) – is going to be a major hit.
Quibbles: Awkward moments with set changes; things falling; voices off stage of crew members attempting to get someone’s attention. A few songs that need trimming. A second act that seems to try to continue the story while also tying up many loose ends. There are a lot of songs in the second act and only a couple of them are too long. The others seem almost like set pieces, but they’re wonderful songs. There are some major plot surprises in the second act and they seem a bit hurried (in fact, there is a lot of quick change, no-pause-for-applause after a number). I have a feeling that the show may have been much longer and they've sacrificed some breathing room for pacing. I hate to say it, but they should probably cut a song or two rather than hurry through.
I have a new respect for Stephen Schwartz. This is a great storytelling opportunity and his music is definitely up to the occasion and then some. There’s a bittersweet ballad that both Elphaba and Glinda get to sing called “I’m Not That Girl.”
Oh! And one more thing: This show is Idina Menzel’s vehicle to superstardom.
You read it here first!
Of course, I had to wait more than a year for my feelings about Idina's performance to be completely validated, but it's the power of her presence in the show -- especially in consonance with the magical Kristin Chenoweth -- that gives the show what magic and power it possesses. It's Elphaba's vehicle, and Idina Menzel IS Elphaba.
