By Kathryn Olsen
There are many ways to experience the wonderful world of L. Frank Baum, but at Boise’s Velma V. Morrison Center, Broadway Across America is bringing audiences along the yellow brick road in Wicked, the award-winning story of the witches of Oz. The musical, which tells of the unlikely friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, is based on a book of the same name by Gregory Maguire. This adaptation is a collaboration between writer Winnie Holzman and composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and first premiered in San Francisco before hitting Broadway in 2003, and won many awards, including Tonys for acting and design. I am of the opinion that any opportunity to see something Oz-related should be seized, so dressed to match the Emerald City and sang along with the CD on the way to this show.
The musical opens with the birth of Elphaba (Mariand Torres), a green-skinned child who grows up in the shadow of her tragically-beautiful and wheelchair-bound sister, Nessarose (Mili Diaz). Upon enrolling at Shiz University, Elphaba is paired with the beloved and effervescent Galinda (Erin Mackey). The two women become frenemies as college roommates with irreconcilable differences, but discover kinship through their mutual efforts to excel at magic and fight social injustice. Inevitably, their paths part as Elphaba chooses to break ties with the not-so-wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jason Graae) and Galinda becomes Glinda the Good, the most popular witch in all the land. It is The Wizard of Oz as never told before and changes popular perception of beloved and hated characters alike.
Torres has the most demanding role of the cast, transforming from an overlooked and belittled character to an unrepentant force of nature. Her depiction of the famous Wicked Witch of the West is nuanced and audacious, ranging from emotionally-transparent laments about unrequited love to the show-stopping anthem “Defying Gravity” that concludes Act I.
The role of Galinda was originated by Kristin Chenoweth and many productions feature actresses who take their cues from her. While Mackey plays the character according to the cheerful dialogue and self-involved confidence written into the script, her stage presence is remarkable and original. She plays Act I in a very two-dimensional way, then proves that this was a pretense as she runs the emotional gamut in an effort to do what’s right for her closest friend and her own country.
Standout performances are given by three secondary characters in the story. As Nessarose, Diaz is as underestimated by some characters as her infamous older sister, but repeatedly impresses the audience with both her resilience and ferocity. Munchkin Boq (Michael Wartella) has perhaps the least stage time of the principal cast, but renders a memorable performance by echoing earlier scenes in critical moments. Fiyero (Curt Hansen) plays an indifferent pretty boy who prides himself on being brainless amusingly in Act 1, but never misses a step in showing where his loyalties lie in Act 2.
With so many outstanding characters actively driving the plot, it might be easy to overlook the roles of the master manipulators in the cast. Madam Morrible (Sharon Sachs) is head of the University and spends much of the plot cunningly goading people into acting against their better judgment. Sachs plays this part very convincingly without overstating her devious side. Of course, no Oz story would be complete without a wizard and Graae seamlessly channels the spirit of the I-can-explain-everything conman of the original film while lending genuine emotion to pivotal moments.
While Wicked will be playing at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts in Boise, ID until March 17, it is well worth the effort to join this spectacular cast for one short day in the Emerald City. Dig out your ruby slippers and hurry to get tickets before it leaves. It is appropriate for school-age children as well as older audiences.
Broadway Across America presents Wicked. Book by Winnie Holzman/ Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, 2201 W Cesar Chavez Ln, Boise, ID 83725
March 6-17, 2019 7:30 PM
Tickets: $77-213
Contact: 208-426-1609
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