Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)

Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman, and Thomas Maguire have created a musical which is timeless. It's a self standing work of art that speaks for itself and runs without need of the oil of the hour (which perhaps explains critics' hesitancy to heartily applaud it). This enters the arena of grand artistic achievement. It does what great art can do: stirs the emotions, provokes thought, and engages you fully.

I was never a big fan of "Wizard of Oz", but the show's poster (no kidding), concept of the "backstory" and revisionist history, Stephen Schwartz' music, and darkly comic sensibility enticed me. It was everything I thought it would be, but much more. This show is as heartbreaking as it is funny, as warm and friendly as it is dark and satirical, and anyone can appreciate it. It's social commentary is sharp, it's numbingly hilarious, and it's observations are keen and strike many chords, but it's heart and soul is what emanates from every moment and gets the audience to rise up on it's feet every night. You end up investing yourself in these characters, this fantastical world, and it does it better than any other show I've ever seen.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth are gems, and reason enough to buy this CD. They could sing the phone book, but luckily they have what I think is Schwartz' best work to date. It runs the gamut of musical expression. We start off with the foreboding, modern classical, and deceivingly celebratory "No One Mourns the Wicked" and ends with the haunting folksy lullaby-cum-pop belt ballad "For Good". We have cleverly hidden biting commentary through Glinda's rib crackingly funny tuneful Broadway standard "Popular" ("it's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed, so it's very shrewd to be very, very popular, like me.") and very fun and melodic Top-40-Pop style "Dancing Through Life", which evoke the pleasures of the privileged rich, good looking, and "in-crowd", but are really used to illustrate the themes of selfishness, superficiality, and "do whatever it takes to get to the top", and contrast with Elphaba's ongoing struggles with doing the right thing and doing what's "easy", and indeed how hard life is for many people (in this show, it's a tragic play acted out between Elphaba's sister Nessarose and a munchkin named Boq who are used, hurt, pitiful creatures). I love all the songs on this CD (not counting "Something Bad" and "March of the Witch Hunters") but if I had to pick some to recommend, I'd say "Wizard and I", which display Elphaba's hopes and dreams (and Idina Menzel's remarkable vocal skills) and contain a sad irony ("unlimited, my future is unlimited"). Then there's "What is This Feeling", an infective, catchy, edgy, comic, upbeat tune about Glinda and Elphaba's "loathing" for one another (and yes, they become friends). "I'm Not That Girl" is simple and heartbreaking. Elphaba longs for love, basically, but it's completely lacking in bitterness and self pity, and is full of mournfulness and duty, and it hits you hard.

The show-stopper "Defying Gravity" is a full blown knock-the-house-down "I'm not taking this anymore" change of weather. It gives you chills and pumps adrenaline at the same time. Menzel's miraculous vocals, the determined, wise, powerful lyrics, and Schwartz' beautiful, urgent, emotive, sometimes rock melody pushes this climactic epic crescendo of a song into Broadway history. Then there's the second Act, with Kristin Chenoweth's shining moment "Thank Goodness" , where she subtly changes the character of her character, and perhaps conveys the theme of the entire show, in front of our eyes "there's a kind of a sort of cost, there's a couple of things get lost, there are bridges you cross you didn't know you crossed until you crossed." It's a beautiful, tone changing, chameleon like, up and down song, that perfectly illustrates that true talent only needs a small space to get across big themes. Then of course I love "As Long As You're Mine" (I can't imagine Margaret Hamilton singing this one), the uber-powerful and despairing "No Good Deed" (it's like "Defying Gravity" part two but angry). Then the most beautiful song of the show, "For Good": Elphaba is defeated, and admits that she is "limited". It breaks your heart, but the rest of the song is a bittersweet balm and testament, poetic ode, to friendship.

The character development in this show is some of the best I've ever seen. Every character goes on a full journey. It is something I rarely see anymore and which is delightfully refreshing, and helps in our emotional investment in the story. Personally I could relate to Elphaba, and hers are themes one can immediately, viscerally relate to: destiny, being an outsider, being shunned by society, friendship, integrity in the face of adversity. That said, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth own this show. They are opposite, contrasting equals in talent and presence, one serious, mysterious, loving, and sarcastic, one beautiful, caring, yet selfish and superficial. They own their roles and their songs, they ARE these characters, bring them to life. The two of them and their roles are among the greatest female performances and characters to ever grace the Broadway stage.

Underneath it all, this is the story of a courageous girl who simply tries to live, to do right, yet is thwarted, and how she changed another girl's shallow life through friendship. Among all it's themes - corruption, destiny, rebellion, propaganda, deception, selfishness, misconception, racism, love, hatred, popularity, acceptance - this is it's greatest and it's strongest. It's what we take from it. And every aspect of the show, acting, characters, plot, and Schwartz' fine score breathing through and supporting it all, comes together to tell this story, and it's told brilliantly.


Defying Gravity   December 17, 2003
 22 out of 24 found this review helpful

This show is remarkable, simply remarkable. I saw this show a month ago in NYC and have been waiting for the CD ever since. It's one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen, and everything about it is phenomenal. The story is intriguing, it's exciting, it's captivating, it's dark, it's hilarious, it's sad, and it's smart, very smart. The acting and depth and breadth of the characters is so good it makes you forget you're in the theater, you get invested in these people. And Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, I've never seen them in anything else, but I think they're some of the most talented performers I've ever seen in anything. That sounds weird, but they're just sincere and believable with their roles and blow you away. That's good theater for you!!!

I know we're talkin about a CD here though. Quite a bit, not all though, of the above comes through on the CD, even though, understandably, that's tough to do on a recording. Well, the score of this show hooked me from the beginning. It's beautiful, catchy, fun, emotional, intelligent, and it gets to you in many ways and on different levels. It's definitely one of my favorite musical scores ever. And can those girls sing or WHAT? They're here in their full glory. I can't even recommend a song, they're ALL great, but off the top of my head "Defying Gravity" , "For Good", "Thank Goodness", "What is this Feeling?", wow, there are too many. It's a fine, fine CD. It might be confusing for people though, because it doesn't have a summary (major huge spoilers in the show, that's why), and you won't have a clue what's going on otherwise, but I suppose that's OK.

It's cliche, but this show makes you laugh till you cry, it breaks your heart till it hurts, and it makes you think. It really makes you think. I'm never gonna be able to watch "Wizard of Oz" the same way again.


UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!   April 30, 2005
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

This CD is unbelievable!! i saw the show in Toronto a week ago and it was the most amazing thing i've ever seen! It made the CD a million times better. All of the vocals on this CD are amazing. Idina Menzel is the only person that can still give me goosebumps after hearing the songs a hundred times already. Here is my opinion of all the songs:
1. No One Mourns The Wicked-9/10- Awesome song by Kristin Chenoweth that shows off her opera training.
2. Dear Old Shiz-6/10- Not a very important song, but in the show it is our first glimpse of Elphaba. Still a good song, but can be skipped.
3. The Wizard And I-10/10- This is Idina's first song and she is amazing! I get goosebumps when i hear this.
4. What Is This Feeling?-9/10- I grew to like this song after a while. It is actually very funny and I liked it even more when i saw it.
5. Something Bad-7/10- Not my favorite song, its the only song William Youmans sings, and he does well (for having to sing like a goat!). Idina sings toward the end which makes it even better.
6. Dancing Through Life-10/10- This is a very fun song that Norbert Leo Butz sings. It gets the whole cast singing, including Michelle Federer who plays Nessarose (she sings another song that got cut from the CD that i will review at the end)
7. Popular-9/10- I grew to love this song after a while. Kristin Chenoweth is so funny, i was cracking up when i saw it live. A very funny typical musical number.
8. I'm Not That Girl-9/10- This is one of Idina's solo songs. it is fantastic, full of emotion.
9. One Short Day-8/10- A good song with upbeat music that involves the ensemble.
10. A Sentimental Man-6/10- Joel Grey is very good in this song, im just not a fan of this song.
11. Defying Gravity-11/10- The breathtaking act 1 finale that will leave you in awe every time you hear it. Idina and Kristin are amazing! (Its even more breathtaking live, especially when Elphaba defys gravity!)The end will give you goosebumps and leave you speechless.
12. Thank Goodness-8/10- Good song by the ensemble and Kristin Chenoweth who again shows off her opera training. Its a good act 2 opener.
13. Wonderful-7/10- Not my favorite song. Again Joel Grey is great, and Idina is great when she sings.
14. I'm Not That Girl (reprise)-7/10- Kristin Chenoweth sings this short reprise of I'm Not That Girl. Its a very smart song thrown in, and if youve seen the show, youll understand why. shes singing it.
15. As Long As You're Mine-10/10- Awesome duet between Idina and Norbert Leo Butz. This is a very sweet love song, and the singing and emotion is so powerful.
16. No Good Deed-10/10- One of my personal favorites! This is one of those songs where Idina shines. The song is full of emotion, and a sudden realization for Elphaba.
17. March of the Witch Hunters-7/10- Good song by the ensemble (and a main character, but i wont say who)
18. For Good-10/10- Idina and Kristin's powerful duet as they say goodbye to each other. This song will bring tears to your eyes (im tearing up thinking about it) because of the emotion both women put into the song.
19. Finale-10/10- This song is like a mix of No One Mourns the Wicked and For Good. It actually makes my cry more than For Good (only after i saw it live). This is the perfect end to the perfect musical.
(20.) The Wicked Witch of the East-10/10- This is Michelle Federer's (Nessarose's) song that was cut from the album. I was extremely disappointed because she has a beautiful voice that, in this song, can be as powerful as Idina at times. She is so full of emotion when she sings and speaks. This song was cut because it would give too much away and most of it is dialogue. It is still one of my favorites.
If you read this review and still dont believe the CD is amazing, take it from the 300+ other reviews that say it is. I listen to this constantly and it never gets old, and i dont think it ever will. "Wicked" is a musical full of so much heart, it will be a part of Broadway and our hearts for years to come.