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 WickedApollo Victoria Theatre, West End, Greater London
Synopsis
So much happened before Dorothy dropped in! Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One--born with emerald green skin--is smart, fiery, and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding musical in years. Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes including a 20 minute interval
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Review Round-up: Did Wicked Bewitch the Critics?Date: 28 September 2006 Broadway blockbuster musical Wicked opened last night at the West End’s Apollo Victoria Theatre (See News, 16 Dec 2005), complete with a green carpet for the celebrities dotted among the audience, and cheers from the supportive crowd as each of the main characters arrived on stage. But did it live up to the hype? Wicked tells the “untold story” of the Witches of Oz - popular blonde Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and her spin-victim friend Elphaba, the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West – who were both immortalised in the 1939 film classic The Wizard of Oz. The show has a book by Winnie Holtzman, based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. American Idina Menzel makes her West End debut reprising her Tony Award-winning Broadway performance as Elphaba, while Australian Helen Dallimore plays “good witch” Glinda. Adam Garcia (Fiyero), Nigel Planer (The Wizard), Miriam Margolyes (Madame Morrible), James Gillan (Boq) and Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose) also star. The London production reunites the New York creative team, led by director Joe Mantello and designer Eugene Lee. The majority of overnight critics enjoyed the spectacle of the lavish production, and the “powerhouse” performances of Menzel and Dallimore as the Wicked and Good Witches, respectively. However, they also said the show was overblown, occasionally preachy, and suffered from more hype than heart.
Michael Coveney on Whatsonstage.com (3 stars) – “For all its spectacular beauty, ingenious costumes, literate lyrics and well crafted songs, the show is curiously cold and often, unlike the original yellow brick road, quite hard to follow.... Joe Mantello’s production, with designs by Eugene Lee and costumes by Susan Hilferty, is a miracle of staging and showmanship, full of witty allusions to the 1939 MGM movie, but equally determined to create its own visual world within a huge arrangement of cogs, lifts, steel structures and scenic daubs. The songs, too, cover the full range of point numbers, anthems and power ballads with a sure grasp of satirical intent and emotional energy. As on Broadway, Idina Menzel’s Elphaba is a green-skinned dynamo with a surging voice and a wonderfully light touch…. Her opposite number, Glinda, the prom school queen with a popularity obsession, is beautifully played and sung – if a little too squeakily at first – by Australian newcomer Helen Dallimore. Adam Garcia plays Fiyero with far less comic bluster than did Norbert Leo Butz originally, but he has a wild and compensating charm. Miriam Margolyes makes a fully rounded (in every sense of the word) character of Madame Morrible, the headmistress at Shiz who becomes the Wizard’s press secretary, while the Wizard himself is delightfully played by Nigel Planer.” Sheridan Morley in the Daily Express – “This is a truly eccentric affair…. To judge from the way the first night audience was cheering as at a rock concert from the outset, I suspect it may… prove triumphant over here for its sheer spectacle…. While no Sondheim, Schwartz writes a succession of songs which admirably fit the fast changing moods. Idina Menzel recreates her Tony Award-winning performance as the Wicked Witch, with Helen Dallimore now playing the sickly sweet Glinda. Nigel Planer is perhaps a little lightweight as the Wizard, but he makes up for that in the score’s one show-stopping number, ‘Wonderful’. For the rest, just sit back and marvel at what it must all have cost, preferably without recalling the movie too clearly or indeed too affectionately.” Michael Billington in the Guardian (3 stars) – “Friends of Dorothy may be diverted by this musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz. But, although it has been a hit in New York, it seems all too typical of the modern Broadway musical: efficient, knowing and highly professional but more like a piece of industrial product than something that genuinely touches the heart or mind…. There is a certain zest about the love-hate relationship between the despised Elphaba and the glamorous Glinda, who are college contemporaries. Stephen Schwartz's lyrics even display an unusual literacy…. Miriam Margolyes, as a statuesque, magic-dispensing college principal, has a Dickensian exuberance that evokes the world of Boz more than Oz. Having whetted our appetites, Wicked lapses into knowingness and moralism…. Worse still, the musical decides it has to make a public statement about the importance of sisterhood. In the least beguiling number in the show, Elphaba and Glinda jointly and unconvincingly assert: ‘Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.’ Admittedly, the show is well performed. As Elphaba, Idina Menzel possesses lungs of brass and displays the vulnerability of the congenital loner. Helen Dallimore's Glinda is very funny as the peachy blonde who begins by announcing ‘it's good to see me, isn't it?’ and gradually evolves into an Evita-style power-broker. Nigel Planer potters around effectively as the not-so-wonderful wizard and Adam Garcia endows the male romantic interest Fiyero with a louche charm.” Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph – “The account of fickle girly relationships is told with wit and panache…. At times the show undoubtedly slips into preachy. But mercifully Winnie Holzman’s script keeps the gags coming as it cleverly subverts the film that spawned it. And Joe Mantello’s production… is packed with spectacular coups de theatre…. Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics are occasionally touched with wit, but what he really specialises in are big gloopy power ballads that allow the two female leads to stand centre stage and soar into the stratospheric. This they do with some style. Idina Menzel… offers a winning powerhouse performance as Elphaba…. Helen Dallimore is at times laugh-out-loud funny as the pert, preening Glinda…. No one could accuse Wicked of being a great musical – indeed at times it’s a bit of a mess – but it proves far more enjoyable than I had dared to hope, and deserves a wider audience than adolescent schoolgirls.” Paul Taylor in the Independent – “The audience was so papered with connected people that everything was greeted with uniform ecstasy. Green-faced and in hideously clashing student clothes, Idina Menzel had merely to walk on stage, as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch, and the roof came off…. I confess that my tummy lurched pleasurably during the evening's big uplifting number…. The Wonderful Wizard (a very poor Nigel Planer) is exposed early on as a fraudulent coward, who, because he can't read his own spell-literature, has to unite the country by demonising sections of the community - animals, Munchkins etc. The attempt at topical political allegory is well-meaning but also melodramatic, incoherent and dreadfully superficial…. I enjoyed very little apart from the delicious Miriam Margolyes…. The songs sound like dozens you've heard before. The acting is, by and large, appalling. The book is aimed uncertainly at several constituencies. The production manages to feel at once overblown and empty. As the crowds heaved up for air during the interval, a lady next to me asked: ‘Are you liking it?’ ‘I'm afraid I'm not,’ I replied. There was a ghastly pause. ‘Well, everyone else is!’ she barked. I fear the show's message about the need to assert the right to be different may not be getting across.” - by Caroline Ansdell WickedVenue: Apollo Victoria TheatreWhere: West End Date Reviewed: 26 July 2007 WOS Rating:  Average Reader Rating: Reader Reviews: View and add to our user reviewsWe’re back in the land of Oz – and it’s a very good time to be here. While Kerry Ellis just keeps getting better and better vocally and emotionally as Elphaba - her outstanding performance as the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West is worthy of its own award - she’s now been joined by several new, largely welcome additions, not least her co-star Dianne Pilkington, who’s taken over from original London cast member Helen Dallimore as Glinda the Good Witch. With a wonderful voice and superb comic timing, Pilkington fits perfectly into her role – and succeeds in maximising the laugh factor. Her big song “Popular” becomes a real showstopper that leaves the audience in hysterics. But she also succeeds in plucking the heart strings, particularly in the touching “Ozdust Ballroom” scene. The love-hate relationship between Elphaba and Glinda is crucial to the show’s plot, and as the two rivals Ellis and Pilkington match each other in spades, thereby raising the emotional stakes to captivating effect. Oliver Thompsett, who has taken over as Fiyero, doesn’t yet feel fully settled into his role as the charming boy who comes between the two friends. His dancing lacks the power to own the stage during his big number “Dancing Through Life”, and there’s little genuine chemistry between him and Elphaba. That said, he does compensate with a powerful voice. Elsewhere, Andy Mace gives his all as Dr Dillamond, to pleasing effect, and Susie Blake makes a delicious Madame Morrible opposite a weary, supposedly “wonderful” Wizard of Oz Nigel Planer, who should stop walking the yellow brick road soon - he seems to have lost all energy for the show. Still, Wicked is fantastic family entertainment – spellbinding even – and now more magical than ever thanks to Ellis and Pilkington. Oh, and the sets are still elaborate and the costumes divine. Magical. - Ryan Woods
Note: The following THREE-STAR review dates from January 2007. Kerry Ellis had big shoes to fill when she took over from Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel in the role of Elphaba, the “wicked” green-skinned witch in the much-hyped Broadway hit Wicked. And fill them she does, as her assured, vocally and emotionally powerful performance is easily on a par with that of her predecessor. While Menzel played the role with her own American accent, Ellis' Elphaba bears the new star's natural English accent, which works well in dialogue. Curiously, she opts to perform some of the songs with more than a hint of a transatlantic influence, no doubt a mark indelibly left by Menzel who created the now almost iconic role. However, Ellis has an incredibly strong voice which does not suffer by comparison. She raises the roof with her "Wizard and I", "Defying Gravity" and "No Good Deed". All of these seem to require enormous lung power, and Ellis delivers it. But that said, where she really triumphs is in creating a more believable character of Elphaba, with her awkward, nervous mannerisms on arrival at the University of Shiz (which is to Wicked what Hogwarts is to Harry Potter) gradually giving way to a more confident, mature personality. The humour she brings to the role is enjoyable and stirring. Where Menzel was slightly too “Hollywood”, Ellis keeps it real. Well, as real as you can be in a world of flying monkeys and tin men. The other lead cast members continue to please, in particular Helen Dallimore, who plays the ever-popular Glinda and is hilarious in her big song, "Popular". There’s a touching relationship between the two “witches”, and a genuine spark between Ellis and Adam Garcia as the dashing Fiyero. Wicked is good family entertainment, and though it may try too hard to be worthy by over-emphasising its messages of friendship and tolerance (and there are some horribly cringe-worthy lines, particularly in Act Two), there's plenty here to please its legions of fans, new and old, for many months to come. - Caroline Ansdell
Note: The following THREE-STAR review dates from September 2006 and this production's original opening night with previous Elphaba, Idina Menzel. Wicked is something of a mystery to me. In telling the back story, or prequel, to Frank L Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, it delves into all sorts of interesting areas of political speculation, friendship, the price of popularity and the layered relationships between the human, animal and supernatural kingdoms. And yet for all its spectacular beauty, ingenious costumes, literate lyrics and well-crafted songs, the show is curiously cold and often, unlike the original yellow brick road, quite hard to follow. While I found the musical both confusing and overwhelming in New York two years ago, I was more struck by the obvious effect it had on an audience for whom The Wizard of Oz is a Biblical text and Gregory Maguire’s cult 1995 novel Wicked, the musical’s main source, and sauce, a valid expression of a national curiosity about the characters. How did the Wicked Witch exactly become so “wicked”? Winnie Holzman’s adaptation of Maguire’s novel and the songs of Stephen Schwartz transport us back in time to a pre-mythical journey through the fantasy land of Oz: in the University of Shiz, on an away-day to the Emerald City, deep in the tangled forests of flying monkeys and high on the turrets of the Wizard’s Palace. It turns out, of course, that the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, wasn’t really wicked at all, just green. Her friendship with the Good Witch of the North, Glinda, is the show’s axis, and their college pal Fiyero, a self-regarding playboy, their target of romantic competition. In standing up for truth and justice – represented by her climactic Act One closer, “Defying Gravity” – Elphaba finds herself on the wrong side of the political regime in Oz and Glinda has to find a way of redefining their friendship. Joe Mantello’s production, with designs by Eugene Lee and costumes by Susan Hilferty, is a miracle of staging and showmanship, full of witty allusions to the 1939 MGM movie, but equally determined to create its own visual world within a huge arrangement of cogs, lifts, steel structures and scenic daubs. The songs, too, cover the full range of point numbers, anthems and power ballads with a sure grasp of satirical intent and emotional energy. As on Broadway, Idina Menzel’s Elphaba is a green-skinned dynamo with a surging voice and a wonderfully light touch, as when she's presented with the black hat that looks something like the crooked spire of the church at Chesterfield and her life ahead crumbles to dust in a single look. Her opposite number, Glinda, the prom school queen with a popularity obsession, is beautifully played and sung – if a little too squeakily at first – by Australian newcomer Helen Dallimore. Adam Garcia plays Fiyero with far less comic bluster than did Norbert Leo Butz originally, but he has a wild and compensating charm. Miriam Margolyes makes a fully rounded (in every sense of the word) character of Madame Morrible, the headmistress at Shiz who becomes the Wizard’s press secretary, while the Wizard himself is delightfully played by Nigel Planer, taking another significant step on his latter-day progress through musical comedy roles. In the big onward sweep of the show, some characters, especially that of Elphaba’s crippled sister Nessarose (Katie Rowley Jones) get lost in the wake. But that may seem a footling complaint in the cynical showbiz land of Oz where the biggest bang makes the biggest bucks and humanity, in the end, goes to the wall. - Michael Coveney | Score | Comment | Date |  | Brilliant show..The Alexia Khadime that I saw was terrific .. as was Diane Pilkington. Don't know what show correspondent "cassox" saw but it seems to have been something else entirely.
However if his/her hearing is as poor as
his spelling then maybe it is a hearing aid he needs to appreciate just how good the show actually is!
- finnbarr | 26 Oct 09 | | Still awfull.
there is nothing to commend this show other than its a newly composed musical....... but unfortunatly Schwartz is a terrible composer... granted that 'popular' is a good yarn and 'Defying Gravity' a great power ballad.. or sorts....... but the wholething looks cheep, tacky and is a dreadfull travesty of musical theatre...
and what is more it is a rape-ing of a mockery of a tarvesty of the book.......
awfull..
i know you wont listen.... - cassox | 08 Oct 09 | | I took a chance and went to see this sparkling show and was pleasently supriced. I think Alexia and Dianne was absolutely brilliant. A very funny and entertaining piece of work. - Risto Pohjola,Finland | 27 Jul 09 | | I never quite understood the hysteria surrounding Wicked and especially Idena Menzel, but a return visit after 2 and a half years gave me some idea what all the fuss was about. Alexia Khadime acts the part of Ephaba really well but doesn't have any of Menzel's amazing stage presence or belting rock voice. She wasn't helped by being undermiked, which also hampered Dianne Pilkington as Glinda. What I had also forgotten is how entertaining Wicked is throughout with a memorable score and an outstanding book which is both funny and clever and manages to cover some of the same territory on prejudice as Hairspray. - David Baxter | 19 Jun 09 | | The best musical I've ever seen. It's funny; its' bittersweet; it's mesmerising. See it! - David Dawson | 06 Apr 09 | | I saw this show twice on wednesday 25th March. Sarah Earnshaw was on as Glinda both times and she's incredible. Sucha beautiful voice and hilarious to watch, i couldnt take my eyes off her. Kerry Ellis is really evolving in the way she plays elphaba and i have noticed a change in the way she does the role in the 9 times i've seen her since june 2007. Nadine Cox was Madame Morrible for the matinee and she was a very jovial but nasty madame morrible. Very diffeent to harriet thorpe who played the role in the evening but they are both amazing in the role. Desmond Barrit as the wizard was outstanding i think he's very good and will be sad to see him go in may. Jeremy Legat and Caroline Keiff have such great chemistry as Boq and Nessarose, i'll be sad to see them leave too. all the cast were fab and i'm so disappointed that the next time i see them will be at cast change, i want them to stay forever lol. Oliver Tompsett was also incredible as Fiyero and I'm glad he's staying - Kirsty | 30 Mar 09 | | This is my second time of seeing Wicked.This time I had up close tickets, too close in fact! Stalls row J39. Far left of stage but still good for 32 notes.Slightly restricted view. I was very disappointed in Ashleigh Gray's performance as Elphba. No comparison to Kerry Ellis. Don't get me wrong, her acting is first class as well as her diction and timing. There are no tuning issues either, it's just I didn't like her interpretation of the songs. No where near enough vibrato and too much "jerkiness" almost yodeling type phrasing. Just didn't do it for me at all. The rest including Dianne who has it all, was great, as before. It just shows how one person can either make or break a musical. It's still a fabulous show but next time I'd wait to see Kerry. - Dave Woolrich. | 20 Mar 09 | | Wicked is still exciting and colourful as the day it opened 5 STARS!!! I have seen the London production of Wicked - A New Musical many times and I am still taken back by the sheer scale of the production. You can see your money on stage in the set, costumes, lighting and the world-class performances from this amazing cast. Kerry Ellis really shines through as the green-skined misunderstood witch Elphaba. She took over Idina Menzel, who won a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway, and she continues to improve her acting and singing. Her counter-part Dianne Pilkington who plays the popular good witch Glinda also brings her talents to the surface for all to see. Her acting and singing match perfectly for the role. She goes from having the audience in fits of laughter to crying your eyes out. Harriet Thorpe also stands out playing the evil Madame Morrible where she suits the role 100%. Her acting and comic timing make the role stand out. She leaves you wanting alot more. The rest of the cast including Oliver Thompsett and Desmond Barrit round off the perfect cast for the perfect evening. A truely unmissable show for anyone theatre goer. It is well worth the money for a ticket even in today's climate. I hope this show run's for many more years to give many more the chance to be taken back to the land of Oz. See it Now!!! - Mark Weetman | 10 Mar 09 | | THE BEST SHOW EVER! This is truly magical and spellbinding. There are parts of this that made me cry it is truly amazing. I have now seen it 4 times and am going twice more in April and March. It is fabulous and this musical has DEFINITLEY changed my life
:D - Emily | 01 Feb 09 | | Wow, wow, wow. I saw this on Wed 28th Jan 09, stalls seat 9 row U 19.30hrs. What a fabulous theatre and being 6ft3" plenty of room. This was my 4th show in the week and the one I was least looking forward to, BUT how wrong I was. I always buy the OCR first so knew the score. This is BIG, loud and awesome. The voices, staging, acting are all first class. I can not say one negative thing. It has stayed with me and am still playing the soundtrack, which I don't normally do following seeing the production. One comment only, the theatre was cold! Bravo to you all if any of the cast read this. I will be back! - Dave Woolrich | 30 Jan 09 | | | Click here for more user reviews and to post your own |
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