Wicked the musical has landed in Singapore! Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the award-winning Broadway and West End phenomenon has thrilled over 50 million theatregoers worldwide with its alternative telling of the classic American story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Taking place long before a cyclone swept Dorothy and her farmhouse away to the magical land of Oz, Wicked is about the untold true story of the Witches of Oz – the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the South. It tells the story of Elphaba, a girl born with emerald-green skin, and who is smart, brave, immensely talented in sorcery but misunderstood, as well as her unlikely friendship with her university beautiful but flighty classmate Galinda (later “Glinda”).
Wicked stars Carly Anderson as Glinda (left) and Jacqueline Hughes as Elphaba (right).
Following a journey to the Emerald City where the duo meets the Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroad and their lives take very different paths when it becomes clear the Wizard is not as Wonderful as everyone thinks. While Galinda is seduced by the appeal of power and staying popular, Elphaba stays true to her principles and tries to do the right thing – despite facing alienation and worse, looking wicked in everyone’s eyes.
What really stands out in Wicked are the special effects and Stephen Schwarz’s wonderful score. When Elphaba and Glinda arrive at the Emerald City, you will be stunned by how the characters’ costumes and stage are enveloped in glorious shades of green. The growling, flashing wizard with red eyes’ arrival on scene will awaken all your childhood memories of the Wizard of Oz. You may already have heard the songs “Defying Gravity” and “For Good”, which are hits in themselves and will have you humming them long after you leave the theatre. And gravity-defying moments abound during the show when characters levitate or fly through the air– it’s a world of sorcery and witchcraft after all.
Are there at least 50 shades of green, you think?
Wicked, besides having some of the nicest stage tricks I’ve seen in a while, has an immensely satisfying story that transcends ages and geographies, with many lessons for us all. There is, of course, the triumph of good over evil (it is a fairytale after all, so this is no big spoiler). But more than that, it is also the story of corrupt government being exposed, a story of embracing of diversity (no matter your colour), and a story of having courage and strength in the long, hard fight against evil. Through Elphaba and Glinda, the plot is a searing demonstration of courage and friendship.
Wicked is so heartwarming, and, oh–just so wicked.
What: Wicked – The Musical
When: 29 Sep to 20 Nov 2016; Tue – Fri: 8pm; Sat: 2pm and 8pm; Sun: 1pm and 6pm
Where: Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Tickets: Tickets start from S$55 and are available via Sistic and Marina Bay Sands Box Office.
