WICKED RETURNS.

BroadwayInChicago has announced WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, 

will return to Chicago in celebration of its 10th anniversary on Broadway 

for a limited 8-week engagement:  Oct. 30 to Dec. 21, 2013.

Long before Dorothy drops in, 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. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. WICKED has "cast quite a spell" (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few. WICKED has been declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety and "The Best Musical of the Decade" by Entertainment Weekly. There are currently 7 productions worldwide: New York, London, Holland, Japan, Australia/New Zealand, and two concurrent North American Tours. Globally, WICKED has amassed nearly $2.9 billion in ticket sales and has been seen by 36 million people worldwide in its 9-year history.

~TheatreInChicago

I am sad to say that I am not one of the 36 million people who have seen WICKED. But that doesn't mean it hasn't had a substantial effect on my theatrical education & upbringing. I've loved this musical for a long time because it's unique, funny, thematically intriguing, & catchy; it also has had a substantial effect on musical theatre as a whole. The idea behind the musical was genius: everyone loves the Wizard of Oz, so there was a built-in audience base. Re-imagining the traditional story had already been achieved with The Wiz, but offering the prologue to the traditional story was just genius [sidenote: I've always wanted there to be a revival of The Wizard of Oz on Broadway where the entire cast/set were in black & white (a la Pleasantville) until Dorothy landed in Oz. It would be a smash hit]. WICKED is show that set trends & jump-starts careers. The original Broadway production starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba (who replaced Stephanie J. Block~ read that that story at the bottom of this blog) & Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. Idina Menzel had already won a Tony for her performance as Maureen in RENT, so she was already a Broadway baby. Kristin Chenoweth has achieved fame that straddles film, stage, & screen, but she still relatively unknown when cast as Glinda. I had seen Kristin Chenoweth in her 1997 Broadway debut in the short-lived musical Steel Pier. The show didn't find much success on Broadway, but I vividly remember being wowed by the tiny, blonde soprano belter. Both of these women deserve all the success they have achieved & being the original leads in WICKED production staff certainly played a pivotal part in the development of both of their careers. 

TRENDWATCH: THE FLYING ACTOR

[extended version; she takes off for flight @ 6.08]

I am not a fan of spectacle for the sake of spectacle, but I really love that contemporary technology has allowed actors to FLY. This trend is 100% due to the trailblazing staging efforts of WICKED. Due to the parameters of the story, it is so essential for Elphaba to actually fly & I'm glad they faced the challenge head-on instead of concocting some strange artistic cop-out. Two musicals that have also incorporated this trend are Mary Poppins & Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. I saw Mary Poppins on Broadway & the show ends with her flying over the audience all the way up to the 2nd balcony & disappearing into the ceiling of the theatre. It was a pretty awe-inspiring finale & allowed the production to maintain the same quality it exhibited with choreography, costumes, & casting. Just like Elphaba, an essential element of Spiderman's character was his ability to fly; Spiderman has gotten so much bad press for actor injuries, but, after YouTubing when the 99% of the time that the flying went well, I was pretty impressed. Just like any trailblazing technology, putting actors in the air is a risk & backfires. Things didn't go so well for Aladdin & Jasmine, but, overall, I'm grateful that Elphaba paved the road for other actors to defy gravity as well. 

THE AWESOME ANTHEM: "FOR GOOD"

[If this video seems familiar, it's because I posted it in my Wicked DreamCast, but I love it, so whatever.]

I lived just outside of Boston when the book Son of a Witch was released & attended a talk by author Gregory Maguire & composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz. During this talk, Stephen Schwartz recounted writing my favorite song For Good: he was talking on the phone to someone & trying to figure out how to conquer the duet between the witches to anchor the end of the second act. While on the phone, he said something along the lines of wanting to acknowledge that both women were permanently effected by their friendship. But instead of saying permanently, he said "for good." He immediately realized the double meaning in that phrase & started writing the show's amazing concluding duet For Good. He also acknowledged the fact that writing this song was an exciting challenge & unique responsibility since a blockbuster musical centered around two women's friendship is a rare gem. This has always been one of my favorite parts about WICKED; there is a sense of familiarity that I am positively not alone in feeling when listening to this soundtrack. The only other musical I can think of that centers on a non-sexual relationship between 2 women is Side Show [which tells the true story of Siamese twins Violet & Daisy Hilton's career in vaudeville]. I loved Side Show [click here for my DreamCast], but it was a flop. WICKED proved that women can carry a musical; I don't know if that was ever a conscious intention, but it certainly was a nice side effect. 

WICKED & CHICAGO

It should be noted that WICKED has a special history with the city of Chicago. WICKED first played a limited engagement from April 29-June 12, 2005 at the Oriental Theatre. The producers decided to extend it to and open-ended run, which made it the first non-Broadway on-going production. It re-opened at the Oriental the day after the tour was set to end & closed Jan. 25, 2009 after over 1,500 performances. WICKED returned for a special limited engagement from Dec. 1, 2010-Jan. 23, 2011. This upcoming, 10th-Anniversary limited engagement will run from Oct. 30-Dec. 21, 2013 [hopefully with the option to extend]. Tickets are currently available for groups of 15+ by calling (312) 977-1710; individual tickets will be available at a later date. 

It is my personal theory that a great deal of the success of Broadway in Chicago is due to WICKED's overwhelmingly successful run. It identified Chicago as a city where theatre is not only well-received, but has an audience base that allows it to stand the test of time. While WICKED was running in Chicago, they utilized the lottery system for tickets that RENT employed on Broadway. A lottery was offered on the day of the show & the winners could purchase $25, front-row tickets. To incorporate a lottery means the tickets were in consistent demand, which speaks well for the production as well as it's audience members.

 [sidenote: this option has recently been made available for The Book of Mormon as well]

SMASH S2: better late than never.

Smash was renewed for a second season! Honestly, I’m shocked; thrilled. grateful, etc., but very surprised. Since the show [imaginary musical] within the show [NBC series] is finally up & running, I am very curious as to how the second season will maintain the same sense of interest & suspense. Here’s the bad news about SMASH Season 2: it will not premiere until mid-way through the TV season ("early 2013"). The choice to premiere a show mid-season is a move that the producers of LOST & Grey’s Anatomy [my favorites] have often utilized. Maybe it was to build viewer anticipation or maybe it was because they had no idea where to take the storyline, but it never ceased to frustrate & annoy me. I guess this decision does keep loyal, anticipatory viewers like me on the edge of their sofas. However, in terms of attracting new viewers to the show, it seems a much smarter move to debut the second season when all the new & old fall series erupt on the tiny screen. Even so, the finale of Season 1 was perfect & I will wait it out like the good, loyal viewer I am. Now, let's reminisce:

My favorite part of Season 1's finale was the process of Julia's writing/writing block; I liked her euphoric moment of realizing that she needed to rely on communicating the good & that being the catalyst that created the perfect song for the finale (if you do recall, they only finished 15 minutes before the curtain rose. Talk about drama!). That moment of breaking Julia's writing block was especially cool because it reminded me of a real-life historic theatre: In 2005, Son of a Witch (the sequel to Wicked) was published & I went to a reading/talk by Gregory Maguire (author of the books) & Stephen Schwartz (composer of WICKED). Schwartz recounted a phone call when he was struggling with the final/climactic duet between the two female leads & that he had wanted to communicate how their friendship had changed them both permanently. But instead of saying permanently, he said For Good. Hearing himself say those words led to his euphoric moment that led him to write the song For Good, with the phrase's double meaning of permanence/positivity as its' defining catalyst. I am curious as to whether the storyline on Smash was loosely inspired this real-life writing of WICKED's great closing ballad. Either way, here's the best-ever rendition of For Good, featuring Smash's own Megan Hilty:

THE AXED ACTORS

• Raza Jaffrey as Dev [Karen’s seemingly cool, completely devoted boyfriend who acted completely out of character & cheated on her with Ivy]: I’m so down with him being written off, but not with this plot development as the catalyst. It was inconsistent with his character, a little too Melrose Place, & a little too obvious that they were trying to faze out Dev. I'm still a fan of this choice; Karen will be a much more interesting character without Dev pulling her down. 
• Jamie Cepero as Ellis [the sneaky, snarky, ladder-climber who offered nothing but conflict & irritation]: His exodus was awesome, obviously necessary, reasonably executed, & much appreciated. They pulled it off in a believable, drawn-out storyline (his attempt at becoming a producer & poisoning the movie star's smoothie). This was a  wise & well-executed plot-point. 
• Brian D’Arcy James as Frank [Julia's husband who seemed like he was trying to get over her affair, but threw in the towel]: He will be on at least one episode, but is pretty much gone. I liked his presence only because he is an actual Broadway performer. But the whole Julia/Frank marriage conflicts got old & wasted air-time. So I say good riddance & Brian D’Arcy James should get himself back into a role where he can sing. 
• Will Chase as Michael [Julia's former cheating partner who sometimes played Joe DiMaggio]: I liked him for the same reason I liked Brian D’Arcy James: he’s a true-blue Broadway alumni. However, his role on the show was so boring & I never got why Julia was so entranced by him. I watch this show because I love musicals, not because I’m interested in marital strife. Plus, he was a very bland character & didn't even sing that much. 

THE NEW CAST MEMBERS 

• Daniel Sunjata as Unnamed Man [Julia's new love interest]: I was hoping Julia’s love-life storyline would be more subdued in Season 2, but he has been cast as her new love interest. At least he's easier on the eyes than the other two. Plus, he's a stage actor; he was nominated for a 2003 Tony for his performance in Take Me Out. 
• Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore [a Broadway veteran who has some sort of impact on both Karen & Ivy]: This is very exciting. The woman can do no wrong & is a perfect fit for this cast. Well done, Smash! 
• Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy [according to the casting call:  “Straight, working class from Brooklyn. Sexy, charismatic, musically gifted, but also self-destructive and remote.”]: I know nothing about this guy except that he is coming to SMASH from Newies on Broadway & that's enough to give me faith. 
• Krysta Rodriguez as Ana [Karen's spunky new roommate who is in the ensemble of a Broadway show & looking for her big break]: I LOVE THIS. Krysta's Broadway credits include A Chorus Line, Good Vibrations, In The Heights, Spring Awakening (where I met her briefly after a performance & she was very nice), & originating the role of Wednesday in The Addams Family. She was the pitch-perfect Wednesday. HERE'S PROOF: 

SMASH 8: The Coup

First, let's define COUP:
• A highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment
• A brave or reckless deed performed in battle by a single warrior, as touching or striking an enemy warrior without sustaining injury oneself (among the Plains Indians of North America)
• Coup d’état: The sudden overthrow of a government by a usually small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority.
• THE BEST EPISODE OF SMASH SO FAR.

1. I was glad (but surprised) that Michael (Will Chase) was written off; that storyline was going nowhere except the indulgent stroll down the path of an affair & I am glad that energy has been stifled. The character of Michael was pretty boring except for the affair factor. The goodbye scene at the park was nice & much appreciated.
2. I have zero interest in Karen’s boyfriend, Dev (played by Raza Jaffrey). I hate that he actually has a storyline now & am hoping his storyline was only included to serve this episode’s theme of backstabbing. I hope they break up because their scenes seem like a waste of airtime & Karen’s breathy, romantic voice is annoying.
3. I loved Grace Gummer, who guest-starred as Eileen’s daughter Katie. Her acting style was understated with a sense of casual comfort & confidence among the established characters. Her sense of selflessness also served as such a stark contrast to Ivy, Karen, & most of the characters on the show, which was very necessary in light of this episode’s focus on theatre as A Dirty Business.
4. I am growing to like Julia’s son Leo (played by Emory Cohen) more & more; I hope he gets to air time. As children of the production staff, both Leo and Katie offer intriguing perspectives as next-generation, incidental witnesses as the musical comes together.
5. The bowling scene reminded very much of a cheesy, indulgent scene from one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies, Center Stage. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because I love me some cheesy, musical-theatre geeks breaking into dance in public places. This spectacle went pretty far & there was nothing wrong with that.
6. The Failed Experiment: I LOVED IT. I liked the masked chorus members, Karen's towel/toga/Marilyn-dress costume, the jerky choreography, the band on an upstage platform, & the presence of a band rather than a hidden orchestra. The shifting of Marilyn’s bed into prison cell exhibited awesome artistry; this potential production looked like a more enjoyable, engaging piece of theatre. Even more clever was the following image of Karen’s character locked in that same onstage-prison but with the real-life prison of her betrayal sinking in…I’m always a fan of the caged-bird imagery.
7. I think Derek’s contemporary, post-modern, “Marilyn for a New Generation” vision for the musical would be largely more appealing. The confrontation between Tom & Derek was a fierce, fulfilling fight that has been a long-time coming.
8. I can’t take this Ellis storyline seriously. I guess if art causes an emotion to erupt within you, if is effective; this storyline must be artistically warranted since it is SO exasperating. I don’t get why Katie, Eileen’s very vocal daughter, didn’t say something about this sketch weasling in on her mom & clearing riding her coattails with dishonorable intentions. It does re-enforce the notion that Eileen has an intrinsically good, trusting nature, but I find her stupidity frustrating. I also find his faux, new-found protection over Eileen overwhelmingly creepy.
9. Tom & Ivy’s scene was well-written, excellently-acted, & authentic in message. The idea that a new show needs A Star is not unfamiliar or unrealistic in the Broadway community. A perfect example of this is the story of Ms. Stephanie J. Block: in 2000, Block was cast as Elpheba in the workshop of WICKED. She is a talented performer whose performance was well-received, but she was re-cast when the show was slotted to go to Broadway for the same reasons that plagued Ivy: no one knew her name. The role for the Broadway debut went to Idina Menzel, who won the Best Supporting Actress Tony for RENT & was as well-known as a Broadway star can be. The re-casting devastated Block, but she moved on & created a successful career for herself. Ironically enough, Megan Hilty made her Broadway debut understudying Glinda in WICKED, so somehow things have come full-circle. Hilty was so incredibly well-cast in this role; her face translated the reality of accepting a dead dream & I have never once questioned that her character is married to her art. This is undoubtedly derivative of the fact that she is a successful Broadway actress & has an intimate understanding of Ivy's struggle.