Broadway Review: Wicked - "Surprisingly different on Broadway"

Christine Dwyer as Elphaba

Wicked
Gershwin Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 8th April 2014

Jenni Barber / Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

During my week on Broadway I spent most of my time discovering new shows; however, my stay wouldn't have been complete without a trip to see Wicked. Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, Wicked tells the cleverly put together untold story of the witches of Oz. 

Despite being set in a different world, the secret to the show’s success is that it reaches out and touches so many people in so many different ways. At the core of the musical is a story of friendship, something so simple yet something we rarely see at the centre of a show.

You will never be able to think about The Wizard of Oz in the same way after watching Wicked. I will never forget seeing the show for the first time and becoming completely lost in the incredibly enchanting storyline. 

The first act, which focuses on establishing the story, is set before the Wizard of Oz takes place when Elphaba (aka The Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good) are at University together. The second act takes place during The Wizard of Oz and reveals what was happening behind the scenes… but all is not as it seems. “Are people born Wicked or do they have Wickedness thrust upon them?”