Show is “Wicked” fun

Lions, tigers and bears? Try eye-popping sets, show-stopping numbers and a high-flying diva. Oh… Lions, tigers and bears? Try eye-popping sets, show-stopping numbers and a high-flying diva. Oh my, indeed. ‘Wicked,’ the smash Broadway hit, has made a return trip to Pittsburgh for a limited month-long engagement, and if you are a theater fan, or you simply want to enjoy some of the best entertainment Pittsburgh has to offer, then do not miss this show. For those who are completely unfamiliar with the show, the musical is based on the Gregory Maguire book of the same name, and it plays out like a behind-the-scenes version of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ set long before Dorothy ever touched down in Oz and acquired those ruby slippers. Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West, meet at a Hogwarts-esque boarding school, and through a series of events, the transformation of these two characters into the well-known figures we love or hate is the driving interest of the show ‘mdash; and trust me, the minute developments that correspond to ‘Oz’ alone make the show worth seeing. As far as Broadway musicals go, ‘Wicked’ is infamous for encapsulating all that is big, bawdy and bombastic on the stage. While the book of the show has an inarguable amount of cleverness and depth to it, the show-stopping songs and over-the-top production are what gives the show its massive appeal. The sets are beautiful and intricate, the lighting is top-notch, and the staging simply oozes grandiosity. Considering this is a touring production, my expectations were fairly low as to the transition it would make from the original Broadway production, which I saw when it first opened to mixed thoughts on my part. But as soon as the first couple notes were blasted in the opening number, ‘No One Mourns the Wicked,’ I knew that I was in for a pleasant surprise. By the time the show ended, I could confidently say this is a better production than the version I saw in New York. The way the show is structured relies heavily on the capabilities of the two female leads, Glinda and Elphaba. Played by Katie Rose Clarke and Carmen Cusack, the two witch friends display an incredible amount of crucial chemistry with each other, and this makes some of the show’s incredulous developments more easily swallowed, and their acting capabilities are never questionable. On the vocal side, Clarke is about as perfect a Glinda you could ask for. Her voice is bubbly and airy ‘mdash; the well-known number ‘Popular’ delivers, even though she loses all pretense of subtlety and dances across the stage into straight-up slapstick. Cusack, however, does not always fare so well. Her voice is rich enough to pull off the role ‘mdash; ‘Defying Gravity,’ which finds her suspended 20 feet in midair belting one of the most powerful show tunes in recent memory, is incredible. Sometimes, though, she develops some pitch problems, especially in ‘I’m Not That Girl,’ which is one of the weakest songs of the show. In the end, however, both actresses go far and beyond impressing the audience. The supporting cast of the show does an admirable job as well. The male love interest, Fiyero (Cliffton Hall), is played as more of an airhead as usual, but it works well. The Wizard, played with a twist of classic vaudeville by Lee Wilkof, is as entertaining as the least entertaining role in the show could possibly be. Even his numbers, such as the dreadfully dull ‘A Sentimental Man,’ are more than bearable. One problem that plagues ‘Wicked’ is the unbalanced nature of its two acts. Act One is by far more entertaining, and with its closer, ‘Defying Gravity,’ the audience’s expectations could not be higher for Act Two. Unfortunately, they are nowhere close to met. This should not deter anyone from seeing the show, though, because despite this slight unbalance of the book, the musical is still massively entertaining and not to be missed. The show runs until Oct. 5, and if you are wary about shelling out the big bucks for seats, a special lottery seat program provides the chance to win $25 tickets. It is an unmissable opportunity for students on a budget. It would be downright wicked to miss an opportunity to see this satisfying spectacle of show.