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BUY THE CD
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“Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better…But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”
I’ve been on a bit of a Stephen Schwartz kick lately (see last month’s review of the Children of Eden recording), so I figured this month I’d review the cast recording of his current show, Wicked.
Wicked is the “untold” story of the witches of Oz, loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical centers on the unlikely friendship of Glinda the Good and Elphaba, a young witch with green skin who will eventually become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.
The show has been immensely popular since its opening in 2003, and it managed to rake up ten Tony nominations. It took home three—one was for Best Score—and later, the cast recording won a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. One quick listen of the CD and it’s easy to see why.
The original cast captured on the recording is phenomenal. It includes big Broadway names like Joel Grey, Kristin Chenoweth, and Idina Menzel (who played Maureen in the original stage and movie productions of Rent). Like Children of Eden, the score is varied, and it ranges from light and peppy to dark and sweeping. The recording contains some of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time, including its hallmark Act I finale, “Defying Gravity,” and Elphaba’s show-stopping second-act number, “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.” And anyone who’s ever had to part from a close friend can relate to Glinda and Elphaba’s heartbreaking final duet, “For Good.”
Wicked is an immensely popular show, but it has gotten its fair share of criticism from critics and theatre fans alike. Some common complaints are that the plot is too contrived and simplistic, that there are too many changes from the original novel, and that the score is nothing more than pop candy, with vocals that are too reminiscent of American Idol.
I agree that Wicked does have its problems, but those problems don’t stop me from loving it. I don’t expect every show to be as complicated as Sweeney Todd or as epic as Les Miserables. Sometimes, musicals are just there to entertain. For better or for worse, Wicked is entertaining. Will listening to this CD change your life? Probably not. Will this show be remembered as one of the all-time great musicals in 50 years? Not likely. But do I enjoy listening to Stephen Schwartz’ music and lyrics and the powerful vocal performances on this CD? You bet I do.
I can’t tell you whether or not you’ll enjoy Wicked. It’s just too polarizing for me to predict one way or another. But don’t assume you’ll like or dislike it based solely on what you’ve heard from critics or fans of the show. Give it a listen and decide for yourself. You just might be surprised.
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