REVIEW: Wicked at Sunderland Empire

Wicked

Sunderland Empire

Until Sunday 20 October 2024

This slick reimagining of the Wizard of Oz carries all before it in a lavish, technically dazzling production, with strong leads belting out the now famous power ballads, quirkily charming costumes, imposing scenery and impressive effects. This hard-working and talented company deserved their standing ovation, though I found the show, as a whole, not as emotionally involving as one might have hoped. 

Wicked premiered 20 years ago on Broadway to what can only be described as a mixed critical response. The paying public, however, clearly had no such reservations and the show boosted the careers of leads, Kristen Chenoweth and Disney’s darling, Idina Menzel, into the stratosphere. Having two leading ladies on different journeys, the show gives Broadway veteran songwriter Stephen Schwarz room for more than your average number of self-realisation ballads and stirring anthems. Many of these have become massive hits and last night they were eagerly awaited and wildly applauded by an audience that knew what to expect.  

The show opens with a lugubrious anthem as good witch Glinda, announces the death of Elphaba, the Witch of the West. In response to a question about her past friendship with the deceased, the show goes into flashback mode and tells the story of Glinda’s (then known as Galinda – don’t ask me to explain why she changes it) and Elphaba’s college days. The former a spoilt, popular rich girl and the latter a green-skinned misfit, loved by no-one except perhaps her wheelchair bound sister, Nessarose.

When the two are forced into rooming together this sets up one of the most amusing songs in the score, describing their mutual loathing. When it becomes clear, however, that Elphaba has a unique power of sorcery and assists Galinda to become involved in her studies, the two become unlikely friends. Through the efforts of Madam Morrible, the enigmatic school principal, Elphaba is invited to meet the wizard with a view to becoming his assistant. Elphaba’s main purpose, however is to seek his help with a problem whereby the talking animals of Oz, as represented by her teacher, Doctor Dillamont, are being deprived of speech. 

After being persuaded to test her powers by giving wings to a monkey, so effectively that she endows all Oz’s monkeys in similar fashion, she realises the person behind the sinister changes is actually the wizard, aided by Morrible, tellingly now promoted to his Press Secretary. His agenda, echoing fascist doctrines, is to keep the people of Oz united by providing them with a common enemy. This is heavy stuff for a musical. Elphaba frees the monkeys and runs away with the wizard’s spell book, declaring her intent to take to the skies, closing the act with the powerful and iconic number ‘Defying Gravity.’ 

One could be forgiven for wondering at this point just what is left for the second act. The answer is the playing out of a love triangle with the sadly underwritten charmer Fiyero, who may be callow and self-centred or may be deeply noble, or perhaps both. There is also another encounter with the Wizard, where he gives the essence of the show by explaining that history is entirely subjective, depending on who gets to tell the tale.  There follows the resolution of Elphaba’s story, giving an alternative view to the classic tale and giving new back stories to its central characters.

 It would be unhelpful to spoil future audience’s enjoyment by detailing the clever way the show dovetails with its predecessors, at the same time completely changing our perception of events. 

The show hinges on the two female leads, of course. Schwarz’s score calls for powerful vocals from both, as well as classical soprano technique from Glinda. Laura Pick’s Elphaba and Sarah O’Connor’s Glinda were not found wanting. Pick thrilled the audience with her ringing high belt and she gave all the script allowed in terms of characterisation. O’Connor was a scintillating delight, perky to the point of nausea, and the very essence of privileged perfection, she brought a great comedic sense to Glinda’s painful voyage to self-awareness. Their voices blended beautifully, particularly in the touching number, ‘For Good.’

Russell Dickson (at this performance) brought a rakish appeal and a warmth to Fiyero, Donna Berlin was a commanding Madame Morrible and Simeon Truby brought great charm and a light touch as the wizard, also doubling poignantly as Dr Dillamont. Megan Gardiner did a good job of navigating Nessarose’s slightly puzzling journey and Jed Berry was effective as Boq, Glinda’s disappointed Munchkin suitor.

If, for me, all this adds up to a show that is somewhat less than its parts is down to the need for Winnie Holzman’s otherwise efficient script to deliver such a complex and idea-loaded story arc, whilst accommodating 22 songs, thereby allowing minimal time for character development and reducing one’s connection with, and concern for, the characters.

That is only a personal view, of course, and such concerns clearly did not trouble the Empire’s audience, nor my 11-year-old companion. The show was received with great warmth and enthusiasm, as befits this impressive staging and the hard-working and gifted company.

Oh, by the way, does anybody know why there was a hugely impressive animatronic dragon dominating the proscenium arch? I know it’s been a feature of the set from the first production, but I’m entirely baffled by its relevance.

Review: Jonathan Cash

Tickets:

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