‘Wicked’ good night at the theater
For accessAtlanta
Thursday, October 02, 2008
“Wicked,” the blockbuster musical that puts a twister on the back story of “The Wizard of Oz,” will be landing at the Fox Theatre with a force akin to Aunt Em’s house falling from the sky.
"Wicked" presented by Broadway Across America Atlanta. $29-$125. Oct. 8-Nov. 2. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com.
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This tale of the two girls who become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch continues to capture international audiences with its new take on the timeless Oz mythology. It opened on Broadway in 2003, and its four North American companies alone (there are currently eight in all) have grossed a combined total of nearly $950 million.
As “Wicked” readies for its Atlanta return, we spoke with one of the show’s producers, David Stone, about the phenomenon, and how being green has its perks.
Describe your take on the “Wicked” phenomenon.
Different audiences respond to the show in different ways. A young kid may like seeing how the twister happened or how the Scarecrow became the Scarecrow. A teenager or young adult might love seeing the story of an outsider who becomes accepted. Adults might be provoked by the idea that governments and societies often decide what’s good and what’s wicked based on how people look. Or they might connect to the beautiful friendship of these two women and the choices and sacrifices they make.
How tough is it to replicate the Broadway show on the road?
Technically, we travel with 17 trucks and many dozens of people. “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” made sure that what you saw in New York is the same thing you’ll see on the road — in Chicago, London.
Are there any moments that still take your breath away?
The first performance in San Francisco — we did an out-of-town tryout there — I was standing in the back of the theater not knowing what to expect, never having had an audience before. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth were known a little bit, but not really. So Kristin comes out and sings the opening number and everybody liked it and applauded. Then the back wall opened and this young, idealistic, beautiful, innocent, hopeful green girl ran down stage center. The audience went nuts, not because of the actor playing the part. But that character, who is probably the person that we’ve feared most in our lives, is nothing like we thought she was. She was much more complicated than that. It’s a big idea and the audience got it in a moment. It happened at every performance since. And the whole show is really in that moment, the idea that she is more complicated than we think she is.
