Wicked Review

When people think of stories that contain the message of self love and self worth, many think of stories such as Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli or stories such as that of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

However, one often overlooked tale of self-love and self worth that speaks to me, is the story of Elphaba, the “evil witch” in the Broadway play, Wicked. 

Wicked, although a popular play, is often overshadowed by the newest releases or the classics. When my family was considering a play to see over Thanksgiving break, my mind immediately went to plays such as Mean Girls, Beetlejuice, and Waitress.

However, we ended up going to see Wicked. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz book or movie, so although I was excited to see a show, I was not as excited to be seeing this play compared to the masterpieces I had been hearing about from all my theater loving friends. 

My opinion changed as soon as we stepped into the show building. The lobby, packed with people, was themed around decaying clockwork with a gorgeous metal dragon appearing above the heads of everyone in the crowd. The theater itself was smaller and the stage began covered with a large map of the location of the story, Oz. 

All of the yearning to see another play vanished instantly after the curtain unveiled the gorgeous set, filled with incredible actors and intricate pieces of furniture and set pieces. 

The play was raw with so much emotion, and I couldn’t help but feel myself relating to the lack of self worth that Elphaba had throughout most of the play. Rather than the villain of Dorthy’s story, she was now the main character and the hero of her own. 

The music was spectacular. If you’ve ever seen Glee, you may know the song “Defying Gravity”. This song came from Wicked. Also, if you’ve ever seen Frozen, you may have fallen in love with the voice of Idina Menzel, who was the original Elphaba.

The set and production made me jealous, as it was absolutely gorgeous with moving walls and trap doors and a turntable. Obviously, in our little theater, it would be impossible for us to have a set as intricate as Broadway’s, but the standards are definitely something to look up to. 

If you are looking for a Broadway play that inspires and reinforces the idea of self love with a beautiful soundtrack, intricate set, and incredible acting, Wicked may be the play for you.