Better Broadway Baby: Wicked

Only about a millennium behind the Jones-es and every other Broadway show attending person/family, I finally saw Wicked tonight. Even though I didn't know then name of the performers, and even though I'd already listened to the soundtrack, it was really fucking amazing.

There are of course things that make me cock my head to the side, and I shall list them to you here:

First Head-Cocker: The Un-invisible crew members pulling ropes and Operating Spots

In my high school I distinctly remember my director timing the crew in Seussical so that they would get the field of clovers off stage in under twelve seconds so the audience would not see them, it give my head a theta to realize that Broadway has no need to hide their members in black from the audience.

There are a series of possible reasons for this, some that pop into my mind include that we need to realize that is it a show to like it. Getting lost in all that reality can amaze us, but a sharp jolt of a minute intermission, pulls us from the fantastical lull. With the reminders of reality, we can appreciate with more awe. This is not Brecht.

Second Head-Cocker: The Screaming Plot Points

I know that Broadway is in many ways written for the masses yet it continually amazes me how after 80 years of developing the musical the audience needs to be fed the plot. The show doesn't want to force it down our throats in the last minute, much like we do in movies or comics, where we must believe in Deus Ex Machina, but rather a trivial mention to a little green vial makes it all the better. It seems like at times a multi-million dollar musical is cutting corners.

Third (And Last) Head Cocker: Excess, Excess, Excess

In viewing the show I noticed in one particularly dark scene a series of curtains that made no appearance again. It amazes me how extravagant the Gershwin theatre feels the need to be. Isn't it better to reuse in a creative way then just layer on the gold? It think even Glinda would agree.

All in all the show was amazing, it may take one actress one recording to force it into my head that a role can only be played one way, and then another one ten minutes to reinvent the roll.

The singing was amazing, the dancing not mind-blowing, but the costumes and set could have held my focus for a life time. There are many things I don't feel the need to see again, or experience right away atleast, Wicked is not one of them.

Nothing makes me happier then seeing that an audience loves to be on the inside of a joke