After a hiatus of almost a decade, Wicked has returned to Brisbane. Since the musical last played in this town, the production has only grown in stature. The fourth longest running show on Broadway, having played to over sixty-seven million people, Wicked has won over one hundred major awards all of which you’ll be familiar with: Grammy, Tony, Helpmann and … well the list keeps going.
As a Wicked first-timer, I’m curious as to what the fuss is all about. On the way to the theatre, it’s obvious Brisbane is in a Wicked frenzy. The Kurilpa Bridge is lit green and there’s an emerald carpet leading into QPAC’s Lyric Theatre.
In the foyer, I meet two Ozians (uber fans) who have travelled the country seeing the show a staggering thirty times. I can’t help but enquire “is it any good?”
Like Moulin Rouge, one of the beauties of Wicked is that you enter the musical’s ‘world’ the second you walk through the theatre doors. The set, with a giant dragon perched overhead, looms large and is almost as big a star as the cast and the songs.
Apart from tunes you can hum, a great set and fine actors, musical theatre lives and dies on the quality of story. Wicked has a doozy. An adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which takes inspiration from L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and the subsequent film adaptation (1939), the new conceit is brilliant. It is the story of two witches, Galinda and Elphaba, before the tornado tears Dorothy out of Kansas and lands her in Oz.
Here, Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics and the ‘book’ is by Winnie Holzman.
As soon as the house lights drop, the mood in the room echoes a rock show. There’s clapping and hooting as Good Witch Glinda/Galinda (Courtney Monsma) descends onto the stage.
The opening gambit lays it all out for us. The Wicked Witch of the West/Elphaba (Sheridan Adams) is dead. Citizens of Oz are rejoicing. Glinda the Good begins to recall the story of her friend, a green skinned girl with a gift for spells.
A result of a fling between the babies’ mother and a traveling salesman, Elphaba’s childhood is dominated by rejection from her stepfather, the Governor of Munchkinland. As Glinda recalls the pair’s shared history, we see a kindness in Elphaba that upends any preconceptions of who we believe The Wicked Witch of the West to be.
From the outset it’s clear that Monsma and Adams are gold plated musical theatre stars. Apart from inhabiting the characters, their voices are off the chart. Any time the pair duet, expect the hair on the back of your neck to stand to attention.
Ainsley Pelham makes for a fine romantic interest, Fiyero, who further propels the story. Madame Morrible is played by Robin Nevin, who has finessed the characters transition from good to bad with aplomb. Nothing in Oz is as it initially seems, and the same can be said of the Wizard himself who is played by Todd McKenney with beautifully executed shambolic gravitas.
Split into two acts, Wicked moves at a cracking pace. ‘Defying Gravity’ closes the first act and marks a turning point in the show. There’s a sample bag of show stopping moments; musical highlights include ‘Popular’, ‘For Good’, ‘No Good Deed’ and the hilarious ‘As Long As Your Mine’.
The ensemble cast, the flying monkeys and the superb orchestra all should take a bow. Monsma has a terrific sense of comedic timing and physical comedy. Adams comes armed with a magnificent emotional range and takes Elphaba on a searing journey that ranges from despondency to euphoria and back again. And it’s all handled with aplomb.
Wicked is ambitious, bold and a wonderfully realised production that has been tweaked a little to bring a few gags into 2024. It’s a cliche, but if you only see one musical this year, you have to see Wicked.
It’s a triumph.
Words: Sean Sennett
Photo: Jeff Busby
WICKED is playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC in Brisbane from 12 September to 24 November, ahead of the final Australian season in Perth at the Crown Theatre from 15 December.
BRISBANE SEASON DETAILS
Venue
Season Performance Times Prices:
Bookings:
Lyric Theatre, QPAC
12 September – 24 November
Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6:30pm From $75.00 (transaction fees apply)
qpac.com.au or phone 136 246
Groups 8+ call (07) 3840 7466
