The international musical sensation Wicked returns to San Francisco for an open-ended engagement at the Orpheum beginning January 27, 2009.  Before you arrive at the theatre, here’s your why, what, who, when, where and more about Wicked.

WHY — THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, we knew only her side of the story. Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz — the remarkable odyssey of Galinda and Elphaba, two unlikely friends who ultimately become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

WHAT — SO MUCH HAPPENED BEFORE DOROTHY
DROPPED IN ...

Wicked is based on the 1995 novel Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Universal Pictures President Marc Platt optioned the novel in 1996 envisioning a major motion picture until composer Stephen Schwartz (Godspell and Pippin) convinced him, and the author, that the story would take on an extraordinary life as a stage musical.

“Wicked transports audiences to a magical land as it uniquely reinvents the world of Oz and the beloved Frank Baum characters,” said Marc Platt. “Yet beyond the enchantment, fun, and delight of watching familiar characters take unexpected turns, Wicked explores ideas and themes that resonate throughout time.”

Essentially, Wicked explores the nature of good and evil, and reinforces the tenet that nothing is ever as it appears to be. As Marc Platt further explains, “The Wizard has no power. He had to exploit the fear and ignorance of others. Themes operate on multiple levels at once: simultaneously a story of friendship and politics. Its themes stretch from the pecking order of school classrooms to the political machinations of national leaders. It is a skillful balance of comedy, tragedy and a morality tale. It is a sophisticated view of how concepts like goodness and wickedness change meaning depending on who is speaking. And it is a testament to the transformative power of friendship.”

WHO — THE CREATIVE COLLABORATORS

Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is directed by Joe Mantello with musical staging by Wayne Cilento, sets by Eugene Lee, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Tony Meola, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone.

WHEN & WHERE — IT BEGAN ON MAY 28, 2003, AT THE
CURRAN THEATRE IN SAN FRANCISCO

That’s when, after 3 1/2 years in development, Wicked had its first performance in front of a live audience. San Francisco audiences and critics witnessed the beginning of this musical phenomenon and their response helped the show evolve, then move on to cast its spell on Broadway where it continues to break box office records.

“It is always a great opportunity for a new show to try out far away from New York,” admitted Producer David Stone. “Broadway audiences are perhaps a bit judgmental. They expect a finished product. San Francisco allowed us to make mistakes and learn. And because people were away from their day-to-day lives, the entire company and creative team were together constantly. So, everyone works more intensely—and gets the chance to really bond.”

When Wicked opened on Broadway, Richard Zoglin of Time Magazine said: “It’s a story that adults can take seriously. If every musical had a brain, a heart, and the courage of Wicked, Broadway really would be magical place.”

SO, WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO?
Here’s how Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman describe it in Wicked’s StageNotes:

SS:  We felt that we had realized the Glinda Character more successfully than the Elphaba character. So we worked on Elphaba’s dialogue, rewrote lyrics and intros to her songs. And the Fiyero character was not successfully set up, so we replaced his entire number.

WH:  And we cut! I don’t think there was a page that didn’t have some delicate cutting in it. We had seen for ourselves in San Francisco, you could feel that the first act was long for the audience. It was a taxing act to sit through.

SS:  A musical is so collaborative, and depends so much on every element—who your cast is, what the design looks like, what the choreography is, what the orchestration sounds like—that you can’t really know how your show is working until you see it in front of an audience. And that’s when you do a great deal of work.

WH:  Nothing was too small to think about and be concerned about. Should a character say three sentences here, or is one enough? Or, if I cut out that sentence, is she still going to be funny? Luckily we had San Francisco and we could actually see. I’d take out the sentence and watch it the next night, and the joke wasn’t funny  anymore. So, I’d put the sentence back in or cut the whole joke. We were weighing every little joke.

SS:  I actually like that. The fun part is getting it up there and tinkering it and seeing it strengthen and streamline.

WHO'S WHO — CHARACTER OZBSEVATIONS

ELPHABA, the daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. She is easily recognized by her green skin, quick wit, fiery personality, a flying broom and a copy of The Grimmerie at the ready. Elphaba is a no-nonsense gal who wants to change the world.

GALINDA from Upper Uplands of Gillikin, who drops an  “a” to become Glinda the Good Witch.  She’s blonde, beautiful, ambitious but a tad vapid and accustomed to being the center of attention. Glinda is quite the social butterfly and rarely seen without a wand, bubbles and a tiara. 

THE WIZARD, who arrived in OZ in a great balloon from another world called “Kansas.” Sports a lab coat and slippers, and usually accompanied by an amazing and fearsome Wizard Head and mysterious vial of green liquid. Not at all what he appears to be.

MADAME MORRIBLE, the Headmistress at Shiz University, whose origins are shrouded in lies and secrecy. She favors outrageous outfits and is never seen without a scary scowl and much too much makeup. Has a penchant for weather forecasting; becomes Press Secretary of OZ.

FIYERO, a hunk from Winkie Country, who hangs out with the coolest kids at Shiz University (but is never seen studying, perhaps he hasn’t got a brain). Becomes engaged to one witch and in love with another.

NESSAROSE, the favored daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland and Elphaba’s disabled, younger sister who becomes the bitter Wicked Witch of the East. She’s bound to a wheelchair until her life changes with a pair of silvery-jeweled slippers (that’s when Dorothy drops in).

CHISTERY, the Wizard’s Monkey servant in the Emerald City. You can’t miss his red skin and huge wings and, like any sentient Animal, he wants his freedom. Chistery becomes the leader of the Flying Monkeys at Elphaba’s castle in Winkie Country.

BOQ hails from Munchkinland and is an unusually tall Munchkin. He pines for one witch but becomes a servant to another.

WOW — OVER 15 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE HAVE EXPERIENCED WICKED!

Wicked has been called “Broadway’s Biggest Blockbuster” by the New York Times and has undeniably redefined theatrical Pop culture. Currently, there are four North American and four international companies (London, Stuttgart. Tokyo, Melbourne). Wicked has won twenty major awards, including the Grammy Award, three Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical.

Gregory Maguire’s novel has sold well over 3 million copies. Buoyed by the musical’s success, Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West appears on bestseller lists 13 years after its initial publication.

To hear our Wicked Podcasts, click here.
For more about Wicked Producer David Stone.

To watch an NBC TV interview with Wicked composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz
Learn more about Wicked the musical, go to their website.

Back to SHNews