From The Straits Times    |

I saw Wicked, about two weeks ago at Marina Bay Sands. It doesn’t get a five out of five from me but it’s worth dropping the cynic’s incredulity for an entertaining evening.

Wicked in Singapore  Glinda: Wicked the musical is in Singapore Wicked the musical is in Singapore: Elphaba

The Wicked leads: Jemma Rix as Elphaba and Suzie Mathers as Glinda

WHAT I LOVED
What worked for me: the leading pair’s interactions on stage. Their starkly different personalities created many humorous moments on stage, with Lucy Durack truly hamming it up in her portrayal of the air-headed Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Durack stood in for Suzie Mathers that week and she played up the blonde character’s squeaky exclamations and hair tousles for all they were worth.

Wicked: Elphaba and GlindaIt was a pleasant change to see such an unusual protagonist on stage; the green-skinned Elphaba had the showstopper numbers and some of the most pithy and memorable lines. Played by Jemma Rix, Elphaba’s blunt, darkly comic and sometimes self-deprecating retorts were a fun counterpoint to the blonde’s egocentrism.

The main draw for this reviewer? The Wizard of Oz retold through the antagonist’s backstory, a villain now recast as a misunderstood character.

Wicked also adds to what fans know of the adventurers in The Wizard of Oz. Find out how the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion came to be, before they embarked on their journey with Dorothy.

This musical is a good mix of more sombre topics and the frivolous; Wicked weaves its social critique into the storyline effectively too, without coming off as being too preachy.

It’s said that history is told and written by the victors and not the fallen; the celebrated heroes are often less noble than they would have it made known. While well-intentioned at times, Glinda is still unable to resist those self-glorifying moments; she’ll bask in the spotlight, whenever she’s given the chance.

BUT . . .
I could continue showering praises on this musical but I won’t as I still have some reservations about it. I’ll admit this freely: I’ve always been quite skeptical of popular musicals. With actors on stage bursting into song and dance at any and every occasion, these stage performances often seem a little too contrived.

Yes, I’m generally doubtful of the quality of musical adaptations. If you have a good story going, why do you need to add song-and-dance numbers? Isn’t it too disruptive to the narrative flow?

That said, it’s unfair to impose real world logic on the commercial musical. To fans, such objections sound like nitpicking; a popular musical aims to entertain its audience, first and foremost. People go for a musical to have a fun night out, right?

So I wanted to give a musical like Wicked a chance. I’ve been intrigued by the novel’s retelling of The Wizard of Oz, back when it was first adapted for the stage in 2003. Later musical adaptations have been said to contain the novel’s long narrative more succinctly, garnering both critical and popular reviews.

Wicked the musical in Singapore: Emerald CityWicked’s two hour duration thankfully, sped by quite quickly and enjoyably. Wicked’s storyline and the darkly humorous tones also seem more to my taste than a more conventional feel-good musical tale.

The grand song and dance numbers can be played up for all their worth but some ironic interjections make for a fuller, more nuanced, tale of the land of Oz.

However, it is true that the musical does tone down quite a number of the novel’s darker elements in favour of family-friendly entertainment. For instance, Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, was originally born without arms, instead of being wheelchair-bound in the musical adaptation.

Of course a popular musical like Wicked has to have a happy ending. While the pleasant end wasn’t entirely undeserved, it still felt like an all-too-neat conclusion. To me, it lacked the dramatic boldness of the more spirited first half of the musical. Elphaba’s duet with Fiyero in As Long As You’re Mine felt a bit cloying too. The romantic pairing is one of the musical’s sweeter, Disney-esque moments, a concession to the optimistic vibes of most popular musicals.

To be frank, Wicked may breathe new life into an old tale but you’ll find it hard to insist that its compositions exceed the repertoire of much more established musical classics. With its familiar school setting and its growing-of-age tale, Wicked is doubtlessly more known as a contemporary crowd-pleaser than a critical darling. It’s got huge, elaborate costumes and backdrops that will amaze and a compelling enough storyline to attract the young and the young-at-heart.

FINAL VERDICT
If you’ve never really liked musicals, it’s not likely you’ll become a true blue convert after catching Wicked. But some credit is still due for Wicked’s refreshing and entertaining take on a classic.

Well, it’s almost Christmas, isn’t it? Best time of the year to slacken your cynical inclinations and bask in that jolly festive spirit, if you will. Give Wicked a chance for a fun family night at the Marina Bay Sands theatres.

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