WICKED is wonderful

A colleague had warned me that the Broadway version of Gregory Maguire's terrific novel WICKED was nothing like the book itself, which I loved. I haven't had a chance to ask her why she felt that way, but my impression was quite different.

We all know the stories of movies eviscerating the books they sprang from, and even a few stories of movies improving upon flawed novels (BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY springs to mind, as does THE HORSE WHISPERER.) The musical WICKED, in my opinion, did something different. In a way, it opened up the ideas of the book, made them more accessible, made us in the audience think about how evil is, as both the book and the play assert, sometimes thrust upon us.

I'm not the greatest Broadway musical fan. Particularly in the last fifteen years or so, the music has a sameness that I find tedious. Such a dearth of melody! But the tunes in WICKED, while hardly memorable, weren't bad, and they did take a minor turn once in a while that reflected the sense of the story. And I appreciated not having to put my fingers in my ears, as I did all the way through RENT.

But it was the story I found remarkable. WICKED the musical works beautifully as a play, not so much referencing the original source material, of course--the L. Frank Baum material, that is--but the movie, which is quite a different story. The play has a quite satisfying dramatic arc, and something substantive to say. I found the ending a tad too convenient, but still, it's a delightful show. I'm not surprised Gregory Maguire is so happy with it (according to an essay in the program, written by him.) His novel personalizes a figure we've accepted for years as the embodiment of evil, without backstory or individuality, and the play goes even further to bring this figure to life, although of necessity without the depth of Maguire's characterization.

If you've never read the original WIZARD OF OZ, I recommend borrowing it from the library if you can get it. It's hard to believe that such a primitive work can take on a lasting life of its own, create its own cultural paradigm, grow into a variety of forms. Of course we've all seen the movie. And I hope you'll read Geoff Ryman's odd but fabulous novel WAS, for yet another approach.

And then, when you can, go see the musical. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Wonderful!