BWW Reviews: WICKED at Paramount a Bit Flat but Still Wicked

I don't think many theater nerds need to argue the virtues of Stephen Schwartz's hit show "Wicked" currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. It's one of those shows that's widely and verbally loved by aficionados and general theatergoers alike. So when the tour comes through town it's bound to have the rich and powerful voices needed to blast those wonderful songs into the rafters. And this tour is no exception. But while this tour also boasts two wonderful leads who also manage some brilliant and layered storytelling in their characters, some of the supporting players felt lacking and flat in that aspect making this go around with the show not as awe-inspiring as past viewings.

For the .0001% of you who don't know the story (and if you are in that group then how did you end up on this site) it's the imagining of what happened before Dorothy came to Oz and just how the Wicked Witch of the West become so wicked especially when she went through school as friends with Glinda the Good Witch of the North. Complete with iconic references of a beloved classic, a tragically beautiful love triangle and some stunningly plot moving songs that stick in your head quite easily it's no wonder this show has been a hit for 12 years on Broadway. But what happens when all those wonderful story elements aren't quite there? We'll get to that in a minute.

In the lead roles as Glinda the Good and Elphaba the Wicked Witches, Carrie St. Louis and Alyssa Fox turn in some of the better-portrayed characters of the piece I've seen. Yes, they have some killer pipes (everyone in the show does) but their conveyance of the story and character arcs are superb. Especially St. Louis who not only brought in some hilarious unabashed dorkiness to the part but also added in some wonderfully nuanced and layered expressions right from the beginning. But a large part of this show is the love triangle between the witches and Fiyero, the dashing bad boy prince in school played here by former boy band O-Town member Ashley Parker Angel. And while a very pretty hunk he lent little character to the role making him kind of a one-note Johnny, which gave him no character arc and little chemistry with either of the ladies for the love story. So while the girls' friendship conveyed as quite strong the romantic relationships of the piece fell flat. Similarly one of the villains of the piece, Madame Morrible as portrayed by Kristine Zbornik failed to wow making her a quite lackluster villain. Keith A. Bearden as the Wizard lent some nice characterizations to the role but he was the understudy who went on for 70's and 80's TV star John Davidson and I was quite curious to see how Davidson would have fared in the role.

So as I said, not my favorite production I've seen and I've seen more than a few over the years. But even with a few uninspiring performances it's still the same show we've all come to love. After all, "Wicked" is still "Wicked" no matter what, which is why I'm still giving this production a YAY with my three letter rating system much to the credit of the two leads. I mean even a tepid "Wicked" is better than many other things out there. I'm lookin' at you "Phantom"!

"Wicked" performs at the Paramount Theatre through August 2nd. For tickets or information visit the Seattle Theatre Group online at www.stgpresents.org.

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