Today we are celebrating the biggest Broadway musical of the new millennium in honor of its tenth anniversary on Broadway - an enviable feat having only been achieved by ten productions to date - with a wonderful emerald-hewed look at WICKED, 2003 to 2013... and beyond!
Unlimited As unlikely a worldwide sensation as the masterpiece of filmmaking that its source material and inspiration undoubtedly was - that is, the 1939 MGM musical THE WIZARD OF OZ - Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's reworking of Gregory Maguire's provocative and heavily politically-shaded 1995 adult novel WICKED into a stage musical is just as daring a treatment and nearly as unexpected in its worldwide sensation status. Truly, no musical of the 21st century prior to THE BOOK OF MORMON has tapped the consciousness of not only Broadway and New York culture, but national and international pop culture as well with its oh-so popular presence. While nearly 40 million people have supposedly seen the show onstage somewhere in the last ten years, three times that number are probably aware of one of the show's ubiquitous anthems and the general gist of the musical - a surefire sign that the long-lasting legacy of WICKED will endure for many more decades to come beyond this celebratory indoctrination of the Broadway production into the rarefied ten-year-plus club - previously and currently occupied by such theatrical linchpins as THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, A CHORUS LINE, LES MISERABLES and CATS, to name a few of the most recent mega-hits. Yet, what precisely is it about the tale of two young women with magical abilities in a weird and winsome place known as Oz that has won over audiences the world over with its persuasive power - with, among its many virtues, two spectacular performance showcases for its leading ladies?"The Wizard & I"
Also, enjoy these surprise WICKED appearances on long-running game show JEOPARDY this week.
Get a sneak peek of the new West End cast with this preview of the 2013-14 West End production of WICKED. Bringing WICKED firmly into 2013, here is a brand new pop radio-friendly rendition of score standout "Popular" performed by Ariana Grande and Mika. Lastly, enjoy this awesome special performance of "For Good" courtesy of Kristin Chenoweth and Anna Kendrick. As a special bonus, review this unforgettable GLEE rendition of "For Good" as performed by Lea Michele and Chris Colfer on the actual set of WICKED on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater - a song which had its world premiere right here on BroadwayWorld a few years ago, as a matter of fact!So, what is it about WICKED that first put you personally under its sonorous and mesmerizing spell? Furthermore, what performance in the show is most impossible for you to erase from your memory? Plus, what song from the hit-packed score is your ultimate all-time favorite? With all the wonderful, weird and winning attributes to WICKED, it's nearly impossible to choose!
While it may appear from the title that bad could beat good in the end with a show titled WICKED running for ten years, it's actually exactly the opposite in this case - it's all for good. But, forever? We'll see. Till then, catch you here or at the Ozdust!Photo Credits: Joan Marcus, etc.
Videos