WICKED

WICKED, Capitol Theatre, Sydney - playing now. Photography by Jeff Busby: above Lucy Durack and Jemma Rix; right: Maggie Kirkpatrick.

You think you know the story of the Wizard of Oz. Think again…

Wicked is the story of Glinda and Elphaba before they became The Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West.

I thought the choreography was unbelievable and made me want to dance. The music was amazing, making me want to sing with songs like “Popular” and “Defying Gravity”. The costumes just blew me away using tassels, frills, patterns and a variety of different colours (particularly green in Emerald City) .

The main characters are as follows: Elphaba (played by Jemma Rix) is a normal-ish girl with skin not exactly a normal colour. Although she comes on as scary she tries to be nice to most people. One of the things she is working towards is trying to meet The Wizard.

Glinda (played by Lucy Durack) is a popular, bubbly teen, who nicknames Elphaba "Elphie". One of Glinda’s life goals is to become a good witch. 

Nessarose (played by Emily Cascarino) is Elphaba's sister, who is sadly in a wheelchair. She is the favourite child of the family, always given gifts, yet not selfish

Fiyero (played by Steve Danielsen) is a boy who befriends Elphie and Glinda and doesn't take school seriously. 

Madam Morrible (played by Maggy Kirkpatrick) is the Headmistress of the school Elphaba, Nessarose and Glinda attend. She gives the air of an important person, and in a way she is. One of her "knacks" is  the power to control the weather.

The Wizard of Oz (played by Reg Livermore) is the ruler of The Land of Oz. He lives in the heart of Emerald city. Many people come with their troubles so he can help them.

The story of Wicked is based on Elphaba's life. It unfolds when a husband and wife are expecting a baby, but oh no, the baby is green!! This baby was Elphaba. A few years later, Elphaba, grows into a reasonably tall teen with her unnatural green skin. When she goes to school with her sister, Nessarose, she meets Glinda, the over excitable popular teenager. During Elphaba's life she makes the strangest of friendships, has unbelievable times and uncovers breathtaking secrets. 

Wicked is a musical with outstanding music, choreography and costumes. This one is for the whole family (particularly girls), though my recommendation for age groups would be 8+. Hurry before tickets sell out.