OLESYA SALNIKOVA
Staff Writer
Who knew that the fairy tale of “The Wizard of Oz” as we know it is really nothing more than a spiral of disastrous lies?
Apparently no one anticipated these unfortunate circumstances until “Wicked” became the musical the Chicago Sun-Times raves is “second to none.”
Entertainment has clearly been going downhill because the quality of the productions has not been up to par. While a movie like “Talladega Nights” attempted to be funny, but miserably failed, “Pirates of the Caribbean” just did not live up to the quality and excellence of the original film.
Calling a new musical “second to none,” therefore, is a little risky.
Despite this, I was curious to see “Wicked.” As I walked out of the theater, I did not feel anything out of the ordinary, which is extremely rare for me to experience after watching a musical. The first words that came to my mind were “amusingly simple.”
“Wicked” is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire about the untold story of the “Wizard of Oz” from the point of view of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The two witches become friends in school, until the plotting of the wizard tears them apart.
The musical vilifies the wizard as a wily old man chasing after magic and powerful sorcery, all the while praising Elphaba for her good sense and innocence. Oftentimes hilariously amusing and effortlessly light, the musical certainly entertains at a surface level with its cute jokes and flashy bright lights, but it has nothing to offer on a deeper level.
The poignant rhythms of “Phantom of the Opera” and the emotional ballads of “Les Miserables” come to mind. Does no one remember the alluring and haunting sounds of “Phantom of the Opera” or the sweet melody of “Think of Me?”
How can this memorable music be compared to the disorderly mess that is the music of “Wicked?” While the actors had strong voices, the songs were certainly not as powerful in lyrics or in melody as compared with other Broadway musicals, with the exception of maybe the show’s most popular song, “Defying Gravity,” an upbeat number sung by the misunderstood Elphaba.
Regarding the plot itself, it was naturally very childish and innocent, allowing the audience to slip into a forgetful state of stupor and become wholly unconnected to reality. It was as if I entered a storybook land and was uncomfortably out of place. When I think of the poignancy of “Les Miserables,” exposing the injustices and heroism of the French Revolution or the courageous love shown in “Aida,” I struggle to believe how people can be moved by anything less than that.
It seems to me that the quality of our entertainment is slowly deteriorating and yet people nevertheless delight in it. People seem to believe that musicals like “Wicked” are the best, but I wonder if they have seen anything but “Wicked” to be so convinced that it really is above anything that anyone has ever seen.
Are people just running out of ideas or are they merely looking for some entertainment that can well, simply entertain? Maybe I will see some brilliant new play or film in the next year that can convince me otherwise. However, with “Snakes on a Plane” playing in theaters these days, I remain skeptical.
9-7-2006