Wicked- Why the Hatred?- Page 3

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 4:58pm

What is a shill? I'm assuming someone paid to hype a show? Is that for real?? How do they do it? Stand on the street and talk to strangers?

Naw, I just love the damn show.

Yeah robbiej, I goofed, got the title wrong. Gee that totally ruins my whole argument. What an IDIOT I must be ... seriously, dude. Childish. Stop making me ill.

Ick. If that's the best response you can muster, this isn't even worth it.

And Passion is brilliance personified. The highest form of the art - pure music and drama distilled to its essence. Have you heard the stunning British revival? Naw, I'm sure you haven't. Check it out. Might edjamacate ya.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:08pm

It's like debating W.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:16pm

if there were only pauses

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:18pm

Interesting......I agree with Jo Jo about Passion, but completely disagree with Jo Jo about Wicked. But then, I also think Pippin is Schwartz's worst score, though most believe it to be his best.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:27pm

And I can agree and disagree with Mister Matt on his views without demeaning him.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:30pm

Ain't it the truth?

Matt and I have agreed and disagreed many times on this site. But we always respect each other cause, in the end, we're both knowledgable, smart, fun and friendly folks.

God I love us.

And you too, kiss...especially for that pic.

[BroadwayMonkey]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:39pm

Mmmm-hmm.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 5:59pm

Why? Because it's a story full of plot holes that puts too much focus on the wrong characters, lacks any sort of character development, and has the schmaltziest, fakest ending I have ever seen. I could forgive the rest, but the ending I can't. Why would they (S P O I L E R !) keep Elphaba alive? A trap door? PUH-LEEZE! The fact that she and the scarecrow live happily ever on their own takes ALL the Oz books after the first and say that they don't matter. At least the book had a decent ending at wasn't so empty.

[BroadwayMonkey]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 6:01pm

AAHH! YOU TOLD ME THE ENDING! MY LIFE IS RUINED!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 6:03pm

Sorry! I DID say SPOILER in big, spaced-out letters, though.

[BroadwayMonkey]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 6:05pm

Butt I thot u were gonna say somthin abot how preeety kristen is! omg i luv her sooooo much! shes my favoreete broadway-persun EVER!!!!!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 6:14pm

OMG! But, Like, not as qute ahs Endeenah Mahnzelle!

[formanatrix]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 6:16pm

why does it ruin the oz book franchise?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 6:28pm

How did "Wicked: The Musical" ruin the Oz books?
(SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!)
and, for those who did not see those

S P O I L E R!

The Scarecrow and Elphaba go off and live together Happily Ever After away from Glinda and The Emerald City and what-have-you. The Scarecrow appears in the VAST majority of the later Oz books, living on his own. He also becomes the Treasurer of Oz. The Tin Woodman, in the book, had his limbs decapitated by the Witch one by one. he had to replace them with Tin. Dorothy SEES the Witch shrivell up and die in front of her eyes. A trap door? Oh, I see, Elphaba just happened to have a trap door handy under her when it was time for her to melt. If she had planned in advance, she wouldn't have to wonder if she should tell Glinda that was alive; she would have allready made up her mind.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/1/04 at 7:25pm

Personally, I think you all suck!






*sigh*

Even in writing, I still can't make it convincing.

[mentalstatic]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 1:16am

Yea, i really agree. i have never seen the show, only read the book and listened to the sound track. im not going to pretend that i know anything about broadway. i do however know that i really liked the novel, but supplying elphaba with a cheap escape in the end was almost demeaning to her effectiveness as a character. gregory maguire should feel shamed.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 1:26am

CAST RECORDING!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 1:31am

1) ^ Important term. First step towards "knowing anything about Broadway". Soundtracks are for movies. :) (I used to call 'em soundtracks too and got reprimanded very quickly.)

2) Winnie Holtzman should be ashamed, not Gregory Maguire. Plus buddy wanted Demi Moore to star in the non-musical film version, as Elphie. THAT'S something to be ashamed about.

[StrStruckDreamr9]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 2:44am

I am *gasp* a Wicked fan, not a psychotic Idina Menzel is the best singer ever fan, but a fan. I do think that the show is a great deal of fun and admire both Kristin Chenoweth's and Idina Menzel's (and now Jennifer Laura Thomas', apparently :) ) commendable performances. While I have never seen the show, I listen to the cast recording and enjoy it. I agree with the statements that the Wicked "bashing" only become a sport among us posters when the pre-teen fan base got ridiculously out of hand. So, in essence, we "hate" the show because of its hyperactive fans.

[janvier_neige]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 3:22am

I, too, am a "Wicked" fan, and a teenager to boot. I suppose this puts me in the category of rabid Idina Menzel fan and/or "Ave. Q" naysayer and misinformed cretin.

I kid, I kid.

This past June, I did have the pleasure of seeing "Wicked," and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That being said, I'm not afraid to admit that the experience was great for me purely because I saw Kristin Chenoweth and Norbert Leo Butz live. They are both performers that I have enormous respect for, and their presence made up for the incongruous, mediocre book and plot. I fully recognize that if not coupled with the right performers, "Wicked" would probably not be as celebrated as it is. I read the novel prior to seeing the show, and was disappointed that some of the elements I enjoyed had disappeared-- Fiyero's character and fate were destroyed, the unity and consequential unravelling of the college crew lost, and most of the unique parallels and darker subplots left out. Characters lack motivation for certain actions and the story is a mess. But it's still a good two-and-a-half hours of entertainment, which is what it should be, and what it shall remain. So long as it has the right people at its helm.

And for the record, I love "Ave. Q."

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 11:47am

In response to mentalstatic:

Gregory Maguire WAS ashamed of Wicked. In all the publicity for the musical he largely stayed away from talking about his opinion of the show. The only thing he said about it was "Well, all I can say is sometimes the leads and ensemble sing with such vigor, I fear for my sanity." That may be a compliment, but if that's all he had to say about it...well...you could say that for any show.

[saddle shoe side kick]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 11:56am

Some of us have had bad stage door experiences that left us spiteful. Also, all he hype led to me going in expecting the secong coming of Jesus, which I did not get. It was a major letdown. Sorry to all you fans but thats just how I feel.

[lovettespies]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 12:00pm

The show was good. But just good. Not amazing not “OmG tHaT wAs ThE bEsT eXpErIeNcE oF mY lIfE!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROXXX” I saw it in previews, before the hype and it was good. The hype has ruined it for me. I can’t stand it! The book was better, read it and you'll understand why. Gregory Maguire's book is not recognizable. Sorry a lot of people on this board bash Wicked, but we're just sick of it. Don't make mulitple threads or post in other threads about Wicked. Just take it easy. That would be MY advice.

[SMDeeva]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 12:05pm

Hi all. Again, don't post much, but thought I would go ahead and chime in.

I personally enjoyed Wicked. But I can see why some hated it, or really just didn't like it. Everyone has their reasons for things. I know that, so as far as I go (I will just summarize it)...

I thought technically the show was wonderful! I loved watching that aspect of the show. I thought the costumes were beautiful (and the costume changes were so well done!). I really enjoyed the music (yes, I am an Idina Menzel fan, have adored her for many, many years now...) and I truly LOVED Defying Gravity and No Good Deed, for me it embodied a lot of emotion. There are a few songs that I thought "what?" but they were okay, nothing that made me want to get up and leave. I thought the cast was great, however, the ensemble did not feel united at all. I thought that was the part that was truly lacking. An ensemble really creates the world of the play/musical, and they did not have that. (But their costumes were pretty! j/k)

As far as the novel and musical. I have read the book twice. Once before seeing the show, and then again after I saw it. I kept them separate. I did not want to be "jaded" when I saw the show, and of course they would not be able to grab the book and adapt it perfectly. Yes, there are major differences (first, Elphaba does not even study sorcery in school) but I managed to keep them as different enties in my mind. So I was not disappointed or anything like that. And I LOVE the novel, love it.

I can understand the whole backlash of the show. With all this constant talk, and constant 'whining', 'gabbing'... I can see where it gets annoying. I am happy that younger people are so moved by the show, because that means they will hopefully keep going to the theatre, and that means I will have a job! So good for them! But of course, I don't see that as a reason to 'hate' the show.

That could come from some of the lyrics, that are just silly (although some of them, to me, were almost making fun of the Wizard of Oz 'talk', some of the silliness of it). Also, from a score that isn't the BEST ever (I enjoyed it and thought it was great, and have the cast recording and love it) but it isn't something that will be written as "one of the best scores written", in my mind. And there are some plot holes, not as big as other shows (if you want my input on that, look at my Brooklyn review) but there are still some there.

But all of those things, for me, didn't ruin the show for me, I still enjoyed it. And glady tell my friends and family to go see the show.

Okay, I will shut now.

Take care.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 10/2/04 at 12:08pm

Yeah, I don't think anyone had a problem with the way the show was PRESENTED, it was the SHOW. For me, it was the book. If you're going to write a musical about Oz, at least bother to read the books first. And not ruin a perfectly good ending...