Wicked: Who has the best music: The Wizard or the younger characters?

[nmlj2]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 12:05pm

I think it's quite obvious that The Wizard's musical expression is quite different from that of any of the younger characters. I did a survey (which I posted on this site and many of you kindly completed) where I asked participants to rank 5 characters in order of how accessible they find their musical style and the majority ranked The Wizard last. I want to investigate this further.

Whose music do you find more accessible - The Wizard or lets say Elphaba, Glinda, Fieyro and Nessa Rose collectively? If you're willing to disclose your age, could you do so in your response (or if you'd rather send me a PM, then do that!)? It's just that I'm wondering whether age comes into the equation.

What is it about the Vaudeville/Kander and Ebb style songs that people don't like? Is it actually anything to do with his music or just the fact that he's not a nice character?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 12:28pm

Neither. I think the music is equally bad for all characters.

[rjjn]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 3:12pm

I'm 19, and I definitely find the younger character's songs more accessible. I was never a fan of Sentimental Man or Wonderful.

[HistoryBoy2]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 3:55pm

The girls get to do belt face, which counts a lot for youngsters nowadays.

[mattywhits]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 5:08pm

Personally I just think "Sentimental Man" is a poorly written and ridiculously boring song--ridiculous because the one thing I can say about Stephen Schwartz's music is it's usually anything BUT boring--and while I like the song "Wonderful" itself, by that point in the show everyone pretty much has realized the wizard is a d**chebag so I'm not rooting for him at all.

Frankly, the unevenness of the score (along with the book, which just makes me upset) is my biggest reason for not being a huge fan of the show. Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero get these exciting, high-belting, tuneful numbers, but then he gives duds like "Something Bad" and "March of the Witchhunters" (and to some degree "Wicked Witch of the East"...she couldn't get a REAL song?) to all of the minor characters. So I always enjoy half of the Wicked listening experience and skip the rest. Just my thoughts. :)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 5:11pm

As much as I make fun of the show, I do enjoy about 50% of the score. The other 50% including every word uttered by the Wizard is some of the most poorly written music ever put on the stage an that includes anything written by Wildhorn.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 5:13pm

I'm 18.

The Wizards song "A Sentimental Man" I find slow and very boring, but lyrically rather pleasing.
"Wonderful" Is a lot more down my street! In my opinion that style of song is always the best, there are some other styles of songs that get me going musically, but my heart goes out for a song in that syle. Especially the songs that could bring down a house, that are in that style i.e. All That Jazz, Death Is Just Around The Corner, Gimme Gimme, Wild Wild Party etc...

But the "younger" songs in the show are pleasing, fun and powerful.

One of my 'pop-enthused' friends just told me this; " I like 'The Wizard And I', 'What Is This Feeling?', 'Popular', 'Defying Gravity' and 'No Good Deed' because they give me room to manouvre my voice, and riff to show off my vocal talent"....

Of course there's room to do that in an Vaudeville/Kander and Ebb-esque song, but she has a small point, not an 100% true one, but some Vaudeville/Kander and Ebb-esque songs, don't allow a lot of improvisation for the singer, maybe some Rubato here and there and some ornaments, but that's generally about it.

But like i said, i'm more of the Vaudeville/Kander and Ebb person than the "younger" song person.

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 5:47pm

I'm 18, I have a background in music if that helps (I'm taking a music theory class right now), and I'm a big fan of Wicked. For me, I find myself relating to the younger music more, even though I love the vaudeville style of the Wizard. It has to do with context and emotion. Elphaba's songs, especially "Defying Gravity" are so powerful and strong; I find myself connecting to her and admiring her because of that. Glinda just makes me smile, partly because I know people like her. "For Good" is moving because of the universal idea of friendship.

As far as the men go, I think Fiyero's music is meant to make him attractive, after all, he's the "Prince Charming", so to speak. So his music is very smooth, warm melodies. The Wizard's music is the least emotional, and the vaudeville style emphasizes his deception, which is great for the plot because it makes you dislike him even more.
Hope I could help.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 5:56pm

The Wizard's songs bore me to tears.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 5:57pm

^ Me too. Then again, pretty much 90% of the music from the show bores me to tears.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 3/26/11 at 8:41pm

I just find the Wizard's music to be underpowered, and lacking in the infectiousness that many of the other songs exhibit. I appreciate the "tin-pan alley" approach to the Wizard's songs, but "Just No Time At All" in Schwartz's Pippin accomplishes that more effectively.

I'm 30.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 4:49am

I don't like Stephen Schwartz at all. I find his music to be vacuous, boring, and just devoid of substance. That's just me though. I think Wicked is Schwartz at his worst. Godspell had a few very pretty songs, but Wicked is just boring and has some of the worst lyrics I have ever heard in musical theatre.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 10:27am

Then you haven't heard many lyrics, because Schwartz's pass muster.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 2:41pm

I've heard a lot twin belters. I think Wicked is one of the worst.

[Taryn]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 3:39pm

Then you haven't heard many lyrics, because Schwartz's pass muster.

That's just another way of saying, "I disagree with you, so you're wrong."

The Wizard (and pretty much everyone who's not Elphaba, Glinda, or Fiyero) gets completely musically shafted in Wicked. I'm 23.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 3:53pm

Just ringing in here haha
I am a huge WICKED fan...not ashamed to say it. While I do find the leading girls and Fiyero's song more appeasing to me personally (Elphaba mostly) I do think the Wizard's songs are pretty good.
Now, "Sentimental Man" is a song I wish they would spice up a bit and add a bit more dialog before (I dont like how it almost jumps right into the song) and by spice I do not mean "belt the face off" but I think they should add more of a melody for it. However I do find it to serve a purpose. IMO, the Wizard is not the main villian of the show. He is mostly a puppet to Madame Morrible and his lust for power. Yet deep down he does have a conscious..and this song displays that. While he is trying to have Elphaba fall under his spell during this song, I think a part of him really does want to be a father (as displayed towards the end of the show.) I think if they added some lines before hand (maybe Elphaba explaining what her goals are and what is going on in Oz) and some more melodic structure the song would be much better.
"Wonderful" is a song that I'm shocked a lot of people on here dislike. I find it to be quite brilliant. The score of WICKED has a very other worldly aspect to it with a lot of songs built in disjointed keys I guess is the way to explain it. But here since the Wizard is from our world, his songs do stick out as more of a Vaudeville song. I also think the political undertones are amazing. My history teacher went to see the show and he loved it, and he says this song is amazing at explaining how history can be twisted to influence a general population (aka, Nazi Germany)
Again, this is all my personal opinion.
And to touch a bit on the two leading girls, I find their songs to be amazingly beautiful. The orchestrations I think just bring the audience into the world of Oz, and while many on here hate the lyrics, I find them to be extremely witty and accessible...which is where I think the success of the show is found. People from 8 to 80 can associate themselves with one of the two girls.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:22pm

The Wizard or lets say Elphaba, Glinda, Fieyro and Nessa Rose collectively?

By the way, it's Nessarose. Not Nessa Rose.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:27pm

I'm 18.

I don't like any of the wizard's songs, either, though I don't think it's because of their style, necessarily.

Elphaba gets all the good songs in this show, in my opinion.

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 6:32pm

I'll be the first to say that even thought I hate this show, I do think some of the songs are very nice. But none of the Wizard's songs, or "Something Bad" for that matter. All three of those songs are just atrocious. "Wonderful" is a little bit of fun, but overall is dull. "Sentimental Man" is completely pointless and awful. Of the score, the Wizards songs are at the bottom, closely followed by "Something Bad" and then Nessarose's song in Act Two.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 7:32pm

I am a huge Wicked fan, as most people on here know, but...

In regards to the Wizard:
"Wonderful" makes no sense as a song (at least at its point in the play) being that the Wizard is clearly the antagonist.
"A Sentimental Man-" Great lyrics, horrible music, in my opinion.

"Something Bad" just annoys me...

The show is definitely catered to Elphaba and Glinda, and not just vocally... but I don't really feel people should be going in expecting something other than that to be the case.

Updated On: 3/27/11 at 07:32 PM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:07pm

Something Bad is really really really bad. Oy.

The Wizard's songs aren't good. Didn't they add one of them when they cast Joel Grey so they didn't waste him?

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:13pm

No the song's were in there before Joel I believe. I think Wonderful changed a bit to fit more of his style but I think thats about it.

I think "Wonderful" does have a point in the show. At the place in the show, Elphaba is tired, disheveled, exhausted, terrified, chased, hated and many other feelings. And the one thing she has wanted was the love from her father..and in her childhood, she imagined the Wizard would end up being her "father-like" figure. So when she goes with the intent of letting the monkeys go, he realizes this is one of her weaknesses and tries to sooth her feelings by trying to act like a father...telling her to let him take care of things (he even references this) and how she has dealt with so much. I think that's why Elphaba is almost seduced going back to him before she sees his true horrors again.

[binau]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:14pm

I thought "Wonderful" was at least trying to be somewhat insightful though....I mean, it puts a spin on his role as the Wizard etc.. right? The lyrics I think are certainly more insightful than hearing about bridges that you didn't know you've crossed until you've crossed, for example :P.

But there is nothing that touches my emotions more than hearing young women screaming and ruining their voices, so I prefer Elphaba's songs :P.

Updated On: 3/27/11 at 08:14 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:50pm

So many of the lyrics are just plain weird and out of place IMO. For Good is just a pastiche of awkward similes.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 3/27/11 at 8:53pm

^Well that's your opinion as both of us have figured before haha
For you, they may seem weird, but for many they are superb. Neither is more valid then the other