Why does everyone love WICKED?- Page 3

[DG]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 1:19am

"It doesn't suit everyone, it merely suits audience members who want to go see a show with flying witches and monkeys, a big set, and a pop score. It doesn't suit the people who grew up watching shows that actually dealt with complex issues, that had complex scores, and that were relevant to the history of musical theater."

This may come as a shock, but even those of us who attend a lot of theatre - and appreciate true art for what it is - can still enjoy this heartfelt show for what it presents.

You elitist Jackass.

[LumBabsFan]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 1:19am

Wicked is definitely worth at least one visit. I am not a crazed fan girl over it; I stick more to down on 46th Street. But I have seen Wicked once, and I did very much enjoy it. It is a very light show, not too much going on in a "deep" sense, and it's really neat to see "Oh that's what she could have been doing!"

I am a writer whose genre is fanfiction, and personally, I think that's what I enjoyed most about it: it's a professionally written fanfic. I'm always very intrigued to see well written stories that involve different points of view and "What if this person was really like THIS?" Those plots have always intrigued me since I was a kid, so that was part of the appeal for me. The music is also very enjoyable and fun to play every now and then.

And yes, the biggest thing is that it is hopefully attracting the teens and such to the theater world, whether they only see Wicked or also move on to the other shows Broadway has to offer. Like it or not, we NEED shows like that. What B&B did for little kids, Wicked does for teenagers. And that is a GOOD thing. Broadway has to keep living, and we need that brand new crowd, whether we like it or not. If a show can bring in those crowds, I give it major plus points.

And honestly, my brother is one of those medium crazed fans of it. He's not all "OMG thiz is SO cool!" But he really enjoys the show, and finds a lot of enjoyment in it. He has seen it about 3 or 4 times, mostly when new cast members come in. Cause like me, we enjoy going back to shows to see how things evolve and change with different performers. That's what makes Broadway special and interesting for us. I do B&B, he does Wicked.

So again, I'm not a bigtime fan girl, but I do applaud it and hope it stays around for quite a long time.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 1:37am

It is the new Cats/Les Miz/Phantom/Rent. And, much like Cats/Les Miz/Phantom/Rent, you loved it when it opened. Then, everyone else fell in love with it and started raving about it. You couldn't get away from it. Then Joe Schmoe NASCAR fan starts bragging about seeing it/having seen it as some sort of cultural flashpoint/touchstone.

(Yes, the / is my personal ...)

You get sick of it. You drift away. You find new shows to love and be thrilled by.

Fifteen or sixteen years later, when the movie version finally happens, you re-discover the score and fall in love with it all over again. Even more people fall in love with it and start raving about it. Even more Joe Schmoe NASCAR fans start bragging about seeing it/having seen it. It again becomes a cultural flashpoint/touchstone. You drift way again.

Such is the life of a blockbuster for the true theater geek. Make your peace with it now, because before too long it will be Cats/Les Miz/Phantom/Rent/Wicked as you bemoan the popular appeal of an entirely new show.

Turn, turn, turn.


EDIT for clarity - I loved Cats, I loved Les Miz, I loved Phantom, I loved Rent, and I loved Wicked. I fully and whole-heartedly look forward to the next blockbuster musical I can get sick of!

Updated On: 5/14/06 at 01:37 AM

[Popular]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 2:08am

I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you why I enjoyed it. From the beginning there is this amazing energy! I have to say that there is something so special about sitting in a theater with a truly enthusiastic audience - most of whom have probably seen the show before - that just hypes you up and puts you in a good mood to begin with. Or maybe it just felt that way for me because I saw the show surrounded by other lotto winners... but the energy DID seem to extend beyond just my area. Then there is the familiarity of the Wizard of Oz and the revealing of it's backstory that is just so darn clever. Also, the theme of friendship, as well as two strong female leads that people can generally relate to on some level. The visual spectacle completes the experience... let's face it, a lot of people come to see a broadway show expecting to see "big and flashy" and this show delivers that. The music may not be everyone's taste but I personally feel the score is very appropriate ...catchy and fun at points and dramatic and touching at others.

Jane2 - Of course those that don't like it have the freedom to say so. And if all you want to say is, "Totally forgettable show. I forgot it on the way out of the theatre." that is fine too. But I have to be as brutally honest as you were when saying that... if you're going to make such statements don't expect me to take them seriously. At least state WHAT you didn't enjoy about it in an intelligent way. The way you presented your opinion comes off a bit bitter and spiteful without any reason. If you truly meant what you wrote, then I'm sorry it was such an empty experience for you.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 2:13am

Sorry, just had the urge to change the title of the thread.

Feel free to change it back

[missyrose87]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 2:54am

"In the history of musical theater it will be seen as a "blip" on radar....and will not even be mentioned 15 years from now.........."
-Elphaba

Even if you hate Wicked, lets be realistic- Wicked is a very popular show, and because of that, (and its insane fan base) it could very well become the next longest running musical. Also, if you hate Wicked so much, why is your name Elphaba?

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 2:56am

Why do people like Wicked? Because it wasn't written by Frank Wildhorn.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 7:13am

"Wicked" is a good show, with a GREAT premise and story.

The reason it appeals to so many people has nothing to do with the sets, costumes or the quality of the music. All of those are very good, however. But there are other shows that arguably are better at all three.

"Wicked" taps into a universal theme of an outsider, trying to fit into society and ultimately succeeding on her own terms, not society's. It questions what is "good" and what is "wicked," in a very straight-forward, yet layered way that people can understand. It's a show that stays with its audiences for a long time after they've seen it. This is what is generating the buzz at the water cooler.

You have to look way beyond the obvious sights and sounds to "get" why this show is so successful.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 9:58am

best12bars makes a really good point. That, and it's just damn entertaining.

[Sparklesss]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 10:15am

I agree with Popular that the energy of the crowd really adds to it too...i haven't been to another show (Phantom, Sunset Boulevard, Les Mis etc) where the audience applauds BEFORE an actor even steps foot on stage.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 11:22am

I agree DG. People discredit Wicked fans, and the stupid ones must be discredited, so should the stupid RENT and other shows.

I can appreciate a show like Wicked and Aida and Rent just as much as I can enjoy Sweeney Todd and The sound of Music.

It's all a matter of taste.

[chad2]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 11:30am

I think Rosanne and Barbara Walters should be in Wicked.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 7:27pm

People, and when I say people I mean "fangirls" love Wicked because they see themselves as Elphaba, and it makes them get all obsessed over because there is finally a character that they can relate to. Then they get into the show because of who is in it, and they think that the actor can help them feel more accepted in the world, and then you have massive amounts of people crowding the stage door to try to get a piece of someone who they feel is like them. I liken it to when people think characters on TV are real, and they yell at the actors for something their character did.

Pretty soon there will be some other show with an outsider character that girls can connect with and then we will have something else to complain about on the boards.

[Sparklesss]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 9:17pm

I'm most certainly not an outsider, but i still love WICKED. So I guess what this thread shows is that people like WICKED for different reasons...and there is no reason to be an elitest or look down on those who do like it.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 9:37pm

Not saying that that is the only reason that people like it, some people like it because of the pop score, or the belty vocals, but the interviews I've read with cast members say that people have a strong connection to the outsider feeling of the main character. It's kind of like when you go through puberty and you don't know where you fit in with the world, then you hear a band or read a book that connects with the experience you are going through, and you come to the realization that you are not alone in the world? It's kind of like the same thing for Wicked(for some people) and just for clarification Sparklesss, why do you like Wicked? Out of curiosity, not to be harsh or critical.

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 5/14/06 at 10:23pm

I have to say, I mean it's a nice show. I do reccomend it to parents with tweens hoping that they will get into theatre more.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 5/15/06 at 7:38pm

I enjoyed it. OK. A lot for me had to do w the performances. ( I saw it about 4 month into the run) and they were all still fresh and colourful and vibrant. The story was kinda a fantasy movie of the week/afterschool special. but I still like alot of the songs. SO pillory me.

[safran]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 3:40am

"'In the history of musical theater it will be seen as a "blip" on radar....and will not even be mentioned 15 years from now..........'
-Elphaba

Even if you hate Wicked, lets be realistic- Wicked is a very popular show, and because of that, (and its insane fan base) it could very well become the next longest running musical. Also, if you hate Wicked so much, why is your name Elphaba? "

Of course I could be reading into this a bit too much, but the original poster meant in terms of musical theatre studies, not so much what people obsess over. What are you going to be talking about when talking about musical theatre, not the shows than ran forever but the ones that served as cultural milestones or altered the course of musical theatre. Which is why so much time is spent on R/H, Sondheim and (sadly, IMO) ALW. Also because shows like Wicked are too near to be judged acurately. I do agree though that it is more than likely a footnote in musical theatre history...

(P.S. I liked Wicked when recordings came out from the SF tryout, and for like a couple months on Broadway. But now I am just Wicked ambivalent: no desire to see it again, but I don't intensely hate it...not as much as I dislike the stereotyped fan base. Which is what I think most people react so strongly against [just as I react so strongly against the new Rent fanbase from the film. But that's a whole other argument that I am not going to get into].)

[gabybon]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 9:31am

Well, well...The years go and go and Wicked still remain one of the most discussed subject of this board. Also for this, bad or good, Wicked is a mega-success and made History. It's snob and stupid to think that this show not made the history of the musical and that It'll be forgotten...If you Like or not, It's a big success and It'll be for many years.
For me and many others It's a show with good and modern music, a good story, a good direction...It's a show who wins thanks the title and not exclusive for the star names in the cast. It's modern, all new and not a show with nostalgic score or themes, it's not too serius but has humor, romantic and at the same time important social or politic messages. I respect the negative opinion about it, but It's very silly and snob to say that it'll be forgotten. Also simple musicals like "Grease" made the history of musical theater together with Sondheim's works and Schwartz or Menken musicals...

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 9:50am

Well I've been a huge fan of the book since it was published many years ago. The show was ok, I really liked Holzman's book. To me it just had a lot to live up to. Anyways that said I think the popularity of Wicked has a lot to do with the simple fact it is based on the Wizard of Oz. The perennial favorite is one of the few American fairy-tales and most people know it.

If you haven’t read Maguire’s book, I highly recommend it. Some readers have a problem with the first few chapters, but after that the book really picks up. I wish Maguire wouldn’t have peaked after writing it.

[bwaylover86]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 9:56am

I think Wicked has a lot of appeal to people of all different ages. Its a classic story of friendship (my aunt cried at the end lol), its funny, cute, the music is upbeat and fun, and its fun to think that the "Wicked witch" actually was good. It totally twists around the classic story of the Wizard of Oz and sends a good message that we should always look at both sides of the story before we pass judgment. Maybe I am reading way to much into it, but I can understand why it is so popular and personally I really enjoyed it. I think it should be looked at as a good show, unfortunatly when it got a huge tween fan base it made it look bad, but it is still a good show for all ages, its just a bit obsessed over and can be over-rated.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 10:00am

I think it's a combination of the story, songs, costumes, sets, and hype. I had a wonderful time seeing it; it's worth seeing IMO.

[Sublime]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 5:39pm

If it is the prospect of a "spectacle" that draws people to "Wicked", it should not last as long as people claim. When the sets, the costumes and the special effects grow old, it will be left with its most basic foundation to stay alive -- the score, the story, the direction. These, in my opinion, and as much as you all must hate the word by now, are definitely overrated.

[yayforwicked]

Posted: 5/16/06 at 8:58pm

Why Did I Like it??? While the score is horrible and the plot totally not complex it is a fun show to watch. People fly..I mean thats pretty cool haha.

[cturtle]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 12:28am

i loved WICKED when i saw it on b'way two years ago, and i loved it again tonite in atlanta! kendra and julia breathe new life into two great characters and make them their own. i love the music, love the story, love it's cleverness and plot structure. and i especially love the way it parodies the crap that passes for democracy in our government.