How you know Wicked has entered the popular culture....

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 3:50pm

In honor of the new Batman movie, Yahoo Movies put out a list of the best movie villains of all time. One of them was the Wicked Witch of the West. Her description reads as follows:

The debate continues whether the Wicked Witch is a green-skinned incarnation of evil or a wronged woman rebelling against the tyrannical Wizard of Oz. In any case, she rules the Winkies with an iron fist, commands an army of fearsome airborne primates, and probably has dubious personal hygiene habits. But if your house accidentally drops on one of her siblings, watch out. She'll get you and your little dog too.

I don't ever recall there ever being any "debate" about her before Gregory Maguire renamed her Elphaba (or more accurately, before she became a character in the musical). Until Wicked, I thought she was simply "bad."
Wicked Witch or Elphaba?

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 3:54pm

I know Wicked hit pop culture when I was walking down the street in my little town of Island Lake and have heard people singing "Popular". This has happend more then once and by more then one person.

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:09pm

im confused ... i thought wicked was by definition part of the pop culture right from the get-go?

[Weez]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:16pm

As soon as people start saying "don't sing ANYTHING from 'Wicked' at an audition! Ever!". We all know you shouldn't sing from a show currently or recently on Broadway, but that tone of exasperation shows that people don't always follow the rules, and it's to quite a large extent in this case.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:00pm

Even though we aren't a real small town here in Denver. I was pretty amazed when I walked into a bar after seeing Wicked on B'way in 2004 with my Wicked T-shirt on and half the bar ran up to me wanting to know how it was and how Defying Gravity was live. I knew some people knew about it but I was like some kinda God that evening (Ok...so I am a God, period!!!).

[seymour229]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:09pm

my local movie theatre used to play defying gravity, popular and as long as you're mine in the parking lot, lobby and inside the movie theatre right before the movie previews started. i thought i would be the only person in the theatre who knew the songs, but it was pretty hilarious when the 13 year old girls (and a few 40 year old men) were singing along somewhere in the dark room..

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:14pm

I wore my shirt to Great America and had 15 people say "I love wicked." One girl is like " OH MY GOD! WICKED WAS JUST SO AMAZING. WICKED IS GOD"

I'm like "Ok!!!!"

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:19pm

We had showtune night at the bar I mentioned in my 1st post. On the evening they played Defying Gravity and out of nowhere the bar manager rose from behind the bar (With the help of a small ladder) in a black cape, and hat with a broom AND a spotlight singing "So if you care to find me..." I knew things had gotten out of hand!!!

Updated On: 7/18/08 at 06:19 PM

[Weez]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:29pm

It's like one of those internet lists.

You know 'Wicked' is popular when...

... you stop wearing your 'Wicked' shirts in public.

Both true and sad.

[ko74612]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:15pm

Is it bad that "Wicked" is popular (no pun intended) or dare I say mainstream? It can be seen as a move away from broadway elitism which is a positive thing. imo.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:17pm

A view I certainly agree with, but one that comes perilously close to saying things like "'Camp Rock' - what a good idea!".

Hey, anything that gets kids into musicals, y'know...? And 'Camp Rock' was at least a little better than 'High School Musical 2'. If "better" is an acceptable term here. XD

[ko74612]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:34pm

lol. I agree with getting kids into theater.

I think though, rather than targeting shows towards that age group we should just turn them into little elitist theater mongers. Then we could get rid of high school musical and camp rock all together and keep the elitism alive knowing that there are children that will continue it. lol

[toanythingtaboo 2]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:38pm

I really wasn't a fan of Camp Rock to be honest, it was so poorly thought out.

But yeah, bringing musicals 'back' to mainstream culture may have its downsides...but its benefit for the industry beyond makes up for it.

For me, I died a little inside when I saw a video of these total nightmare girls from the popular crowd at school 'singing' Popular on youtube. Then I died a little more when seeing some incredibly preppy girls wearing Wicked merch around town.



Updated On: 7/18/08 at 07:38 PM

[fanpires]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:18pm

when i went to see wicked, there were a group of girls who literally painted their bodies green.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:28pm

No matter how hard I try, I can't kill it.

[broadwayboy101]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:40pm

I was at the zoo with a friend, and was wearing my Wicked Chicago T-Shirt that says "Chicago/Wicked/Emerald City, Illinois" on it. While I was ordering food, the cashier goes "Did you really see it in the Emerald City?"

No joke...Took every ounce of my being not to laugh hysterically, because it OBVIOUSLY said Chicago right above the Wicked logo.