Entertainment Weekly Names WICKED Top Musical

Best of the decade? Heck no.

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Hm, I forgot about Hairspray. I mean Wicked is a cultural phenomenon, even more so than Hairspray. LaChiusa's Wild Party? Hm, I just can't get into it.

Gladiator did win some Oscars, no?

Avenue Q was groundbreaking in a way, and sort of started the whole "from Off-Broadway" trend. (Maybe not started it, but brought attention to it).

I think Wicked deserves it. I understand how people think its hyped up too much and overrated but it's about something pretty much everybody knows about and people can relate to it. And it has some pretty big songs

I didn't hate Wicked either. I was very fond of it. But I wasn't really moved by it, and I have to disagree that it is the Musical of the Decade. While most of my musical viewings in the early 00's consisted of RENT (I had a slight addiction), I have to say my personal "Best of the Decade" was Hairspray or Next to Normal. Hairspray was so fun and touching and just a wonderful score. And I have never been so moved by a show as I have with Next to Normal. While it might not be my favorite musical, it is certainly one of the best I've ever seen.

"I think Wicked deserves it."

I think it's overblown pop tripe.

And Sauja: with all due respect, I react to it that way not as a result of it being popular, but because it really is quite cliche and unabashedly bombastic.

Please forgive the use of generalizations: I just don't care enough to elaborate.

Updated On: 12/8/09 at 08:09 PM

Sorry Pgenre, I just didn't like it. I like some of his other stuff, but sometimes it just all gets too heavy.

And I agree about Caroline or Change. Beautiful music, beautiful production, etc.

Wicked is certainly not one of the best musicals of the decade- although I wouldn't call it one of the worst, by far.

However, it's hard to argue that it is probably THE most culturally significant musical of the decade, and probably the biggest since RENT in that regard. Its unexpected and possibly unwarranted popularity has helped to spearhead the sudden reemergence of musical theater in pop culture. Without Wicked, I don't think the art of theater would be any better or worse, but it would certainly be less popular, and that applies to all shows, not just Wicked, since Wicked is a big "gateway show" like RENT that gets people exposed to more theater.

Also, they names August:Osage County as the best play.

Wasn't DOUBT in this decade? I'd put that over AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.

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I think that's hard. There's so many moving plays in the last ten years (Kimberly Akimbo, Doubt, The Laramie Project, A:OC...) that while I think A:OC is a good choice, I think I would choose The Laramie Project over it. Doubt and A:OC in second. A:OC was BRILLIANT.

And Wicked? Well...a few thoughts on that.

My experiences with Wicked are all positive. I saw it three months after opening, with all OBC, third row, and I was enthralled. While I know more about Stephen Schwartz now and his works, is it the strongest work he's ever produced? No. But, the show certainly made me want to get involved in musicals a lot more...it was so inspiring and magical to me. But, was it over-publicized and is it over-rated now? Yeah. I think so. I think Wicked has lost the magic over the years for me. Which is sad. But because of what it did for me, as a youngster, it really helped me become more well rounded in this crazy world we call theatre.

Originally, when I was young I didn't want Avenue Q to win, because it had no affect on me. But it did deserve the Tony, because truth be told, it is a really modern musical comedy that most people can enjoy, and it does have really great adult humor and we can love the characters all in all.

But I guess I might agree with Wicked, just because of what it did to me.

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The fact that GREASE is on that list disqualifies you.

Sorry. Better luck next time.

(My opinion is all it is and was.)

P