It has a (mostly) pop score, full of heart-on-your sleeve power ballads many find generic. Its campy humor, embodied by Chenoweth's Glinda, is at times at odds with the central through-line, which is an earnest tale about a misfit who's a combo Carrie White and Jane Goodall. Plus, it turns much of an iconic part of pop culture -- WIZARD OF OZ -- on its ear.
Some people love the blended sensibilities, others find it arch and bloated, trying to be all things to all people. I liked it a lot, and saw it as more ambitious than pandering. But I've grown weary explaining why I enjoyed it, and why the Menzel performance of the (more) compelling character -- and her soaring songs -- move me. It's a personal taste thing. The show satisfied me, and many others, flaws and all. If you're curious: go.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 12/8/03 at 03:58 PM
