Strange Structure in Wicked Libretto

I'm one of the few that is very indifferent to Wicked.
Neither I have Idina Menzel's poster in my room, nor I vomit when I see green make-up.
I just think it is a well done production, nothing more.

However, after watching the show, I realized a strange placing of songs. "What is this Feeling?" goes right after "The Wizard and I"...I had listened to the OBC, and I would have thought that a scene would be placed in the middle between the songs, as , just for the brief Shiz introduction scene, there is very little background on why the witches HATE each other. Dislike? Maybe, but a whole song about their hate for each other seemed to be more appropiate a few scenes into the musical, and not after "The Wizard and I", when we know very little about the relationship between Galinda and Elphaba?

Any comments?
Was this song introduced later or replaced another?

Just seems like poor structuring to me, or at least, strange...

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there should be more evidence that a little time has passed... unless it is an honest hatred they had when they initially met.


but ah well... i love the show anyway!

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Well,um...she is kind of..green?

Yes, I'm sure there are a million ways to justify this...

I just thought the numbers were oddly placed, and that "What is This Feeling?" would had been more effective after the relationship between both was a bit clearer...

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It's a superficial dislike. Galinda dislikes Elphaba because she's green and different. Elphaba dislikes Galinda because she dislikes her.

"It's a superficial dislike"

Yes, that is true...that's why I thought the "loathing" was such a strong word for such a silly difference...

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I guess you can put it that way, even though if I were playing either part, I'd make it a little deeper than that. Especially for Elphaba, I wouldn't say she hates Galinda JUST because Galinda hates her...almost everyone hates Elphaba because she's green and different...and intense. There's something that rubs Elphaba the wrong way more than others. It's the actor's choice to figure out what that is though.

i think the immediate and total dislike comes from Elphie being chosen for the class that Galinda wanted, pure and simple jealously fom a girl who expected everything to be handed to her because of who she was.

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they DO make up their own words... like scandalacous... of course it doesn't make sense! but hey, it's all fun

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If any actor went into playing either of those roles with the vision of "school girls are over dramatic"...they shouldn't be actors.

zzanna, that's one possibilty. There are plenty of things an actor can choose to get to why the characters loathe each other, and IF they even really do. They could always be putting that on as protection from something. There's very little in the script that justifies certain things that the characters do. That's why, I say, in shows with so many holes, it makes the world of a difference when there are strong actors in the leads.

The book for Wicked is so flawed it's not even funny, I love the score-not Sondheim, but it's fun and entertaining-but the book is full of ridiculous words that make no sense and that were not in the original novel and I honestly hate the fact that Winnie Holzman did not provide enough character development. The characters Gregory Maguire wrote are very three-dimensional while the ones in the musical change their attitudes too quickly, the score tries to make up for this but the book is too weak to compliment what the songs try to do. The "Wizard and I" and "What is this feeling?" structure is just one among many book mistakes.

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Do yourself a favor:

http://www.broadwayabridged.com/scripts/wicked.shtml

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Also, Galinda wanted to be taught magic by Madame Morrible, but she tells her that she doesn't hold her class every semester. But when she sees Elphaba's powers she wants to teach her. Of course Galinda would be upset that she didn't get what she wanted, that's her personality. So she held a grudge.

Also the fact that she's green and different holds a part.