there are SO MANY Wicked vs. Avenue Q threads going on right now, I need to get involved even though I swore I wouldn't provoke the Wicked groupies anymore.
seriously, Wicked is a fun show and I had mainly good things to say about it after seeing it pre-Broadway in SF. beautiful design, some fun music, and a few amazing performances make for an enjoyable evening but it just is NOT God's gift to Broadway, and Idina is NOT the greatest Broadway singer of the all time, the century, the year, or even the evening. hearing people online and at school constantly making these wild statements about the greatness and the legacy of Wicked has left me with a horrible taste in my mouth about what the Disney-ification of Broadway has brought us to.
Wicked does not deserve all of the scrutiny it's getting from some of us "snobs" but neither does it deserve to be listed among the truly great musicals. there are many GOOD things about the show and i'm happy for Idina's win and happy that Stephen Scwartz finally has a show that can make some money, but there simply isn't anything really GREAT about it.
So I say good for Broadway for recognizing a small, original show like Avenue Q rather than voting for the show that the media expected them to. they definitely proved to be one industry that occassionally chooses substance over generic spectacle. Wicked is fun, it knows how to market itself and make money, and it fills a niche. The same is true of a Britney Spears concert, but that doesn't give her substance.
And as for a legacy? I'd say, in 10 years, it'll rank somewhere between Scarlet Pimpernel and Aida.
"The last train out of any station will not be full of nice guys."
- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"I wash my face, then drink beer, then I weep.
Say a prayer and induce insincere self-abuse,
till I'm fast asleep"- In Trousers