Whats Wrong with Wicked?

You mean aside from that cop-out ending that demolishes one of the most important pieces of American popular culture? One of these days there's going to be a big nasty earthquake, because there's a lot of seismic pressure building, because L. Frank Baum turns over in his grave after each performance of Wicked.

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i want to pock around

I think antman sums it up relatively well, at least for me. I have no problem with Wicked itself - the show is not for me, but it's fun, gives actors jobs and brings money and younger people to Broadway. Most Wicked fans are actually sensible, nice people with an interest in many other shows. I just think it's like any new show that develops a large following quickly - you are just pummeled over the head by people who can't get enough of it and think it's the second coming. It's annoying, but I find it easy to ignore. But there's always a part of you that just wants to sit the more fanatical ones down and explain that there is more to Broadway than Wicked. C'est la vie.

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Updated On: 6/1/06 at 06:50 PM

Well, see and that's where I think you're wrong. Just because it's not "Assassians" to you, doesn't mean it doesn't hold the same merritt to someone else. I like the show. I like what it has done for theater. Up to Wicked, none of my friends or family memebers had any remote interest in theater, and now they all know about Broadway, etc. because of what Wicked has done. There's nothing wrong with liking the show. I think it's a great show and - maybe I over look them - but I don't see the faults in the show. I don't find the ending a cop out at all. The whole show is about "what really happened" - so that's the interpretation of the story.

The book and 2nd rate pop score are what I hate about it. There are too many plot holes, under-developed characters, forgettable songs, etc.

Updated On: 6/1/06 at 07:03 PM

I honestly think it's more about the reaction to the show as opposed to the actual show itself. The majority of the people on this board don't necessarily hate the show... granted, some do... but they are sick of seeing a million threads on the topic of Wicked. It's also because Wicked gets a lot of backlash. If someone asks a question about Wicked, they will more likely be bashed than for someone asking a question about Piazza. The people asking questions about Wicked and the "fans" are usually rather eccentric and too bubbly. No one wants to see 15 million exclamation points after "I LOVE WICKED", especially when the fan knows nothing and has no opinions about anything except for Wicked. It's just something you grow accustomed to, because for every sane Wicked fan, there are 10 crazy annoying ones.

~Jkor

Wicked is the most popular of the 3 shows to influence small children to denounce the genius of Sondheim and such because they claim that nothing beats Wicked and that it is perfect. It breeds ignorance. That is unless they branch out into taking interest into other shows and eventually realize Wicked is not the perfect score or is the only thing on broadway that is worthy other than Rent and DRS. Then it is a perfect show to get kids hooked into theater on. I do not hate Wicked and thank it for helping me take the latter route. It wasn't my first show, but was so engaging that I immersed myself into seeking shows that were even bigger and better. Surprise, surprise, my search has led me to some of the best shows out there.
However, I must thank Idina for doing SWIWS because the Pied Piper managed to turn a LaChiusa show into a sell out and many people were introduced to a completely different show than they were probably used to.

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Updated On: 6/1/06 at 07:22 PM

And I think we need to have an intervention about these "!!!!!" after every title. It's always like "History Boy Fans!!!!!" - do we really need 5? or it's even worse with "?" - "TKTS????" - We need to work on that. It's tacky and makes you seem childish. Just a thought. Carry on.

I'm rather new around these boards, and I'll admit - I like Wicked. Wicked was definitely not my first musical. I see many flaws in the book, but I do enjoy the majority of the songs and I think there are some great themes throughout the story. Those themes can reach the tweens and far beyond that age. That being said, I personally don't agree with the type of "theme park" approach from the mega merchandise (there are 8 merchandise stands inside the Gershwin) to themed theatre decor. I see those aspects of the production to cover up the flaws in the show. I didn't feel like I was in NYC after entering the theatre, and I'm not sure I liked that.

That being said, I think it's great if there are people who enjoy Wicked and are big fans- especially young people. For many it may be their first theatrical experience. If not, it might just have something that speaks to their own experiences, and that IS important. As these fans grow and have new experiences, their interests will change and hopefully they will find other muscials that they love. If not- well, hey at least it brought some different people to the theatre.

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It's annoyingly redundant...

And the novel was LOADS better.

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Well as someone said, Wicked is a gateway drug to musical theater. Maybe people don't know the other shows yet. They're young. You can't expect them to be into shows with older themes. Obviously if you're a 40 yr. old man and don't have a taste for Wicked, that's okay, it wasn't aimed at you.

hermionejuliet, isn't the point of theater to act as an escape? So, by transforming the theater into this "world" isn't a bad thing. It's intended.

And what are the flaws in the book? Maybe I choose to over look them, but I really don't see them. Could someone point them out or PM me. thanks.

Oh, I agree with you on that, SallyBrown - the book was great. The musical was so lackluster in comparison. And on a more superfluous note, your avatar is hot.

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