Why do people hate Wicked? — Page 2

I'm definitely a fan of Wicked and even Stephen Schwartz in general. But I don't think it's the GREATEST MUSICAL EVER!!!! There's just so many better shows out there.

That said (and this is probably gonna sound totally hypocritical) I wanna see Mandy play Elphaba like you wouldn't believe!

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I saw it twice and I don't hate it, but it's not on my list of favorite shows. First act was OK, but the story got so confusing in the second act that I had no idea what was going on. I am a sucker for big power ballads, so I liked the score. But I've seen too many big Broadway shows to be impressed by bells and whistles and I feel that this show relies on them way too much.

All in all, I am so glad that "Avenue Q" beat out "Wicked" for Best Musical. "Avenue Q" is a much, much, much better show than "Wicked". I would highly recommend it to all "Wicked" fans - it would do them good to see another show rather than seeing nothing but "Wicked" a million times.

Is it out of pure hatred toward anything "mainstream" or "popular" (pun intended). Or is it merely a difference in taste?

Both. No musical is universally loved and often among musical theatre enthusiasts, shows popular with mainstream audiences are resented for being more successful than shows considered more artistically astute. That will never change. And the annoying fangirls who endlessly gushed about Wicked during its first year didn't help matters. I enjoyed it and saw it several times, but I don't consider it a "masterpiece". I found it entertaining.

“Look at her, she’s wicked! GET HER!” Seriously?

It's a choral number and a mob scene. Sondheim wrote "More hot pies! More hot! More Pies! More!" Seriously.

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I also applaud Frontrowcentre2 for his thoughtful insights. Well done.

Trainwreck, I also think that if you love it the best, then you should and your reasons are perfectly valid! For me, I've seen probably upwards of 300+ productions of musicals and plays, and so I see 'Wicked' as part of a lifetime of theatre-going. It falls into an area that makes for an enjoyable evening, but I think that down the line, you'll find that another director/set designer, etc., are going to find a deeper and more moving production of the show (a bit like the new production of 'Sunday in the Park with George' did)(for me, I hasten to add). This production feels a little superficial to me.

Glad to see a number of people getting back to the topic, which is why people hate Wicked. The topic isn't me.

It's not why Trainwreck likes Wicked [Kad], how old Trainwreck is [frontrowcentre2], or why he thinks Sweeny Todd, etc. aren't Masterpieces. Which, by the way, I do NOT believe nor did I ever imply [Kad].

I also never said I saw a Wicked film. There isn't one. I said it was my favorite show that I've seen - out of all the ones I've seen live or film [Biff AKA Levi]. I'm not sure if it's the "BEST THING EVER", but in my opinion it is a "modern masterpiece" that people will look back on with delight when the show is older. I'm sure there are better shows out there, I just like it the best. But in full disclosure I'm almost torn between it and Chicago.

But in the interest of introducing myself, let's clear up a few things -

For the record I am a 25-year-old straight male who has loved musical theater since I started high school when I was in a musical (H2$). Since then I've seen a number of live productions (the most recent of which are in my signature), and have been to Broadway once (and saw Rent). I live in Seattle.

All of that aside - I'm glad to see people here with the attitude of "if you like it the best, then it's the best." That's the way I feel. If you guys think Gypsy is the best thing ever - then it is! I can't tell you that you are wrong, it's all subjective!

Anyway, this thread wasn't in the interest of defending Wicked or myself, but I figured it would be nice to introduce myself a little since I AM new to the boards [Kalimba].

Thank those of you who have provided intelligent answers, most of which I agree with. I was glad to see what people had to say.

Edit: Nothing against those of you who I called out, I just wanted to give you guys some replies since you were more interested in me than the discussion.

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Updated On: 3/9/10 at 02:22 PM

For the record I am a 25-year-old straight male who has loved musical theater since...

Let they record show, your honor, that the original poster is neither teenage nor female.

Nor is he gay.

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There's a Seattle board?

Wow. All these years and I have never clicked on that drop down box. I always assumed it would just contain the four message boards listed to the left. It's like a whole new world!

Trainwreck, you're doing an awful lot of talking about yourself for someone who doesn't want to.

It just seems that you've spent most of the thread trying to circumscribe the conversation.

You don't seem to want any sort of dialog. I gather you just wanted to say that "Wicked" is a masterpiece, and that anyone who doesn't agree must feel "pure hatred."

And then you're offended by any questions about why you like it.

At this point, I'm just puzzled.

I want to know if Reg is circumscribed.

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Wow! It's pretty refreshing to see a thread with "Wicked" in it that didn't end up in all-out bashing :)

I guess I would be counted as someone in the target audience for Wicked (teen girl). My first musicals were all "classics" (Oklahoma, Sound of Music, Oliver, Fiddler on the Roof)so I think ultimately Wicked stood out because it was so different (AT THE TIME). I mean, it was written more than forty years later than anything I'd heard until then...

I think Wicked's "strength" would be in its accessibility. While I'll be the first to point to Sondheim as a lyrical genius, honestly most of my friends would just have a hard time getting beyond the complicated melodies. What is This Feeling is so much easier to hum than Not a Day Goes By. I'm not saying this is a good thing, but I think that's why Wicked never has to worry about filling seats. It bridges the gap between popular culture and "hardcore" theatre. I think people get angry when these Wicked fans refuse to realize that, and treat Wicked as the epitome of great theatre.

Updated On: 3/10/10 at 12:15 AM

"Well I hated it because I think pretty much everything about it sucked. The music sucked, the performances were irritating, the sets were ugly and I hated the choreography. It probably didn't help that I was a fan of the book it was "based" on. "

LMAO!!! beautifully blunt and to the point! i also feel the same way about the novel. if the book (script, not novel), had taken cues from the novel, it probably would have been much better liked by me at least.

in general, shows like 'wicked' and 'lion king' are still selling well because audiences love two things: sentiment and spectacle. this is true of theatre and movies. just look at the financial success of 'avatar', which has a lot of the same problems 'wicked' does.

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