Why does everyone love WICKED? — Page 3

Wicked is definitely worth at least one visit. I am not a crazed fan girl over it; I stick more to down on 46th Street. But I have seen Wicked once, and I did very much enjoy it. It is a very light show, not too much going on in a "deep" sense, and it's really neat to see "Oh that's what she could have been doing!"

I am a writer whose genre is fanfiction, and personally, I think that's what I enjoyed most about it: it's a professionally written fanfic. I'm always very intrigued to see well written stories that involve different points of view and "What if this person was really like THIS?" Those plots have always intrigued me since I was a kid, so that was part of the appeal for me. The music is also very enjoyable and fun to play every now and then.

And yes, the biggest thing is that it is hopefully attracting the teens and such to the theater world, whether they only see Wicked or also move on to the other shows Broadway has to offer. Like it or not, we NEED shows like that. What B&B did for little kids, Wicked does for teenagers. And that is a GOOD thing. Broadway has to keep living, and we need that brand new crowd, whether we like it or not. If a show can bring in those crowds, I give it major plus points.

And honestly, my brother is one of those medium crazed fans of it. He's not all "OMG thiz is SO cool!" But he really enjoys the show, and finds a lot of enjoyment in it. He has seen it about 3 or 4 times, mostly when new cast members come in. Cause like me, we enjoy going back to shows to see how things evolve and change with different performers. That's what makes Broadway special and interesting for us. I do B&B, he does Wicked.

So again, I'm not a bigtime fan girl, but I do applaud it and hope it stays around for quite a long time.

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I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you why I enjoyed it. From the beginning there is this amazing energy! I have to say that there is something so special about sitting in a theater with a truly enthusiastic audience - most of whom have probably seen the show before - that just hypes you up and puts you in a good mood to begin with. Or maybe it just felt that way for me because I saw the show surrounded by other lotto winners... but the energy DID seem to extend beyond just my area. Then there is the familiarity of the Wizard of Oz and the revealing of it's backstory that is just so darn clever. Also, the theme of friendship, as well as two strong female leads that people can generally relate to on some level. The visual spectacle completes the experience... let's face it, a lot of people come to see a broadway show expecting to see "big and flashy" and this show delivers that. The music may not be everyone's taste but I personally feel the score is very appropriate ...catchy and fun at points and dramatic and touching at others.

Jane2 - Of course those that don't like it have the freedom to say so. And if all you want to say is, "Totally forgettable show. I forgot it on the way out of the theatre." that is fine too. But I have to be as brutally honest as you were when saying that... if you're going to make such statements don't expect me to take them seriously. At least state WHAT you didn't enjoy about it in an intelligent way. The way you presented your opinion comes off a bit bitter and spiteful without any reason. If you truly meant what you wrote, then I'm sorry it was such an empty experience for you.

"In the history of musical theater it will be seen as a "blip" on radar....and will not even be mentioned 15 years from now.........."
-Elphaba

Even if you hate Wicked, lets be realistic- Wicked is a very popular show, and because of that, (and its insane fan base) it could very well become the next longest running musical. Also, if you hate Wicked so much, why is your name Elphaba?

"Wicked" is a good show, with a GREAT premise and story.

The reason it appeals to so many people has nothing to do with the sets, costumes or the quality of the music. All of those are very good, however. But there are other shows that arguably are better at all three.

"Wicked" taps into a universal theme of an outsider, trying to fit into society and ultimately succeeding on her own terms, not society's. It questions what is "good" and what is "wicked," in a very straight-forward, yet layered way that people can understand. It's a show that stays with its audiences for a long time after they've seen it. This is what is generating the buzz at the water cooler.

You have to look way beyond the obvious sights and sounds to "get" why this show is so successful.

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I agree with Popular that the energy of the crowd really adds to it too...i haven't been to another show (Phantom, Sunset Boulevard, Les Mis etc) where the audience applauds BEFORE an actor even steps foot on stage.

I think Rosanne and Barbara Walters should be in Wicked.

I'm most certainly not an outsider, but i still love WICKED. So I guess what this thread shows is that people like WICKED for different reasons...and there is no reason to be an elitest or look down on those who do like it.

I have to say, I mean it's a nice show. I do reccomend it to parents with tweens hoping that they will get into theatre more.

"'In the history of musical theater it will be seen as a "blip" on radar....and will not even be mentioned 15 years from now..........'
-Elphaba

Even if you hate Wicked, lets be realistic- Wicked is a very popular show, and because of that, (and its insane fan base) it could very well become the next longest running musical. Also, if you hate Wicked so much, why is your name Elphaba? "

Of course I could be reading into this a bit too much, but the original poster meant in terms of musical theatre studies, not so much what people obsess over. What are you going to be talking about when talking about musical theatre, not the shows than ran forever but the ones that served as cultural milestones or altered the course of musical theatre. Which is why so much time is spent on R/H, Sondheim and (sadly, IMO) ALW. Also because shows like Wicked are too near to be judged acurately. I do agree though that it is more than likely a footnote in musical theatre history...

(P.S. I liked Wicked when recordings came out from the SF tryout, and for like a couple months on Broadway. But now I am just Wicked ambivalent: no desire to see it again, but I don't intensely hate it...not as much as I dislike the stereotyped fan base. Which is what I think most people react so strongly against [just as I react so strongly against the new Rent fanbase from the film. But that's a whole other argument that I am not going to get into].)

Well I've been a huge fan of the book since it was published many years ago. The show was ok, I really liked Holzman's book. To me it just had a lot to live up to. Anyways that said I think the popularity of Wicked has a lot to do with the simple fact it is based on the Wizard of Oz. The perennial favorite is one of the few American fairy-tales and most people know it.

If you haven’t read Maguire’s book, I highly recommend it. Some readers have a problem with the first few chapters, but after that the book really picks up. I wish Maguire wouldn’t have peaked after writing it.

I think it's a combination of the story, songs, costumes, sets, and hype. I had a wonderful time seeing it; it's worth seeing IMO.

Why Did I Like it??? While the score is horrible and the plot totally not complex it is a fun show to watch. People fly..I mean thats pretty cool haha.