Wicked Obsessed - Do I Need Help?

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 10:33am

What's wrong with me?

(preface - Brand new to this board. I don't live in NYC, I get all my B-Way Theatre on tour, and though an ardent life-long student, participant & supplicant of the medium, don't keep abreast of the very latest ... but I think that's about to change ... )

I first heard about Wicked sometime last year and dismissed it. I glanced at the TV briefly during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day (or was it on New Year's?) parade and saw "the cast of Wicked" lip-syncing, and turned back to my blueberry muffin.

Then I saw the Tonys. And something happened. Something about the performance, Idina's insane intensity, the music .... I didn't run out to Buy Caroline or Change, nor Avenue Q, (I fell in love with Assasins 12 years ago, so I didn't need to go buy that one) ... but within days I had Wicked in my CD player. That was, what, 2 months ago? It hasn't left my CD player since. I Bought the Peter MaGuire book and read it in a week. I scoured the internet until I found a complete (yes, with spoilers) synopsis. I began scoping out flight prices to NY and Tix availability. I just got subscriptions to the Sunday Times and the New Yorker.

I joined a friggin "Broadway Chat room" !

What the hell has gotten into me?? What is it about this show? The last time I felt this way was Urinetown, Titanic before that, Rent, and Passion before that ... and each to a far lesser extent. I was "Infatuated" with those shows ... this time I think I'm truly Possessed.

I think there's something really wrong with me. Is there a 12-Step program for this?

LOL

[wickedfan2]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 10:59am

Don't feel bad. I saw it a few weeks ago and have been listening to the CD every day since. I saw Espinosa instead of Idina and am going again August 12 to see it again. I joined this message board and am going to see Brooklyn first week it comes out. Its addicting!

[insomniak]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 11:01am

If you need help, I certainly do. I love Wicked (and bway in general), and I don't live in NY. Idina's amazing, but I haven't been fourtunate enough to hear Eden yet.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 11:14am

i don't think your SO obsessed... If you were, then you would know that the author of the book is GREGORY Maguire, not Peter (who is that?)...

Just realize, when you do see the show, it is NOT the book... the book, in my opinion, is much MUCH better...

[Le Prince Rebel]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 11:20am

I agree with you the book is better, but it would have never worked as the story of a musical, and while I was not eager to see the changes made, I actually found them still satisfying. They work better for a musical. The one aspect of the show which puzzled me was how could Elphaba sing, "I'm Not That Girl" in the rain? Curiouser and Curiouser.

[wickedfan2]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 11:22am

Is that the book where Elpheba bites off someone's finger when she's born?

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 11:22am

we saw it the night after it opened, so maybe my memory is a bit foggy, but i think she sang the song under a bridge...

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 11:26am

Yeah, yeah, yer right ... Gregory not Peter. I was too busy (lazy) to look it up.

I DID enjoy the book. It was deeper, more philosophical than the musical has the ability to be. I was particularly struck by the ending in which Elphaba becomes increasingly convinced that Dorothy is her missing "soul", her "goodness", come to hunt her down and claim her ... and the water dousing as the Baptism that does her in.

But wasn't Winnie Holtzman clever to connect Fiero and Boq to ... well, you know. And doesn't it make more sense for the ruby slippers to help a girl in a wheel-chair, rather than one who is ... Armless?

I think the musical distilled and tighted the essense of a very sprawling, disparate novel.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 12:06pm

**spoiler**

Le Prince Rebel -
um,...Elphaba can sing in the rain because water doesn't actually melt her. The people of OZ just believe it, so she uses the belief to fake her 'melting'...and since you've seen the show, you know how that turns out...

JoJoM - I agree with you about the way Winnie Holtzman adapted the book to make the story work on stage. I do believe the original novel was beautifully constructed to shape issues. It was much more philosophical. But the musical works, too.

Updated On: 7/16/04 at 12:06 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 12:15pm

You dont need help! I am a Wicked fan and will be til the day I die! LOL. The music is infectious and the show is truly phenomenal. You MUST go see it before Idina leaves (January 2nd). If not, Itll be running for many more years to come and Im sure Idina and Kristin will return for some sort of limited engagement (a la Nathan Lane and Matthew Brodereck with The Producers). See Wicked, its a musical that dares to be original and sophisticated (something that hasnt been seen on Broadway in years.)

[GretchaSketh]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 12:27pm

It's funny, I feel the same way. I am completely obsessed. I'm trying to find any way to get to New York to see it (i'm in CA) which is very unlike me. Oh well. At least I'm getting back into theatre:) You're not alone!!

[insomniak]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 1:15pm

The books's much better. And the slippers are silver, not ruby, Nessarose is armless, not in a wheelchair,

SPOILERS- Fiyero is married and has kids but still has an affair with Elphaba, he never had a romanitc relaitonship with Glinda, he dies, Elphaba really is melted, Boq doesn't beome the tin man, Elphaba kills Morrible, and many, many more.

END SPOILERS

I love both the book and the musical, but as two separate entities. The book has better character developement and plot continuity, but the musical is fun and doesn't drag in parts like the book does, though it has kinks in the plot that need ironed out

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 1:20pm

The book was great, but sooooooo long and sooooo confusing! Id recommend the show over the book any day.

Posted: 7/16/04 at 1:43pm

We welcome any and all Broadway Show Obsessions! It's a beautiful, fulfilling, complex and joyful addiction that there, thankfully, is no cure for!

(If loving it is wrong, I don't want to be right!)

[Jo Jo Mandingo]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 1:43pm

Why in the world did you just randomly throw out a bunch of spoilers? What was your point? Every example you give only highlights how confusing and convoluted the book is - not necessarily how much "Better" the book is. I respect your opinion, I just don't get your argument.

Yes, the slippers Turtle Heart crafted are Silver, but Nessa's father turns them "multicolored". Why not just make them RUBY? And, as I said, as a plot device, it makes more sense to have Nessa's legs impaired (as in the musical) than to have no arms (as in the book).

I'd re-think your statements "Elphaba kills Madame Morrible" and "Elphaba really does melt."

It's very rare for me, but to my surprise, I found the plot of the musical adaptation superior in many ways to the novel. The novel introduces and develops characters which do not connect in any way to the end. Their story lines just peter out. Also, so many of the momentous events happen OFF the page (i.e., in between chapters). More than 3/4ths of the way through, I was about ready to pitch the damn thing, saying "Is Elphaba even gonna get on her damn broom and DO something?"

It wasn't until the last chapter that things started to come together - ideas of fate, destiny, and free will came to the surface. For the last chapter alone I would recommend the book.

Call me crazy but, from what I've read, McGuire is duly impressed with what has been done with his first novel. Do you think it possible that he may feel a bit "Damn, why didn't I think of that?"

[NYadgal]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:25pm

Sounds like we should start a BroadwayWorld book club!

Good insight and discussion. I agree with you, JoJoM.

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 5:18pm

haha. the book is better, but i am OBSESSED with the musical more. eden rocks!

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 5:25pm

I was the exact opposite. I loved the cd and listened to it every day, but then I saw the show. Now, I can't even bring myself to put it into the stereo. I don't know why.
I also thought the book was much better than the show.

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 5:29pm

hm....interesting and a tiny bit odd.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 6:24pm

Your love for WICKED was enhanced by the Tony Awards performance?

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 6:29pm

In L. Frank Baum's original story, Dorothy wore "silver slippers".

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 6:30pm

omg what the hell is up with everyone bashing the TONY performance?! one performance sucked. WHO FRICKIN CARES??!! GET OVER IT!

sorry, i've needed to get those feelings out for some time now. back to being my peppy self!

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 6:33pm

That's why I was suprised she used a bad performance as an example for loving the show. lol

[gabybon]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 6:33pm

I'm Obsessed too!!
I'm from Italy, I can't see the show, In Italy there isen't yet a traslation of the original novel...But I totally fall in love for "Wicked" after I listen the cd.
Now I'm looking everything about Wicked on the web, in newspaper...
You're not alone!!

It Is like a drug! Yes, I'm a Schwartz fan too, but for his other shows I'm not so obsessed as for Wicked...
Maybe is for many reason:
-Schwartz score (so magic and ipnotic for me)
-The Witch story (I love Witches, fantasy, magical kingdom etc...)
-The story about an outcast
-the magical poster (one of the best in the History of the musical for me)
-the too good cast (expecially the 2 extraordinary female lead)
-the satire about American politique, college...
-The Wizard of Oz (a loved classic)
-The color Green (one of my favorite colors!)
-The "not so clear" reason why one thing is good and the other is bad
-The orchestration and music arrangements used on the cd...I don't know but I think that are bewitched!! (there are moments in "Dancing Throug Life" "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" that the sound remind me a soap ball...)
-Boq and Nessa (too nice)
-The spoilers!!
-the fact that some things of "Wicked" recall me unfurtunable musicals as Carrie or Starmites...but this is finally is an hit show!!
...And so other Things!

Well...I Hope you'll understand my English and the reason of my obsesion for "Wicked"

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 6:38pm

it is like a drug! oh! and very good english for someone is is from italy (no offense to you!! i meant that you speak italian mostly)! i think everything that the previous post mention is why everyone loves Wicked.