Wicked - What Do People Have Against It? — Page 2

I personally adore the show. Yeah, a lot of the set is overdone, but to me, that adds to its appeal. The lyrics to some of the songs (All of "Something Bad" and the "Bridges you've crossed you didn't know you've crossed until you've crossed" line in Thank Goodness) are just... "Horrendable". The hatred people seem to have for it is unfounded. Since when do we treat a musical we dislike as if it were Hitler? This show appeals to a major amount of people, even to those who normally dislike musicals, and pulls them into Broadway to see it (or a tour city). I can understand people disliking the show, especially to those more die-hard theatre people who look for more in-depth shows, but the raw hatred of it seems more overdone and unnecessary than the gears and dragon in the Gershwin.

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Divaaaaa, did you go see Star Trek in character?

I actually never liked the score that much, even at first. The lyrics are terrible, the characters are flat, and I don't think it matches up well against the Wizard of Oz.

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My issue is mostly with potential. Having read the book the musical had such amazing potential to be something more. Something much darker and politically motivated, but they chose instead to cater to the lowest common denominator. That was obviously the best choice in terms of profit, but artistically the show lacks integrity and the fault lies mostly with the creative writing both book and lyrics. They stand in shame compared to the novel.

Yeah, same here, uncageg. Especially since I've discovered so many other musicals that are even more amazing, you know?

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and for me, Defying Gravity is one of the best first act closers I've ever seen.

You need to get out more.

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I really loved the cast recording for Wicked. I saw in New York last year and went in so excited and left completely disappointed. I was just waiting to be blown away and was left completely cold. Even the songs I loved seemed dull on stage.

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So many people here have made so many good points about the holes in the book... some that I didn't even realize.

When I finally saw WICKED on tour, I liked it, but I certainly wasn't as blown away by it as many casual theatregoers were. Friends who rarely go to theatre couldn't believe it when I said it was 'good.' However... like it or hate it, give this show props for pulling in people to the theatre/Broadway that may otherwise spend their money elsewhere. It has some very addicting songs ("Popular," "For Good") and will likely become one of the top 10, perhaps five, longest shows in Broadway history when it's all said and done.

With that said, I think the show has almost a sense of overall arrogance to it... a feeling of "we can get away with underdeveloped characters and a swiss cheese book by just covering it all up with flying monkeys and witches and screaming dragons. Oh and since all these teeny boppers and their parents are eating it all up, we will continue to charge outrageous ticket prices just because WE CAN." You've made millions WICKED and will continue to make millions for years to come. Now give us a bit of a break. We're in a recession for goodness sakes! Do your tickets really have to be so DAMN EXPENSIVE! Sorry. Arrogance. Is Mario Lopez running your ticket office?

Updated On: 5/15/09 at 10:08 PM

I got the CD just before I was going to see the show as I wanted to be familiar with the "music". I really did not like a single song. Terrible lyrics and BORING music. I have not played the CD since seeing the show.
I HATED the original novel. While set in OZ it basterdized the original stories. There was one large section that debated the ideas of good and evil and had nothing to do with the actual story. Elphaba was a really bad and unfeeling character who does not even recognize of accept her own son. So many things wrong with the book. It would have been impossible to translate that book to the stage - maybe as a tragic opera, not as a musical.
I found the musical to be a mess. I had heard that there was more about the dragon and clock in the show during the tryout and the set was not changed when those elements were changed as completely new sets would have been too expensive. If this is true, it explains some obscure things.
It was a complete cop out the way they showed Dorothy and the house falling on the witch. Not even a clever idea. The whole witch coming out of the floor to reunite with her "love" was enough to gag a maggot. It was only done to satisfy "happy ending" for a musical. "Defying Gravity" was painful to the ears - not sung but shouted and put in to end act one with a bang. If she had flown on her broom it would have been much more effective.
One reason the show is so successful is that teen age girls flock to the show. When I saw it the theater was packed with them and they shreiked at everything. What I've heard from my adult friends is that it was "cute" but not great.
It is no wonder that the 1000% better "Ave." won the Tony over "Wicked" that year.

I saw the show not long after it opened in Chicago. For me, it was an enjoyable evening in the theater, but I didn't feel drawn to go see it again.

I enjoyed some of the songs---the usual ones that are either loved or hated: "Defying Gravity," "Popular," and "For Good."

I read the book before I saw the show, but I wasn't enough in love with it to care much that they changed it. I haven't read the author's follow-up novels. The book was deeper and more serious than the show. Yes.

It was OK with me that they made the show lighter and happier than the book. If a lighter, happier musical is made of War and Peace or Hamlet, I will no doubt jump on the "Isn't it awful" bandwagon, but Wicked? Eh.

The West, love, not the East.

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I find it odd that she sets the Scarecrow/Fiyero on fire in the movie when she's supposedly, you know, in love with him.

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One thing I will say is that I feel as though the show works better on tour. If you REALLY breakdown the Wicked SCENIC design, it isnt all that complicated.. a few set pieces.. mostly a large, bare stage and good lighting. On Broadway, the set looks MUCH bigger, but it is essentially decoration to cover the large, plain walls of the Gershwin. The tour, obviously, does not have that need, so evenrything is "zoomed in" in a way, so you actually see the SHOW and the SCENIC design.. not over produced and overly complex efforts to hide bare walls.

I like the design in some ways, but it is fundamentally flawed, as has been stated here and elsewhere, because the entire motif is the Time Dragon Clock.. which IS the book, yet doesn't recieve any note in the musical.

The writing in the show is, at best, forced. However, with a great trio of Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero, it is much easier to sit back and enjoy... but they have to be GREAT. Sadly, few Glindas even qualify as GOOD because they spend the entire show mugging and giving so much ham that they CDC should name them a one woman Swine Flu epidemic.

Unless I have a major reason too, I loathe seeing Wicked more than once, maybe twice, each year because the fan base for the show is so.. disturbing. I mean, really? A candle lit vigil because Menzel fell through a trap door?? And look up a few things on certain forbidden sights and read the comments from Wicked fans.. it's utter nonsense. They way they worship Menzel and Chenoweth.. with no real reason given.. it's kind of freightening.