Wicked- Wicked Witch of the East

[gstrus2]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 5:50pm

I am seeing Wicked for the first time in August, but I did get a signed playbill from a friend, and I noticed a song, The Wicked Witch of the East in Act 2, that wasn't on the CD. Why is it not included? Does anyone have a good recording somewhere online?

[bdn223]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 5:56pm

They decided not to record it because it is somewhat of a pivotal plot point, with several spoilers.

It is one of my favorite songs in the score though.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 5:57pm

Yes, they didn't want to give away the spoilers included in the song.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 7:02pm

That song is actually the only song from the show I like, which makes me sad it wasn't recorded.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 8:16pm

It is my favorite song from the show and in that short amount of time it gives Nessarose so much to do.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 8:51pm

The "don't wanna give away spoilers" reasoning annoys me to no end. Maybe Sweeney Todd should have dropped half of the finale from the recording for the same reason? I mean, I think it should be accepted that people listening to a cast album can handle spoilers (or it could have been added to that somewhat pointless anniversary reissue).

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 8:57pm

it bugs me too that is isn't included, not even on the japan or German recordings (but that's because they use the OBC backing tracks)

but if youre curious about it musically, with out giving away plot spoilers, it is largely made up of the tune that boq and nessa share in dancing through life, plus some new bits.

Updated On: 7/4/12 at 08:57 PM

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 9:05pm

I agree that it is annoying for a cast recording to omit an entire song. People who get the recording want to hear the score, whether to remember the show that they have already seen or to preview the show and they obviously don't mind spoilers in that case.

In this case it is especially stupid and pointless because the plot point that they are trying to avoid 'spoiling' by omiting Wicked Witch of the East is also given away in March of the Witch Hunters. It was about two years before I could see the show live, and I had listened to the cast recording prior to that, and that particular secret was already spoiled by Boq's part in March of the Witch Hunters anyway. So the cast recording was left incomplete for nothing.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 9:05pm

Also I think I remember one of the big reasons was because it is cut up so much and so dialogue heavy.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 10:19pm

The Wicked cast recording in and of itself is pretty choppy IMO. The Wicked Witch of the East is in my opinion the strongest part of the score. If the rest of the show had been that dark and intense in terms of book, score, and character development, the show could have been so much more.

[mikem]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 11:48pm

SPOILERS FOR WICKED BELOW

I also think that the recording in general is very choppy. I don't think they should have eliminated the "It's me! It's MEEEEEEE!" part of Defying Gravity as Elphaba goes up on the lift, which is one of the more memorable parts of the show.

Many recent cast recordings have a lot of dialogue. I think that if Wicked were recorded today, it wouldn't be so cut up.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 11:53pm

Wasn't the cast recording rushed to be recorded? I could have sworn that was the case, because demand for it was so - for lack of a better word - popular, that they rushed to get it done and out.

I love Wicked Witch of the East, but I feel like had I known about it before seeing the show - ie: what occurs during the number, etc - I wouldn't have gotten so wrapped up in it. I'm someone who enjoys surprises, so I really was glad to go in and be really impressed by it when I saw the show for the first time.

Updated On: 7/5/12 at 11:53 PM

[DEClarke]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 12:28am

Guys guys guys.... come on now. You all know those cuts were made so they could release a 10th Anniversary edition, which will feature all the changed orchestrations and cut moments from the show. And, you know what, I'd buy it! I like WICKED and would love to have a cast recording (even if it is whoever is in the roles next year for the 10th anniversary) that is COMPLETE, and not re-cut to better facilitate a pop album recording.

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 5:45pm

I also wish that the finale was complete as is in the show, dialogue and all, but that would be way too much spoilers

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 6:48pm

The Song is a major story point, which I think would've sounded awkward on the recording, I do get goosebumps when Nessarose belts out " Wicked Witch Of The East" It remains one of the darkest moments in the show. Updated On: 7/5/12 at 06:48 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 9:21pm

I still really don't understand this "way too many spoilers" argument. Maybe they should have spoiler warnings and tell you to skip certain tracks... (or if it's that big a deal, don't listen to the CD beforehand...)

[E.Davis]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 10:09pm

^^^^
And always have John Lithgow on all recordings with a heads up.

[BwayEqs]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 10:11pm

I normally don't like spoilers, but WICKED being one of my favorite Broadway scores, I wouldn't have minded them putting it in.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 10:13pm

E.Davis, I love that part on the DRS recording. I mean, who isn't a clothes horse, John?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/5/12 at 11:51pm

It's also kind of long. It's about a six minute scene/song that gives a lot of the plot away. I agree that it was silly not to include it though. "March of the Witch Hunters" does indeed give away the same plot point.

Anyway, all of the music that they cut from the cast recording is on all of the soundboard recordings. Just sayin'...

Updated On: 7/5/12 at 11:51 PM