UK Review - Wicked the Musical

Rarely has a musical provided quite so much pre-opening excitement as Wicked. Months of hype, trickling casting news and buzz around prevews led to the most anticipated opening of the year. And, last night, there seemed to be no disappointing die-hard fans, all of whom roared with excitement as the house lights fell. Just moments in, it's clear to see why - this is musical theatre on an epic scale, supported by an army of fans. World domination is surely assured for this new breed of mega-musical; the global Wicked has arrived.

For those who don't know, we're on Wizard of Oz territory here; Wicked acts as a faithful prequel to the iconic film. Long before Dorothy 'dropped in', we learn about how two young women embarked on life changing journeys that would create their famous personas: Glinda (the Good Witch of the North) and Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). The daughter of an emperor, Elphaba (Idina Menzel) is born a bright shade of green, and as a result lives her life as an outsider. At Shiz University, which she attends in order to care for her sister, she ends up boarding with the popular Glinda (Helen Dallimore), an irritatingly popular girl whose only desire is to be centre of attention. The rest of the story – as if any reader of Broadwayworld.com needs to be told anyway – follows Elphaba's journey as she discovers her inner powers, often against the wills of others.

Being set in a fantasy world, there are some wonderfully memorable, enchanting moments in the show. The first act is carefully crafted to invite us into an eye-opening new world of wizard education, and is much like the excitement of Hogwarts in Harry Potter. There's Dr Dillamond (Martin Ball), a Goat professor who is targeted by those who believe that animals should be seen and not heard, and Madame Morrible (Miriam Margolyes), who doubts the abilities of most of her students. We watch the young pair of witches take classes, at a prom, and on their trip to the Emerald City. But, importantly, we see them grow and take shape as their memorable characters emerge; we see Elphaba causing mayhem by mysteriously hurtling her sister's wheelchair across the stage and Glinda addressing the citizens of Oz, a spokesperson for all the people (in a humorous nod to Evita).

It has a lot to say about politics, about leadership and power; in our Bush-Blair world there seems to be some nicely ironic statements, about silencing those who speak out. And though it's on an epic scale with huge sets, effects and costumes, thankfully Wicked maintains its integrity even when succumbing to spectacle – it still feels very intimate, and in a two thousand seater auditorium it's incredible to feel such a rapt attention to the story, which is naturally very strong. There are few musicals in London that have such a pleasing narrative, that fulfils and maintains through a near three-hour show. Wicked clearly holds a strong affection for The Wizard of Oz, but can also stand alone as a brilliant piece of storytelling. That being said, it's a great feeling to be able to piece the two stories together, a gimmick giving the theatregoer a warm rush of fulfillment at their own musical theatre knowledge.

The outstanding actress Idina Menzel, who created the role of Elphaba at the start of its three year life, has flown in from New York to give one of the best performances on a London stage – you'll feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as she rips her way through several blockbuster numbers. She effortlessly soars her way through a repertoire of belting songs; The Wizard and I - the first spine-tingling moment of the night, I'm Not That Girl – which though a complete plot hold-up, is a beautiful song, and then the, literally, soaring Act 1 finale Defying Gravity. We're treated to more of her voice in Act 2; the belting numbers As Long As You're Mine and No Good Deed before her finale duet For Good. But it's not just her voice that captivates, it's everything about her. She enchants the audience with such an excellently measured performance – a true star in the same league as Broadway's best.

Having been overwhelmed by Kristin Chenoweth's dazzling Broadway performance as Glinda – one I felt sure to win the Tony – it's quite a shock to find a more subdued, polite actress in London, characteristics that unfortunately come from giving the character an English accent, which simply doesn't work. Helen Dallimore may not have that natural comic time bomb the part demands, but she does have a beautiful voice, attractive appearance and highly proficient acting skills. Her character makes a mature personal journey and Dallimore confidently addresses this, making a clear transformation throughout. But Glinda is a very American creation, so it's a shame she speaks with such a taut English voice – especially against Menzel's natural American accent, it makes her seem uptight. Otherwise, an excellent West End debut (Dallimore is Australian).

In the supporting roles there's much to enjoy with plenty of consistent cameos. Miriam Margoyles – though speaking her way through Madame Morrible's already limited musical moments – is a real treat as the University professor, finding laughs where they ought to be but creating terror where terror is needed. I strongly suspect she will be a Best Supporting Actress nominee next year. Nigel Planer as The Wizard has two largely unmemorable songs, but for the brief moments he's on stage he confidently handles his part and creates quite a warm-hearted, kind old Wizard. Adam Garcia as love interest Fiyero makes little impact thanks to his weakly written role - what exactly is the point of his character? He has little to work with and his English accent makes him sound very false – the part is so clearly American.

Unless you haven't already grasped, accents are a problem in the London production. In order to achieve consistency with the film, we expect them to be American, but it's obvious in places it was written that way as well; many of Glinda's lines would be much better delivered in a dizzy American voice instead of with clear-cut English diction. Fantasy land may demand a suspension of disbelief anyway, but it's confused by multiple accents; student Boq is Scottish, Elphaba American and her sister English! A reversion to all-American voices would be so much more pleasing I feel, and from speaking to those around me, it's an opinion shared by many. The show is an obvious Broadway import, it's hard to disguise it as English!

Nevertheless, this will do very well, I'm sure. Any niggles – relatively poor choreography, occasionally weak written characters - are easily cast aside. It's a strong, family orientated musical and delves out an array of heartfelt messages too. The unlikely friendship between the Good Witch and the Wicked one has a never-ending curiosity for all ages and both sexes, which should therefore see audiences packing the theatre for years.

Wicked is playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. For more more information visit

www.WickedtheMusical.co.uk.

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