A "Wicked" Good Return to Broadway

By Cassidy Magowan

“We’ve been through frightening times, and there are more frightening things to come, but we will persevere.” --Glinda the Good, Act II

I was in Boston for Spring break of my sophomore year, 2020. Many of us had left campus with a promise to return in a week. But then I received an email, worded like a rejection letter, that said we were unfortunately not able to return, for our safety. Those of us who were living in dorms received a second email a week later, informing us of the specific time we could return to pick up our personal items from our rooms.

Two long years later, on March 6, 2022, I had the wonderous opportunity to see the Broadway phenomenon "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City. It's a classic tale about the world being not so black and white as everyone thinks it is.

The experience starts with entering the theatre. Surrounded by hundreds of other people, the first thing that stands out are the bold colors, from the black exterior to the red carpeting inside. High ceilings with chandeliers and gold leaf pop in your eyes. Along the wall are props from previous shows and merchandise booths where I will spend almost two hundred dollars.

I could see some of the orchestra pit from my seat in the third row from the stage. The curtain was a glowing green map of Oz. Before it rose to start the show, the actors playing flying monkeys come out to cause some chaos and then exited stage left. The curtain rose, and the orchestra played the prelude of songs, including “No One Mourns the Wicked,” the bold final number.

The song also starts the musical, which begins at the end, when the witch has melted, before we get a retelling of the story. Glinda the Good is asked whether she was really friends with Elphaba the Wicked, which prompts her to tell the munchkins about Elphaba’s story. The show continues with powerful themes of activism and anti-racism. Beautiful moments of change arrive at the end of Act 1, as Elphaba belts out “Defying Gravity,” one of the hardest Broadway songs to sing.

As we follow the story of Elphaba attempting to do what she believes is right--trying to protect animals' autonomy with speaking-- we see her grow in confidence instead of insecurity of her looks. In the end, she leaves Oz without Glinda knowing, and the munchkins celebrating her “death.” The story comes full circle with another rendition of “No One Mourns the Wicked,” and allows Elphaba to make a new start somewhere else.

Edited by Cristianna Libby