GEELONG ADVERTISER REVIEW

IT'S WICKED, TRULY

GUY DAVIS 15 July 2008
Geelong Advertiser

Belive the hype. Wicked, the much-loved stage musical now playing at Melbourne's Regent Theatre after successful seasons in New York, London and elsewhere, is truly marvellous -- a lavish and thoroughly entertaining show that puts a winningly subversive spin on the classic story of The Wizard of Oz.

Its focus is on the tale's two main witches, and anyone who's seen The Wizard of Oz on TV will recall The Good Witch of the North personified all that was sweetness and light, while The Wicked Witch of the West ... well, didn't.

But Wicked, adapted from Gregory Maguire's novel of the same name, invites you to look a little deeper into the lives of these two characters, taking the audience back to their schooldays when they first formed their bond.

Elphaba (Amanda Harrison) is feisty, outspoken, green-skinned; Glinda (Lucy Durack) is her opposite -- blonde, bubbly, popular.

When they're forced to share a room, it's loathe at first sight. But the two gradually find they have more in common than either of them imagined, and a friendship develops.

There are troubled times a-brewin' in the land of Oz, though, and Elphaba and Glinda are recruited by the Wizard (Rob Guest) to help maintain the status quo with their magical powers.

But when Elphaba discovers the Wizard's hidden agenda, she rebels, leading the powers that be to denounce her as wicked.

Maguire and Winnie Holzman, who adapted the book for the stage, have great fun viewing the story from a different perspective.

At the same time, the show has an identity -- quick-witted, sharp-tongued and big-hearted -- all its own.

That identity is evident in Stephen Schwartz's songs. If your heart doesn't race during the show-stopping `Defying Gravity', consult a cardiologist.

Musical-theatre powerhouses Harrison and Durack both create three-dimensional characters it's impossible not to understand, sympathise with and fall for.

These two leads are the standouts but no-one in the cast can be faulted. Australian Idol alumni Rob Mills and Anthony Callea work a treat. Mills in particular is great as the dashing love interest Fiyero.

Everything works in Wicked, from the magnificent sets that will make your jaw drop to the spellbinding songs that will remain in your head for days afterwards.

Saturday's premiere performance earned a standing ovation from the capacity crowd -- the acclaim was well and truly deserved.