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If there's one obvious thing that the popularity of Wicked reaffirms, it's that a crapload of people love The Wizard of Oz. Wicked, which serves as a prequel to the 1939 classic film, has set theater box-office records worldwide. And local fans are already buzzing about the musical's return to the Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday, April 14. The show has packed the house the past several seasons, including a record breaking three-week run in 2008 that drew 60,000.
"I've seen the show in New York City before, and it was phenomenal" says 23-year-old Rochester resident Kristie Scipiono, who has tickets to see Wicked on April 20. "I'm looking forward to see if they can pull it off as good in Rochester as it was in New York."
Wicked is a based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire. The plot focuses on the teenage relationship between Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and how they (and several other characters) in The Wizard of Oz came to be.
Being cast as one of the musical's main characters was a dream come true for Annapolis, Md., native Justin Brill. Until this past February, Brill was just a member of the ensemble cast, playing various nonspeaking roles. But when actor Ben Liebert left the show, Brill took over the role of munchkin Boq, who (according to Wicked) goes on to become a main character in The Wizard of Oz.
"It was pretty great news," says Brill, who gets to tour alongside his fiancée, Shanna VanDerwerker, a dance captain for the production. Brill also has starred on Broadway in productions of Rent and High Fidelity, among other shows, but says that touring with Wicked has been one of the high points of his career.
"The technical aspects, the writing and the music are all stunning," he says. "The themes of the play of itself — not judging at first glance, thinking for yourself and challenging authority a bit — are important as well. There's a complex relationship between two women that takes a big journey throughout the play."
Since premiering in 2003, Wicked has received numerous awards, including three Tonys in 2004. The musical has been referenced in contemporary television shows such as Ugly Betty and Brothers & Sisters. And Wicked was named "Best Stage Musical" of past decade by Entertainment Weekly.
Many people, including Brill, agree that the most appealing aspect of Wicked lies in its connection to The Wizard of Oz. The 71-year-old film is widely considered one of the greatest of all time, giving theater-goers a different perspective than they might have otherwise.
Says Lauren Ianuzi, 23, of Rochester, who has seen Wicked twice: "Everyone ages 5 to 95 knows about the Wizard of Oz and can tell you the story from beginning to end. There aren't many shows out there that are a play on an old classic. It has something unique about it because it's the untold story of something that we are all familiar with."
