Dorothy\u2019s house still makes a direct hit on the Wicked Witch of the East and Dorothy still melts the Wicked Witch of the West by throwing a bucket of water on her; however, this is not Dorothy\u2019s Oz. It\u2019s the land of Oz as seen through several amusing prisms. First there was L. Frank Baum, the originator known as the royal historian of Oz, who began a series of popular children\u2019s books in 1900. The first was titled “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Evolved from a series of refractions came multiple Tony Award-winning 2003 stage musical titled “Wicked.” Winnie Holzman\u2019s book for the musical is based upon Gregory Maguire\u2019s amazing and amusing novel, “The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” in which Dorothy is quite peripheral. The real story concerns two witches, one wicked and the other Glinda the Good (think Billie Burke in the 1939 film). Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Working,” “The Children of Eden”) wrote music and lyrics. A box office bonanza for all concerned, “Wicked” is still playing on Broadway. Currently there are six international companies and two national tours, one of which is seen at the Civic Theatre through Aug. 30, presented by Broadway\/San Diego, a Nederlander Presentation. Readers who hope to see “Wicked” should act now. Tickets are scarce. Here\u2019s the story: Glinda (pleasing soprano Katie Rose Clarke) floats to earth in a bubble, much like Burke\u2019s good witch, to rejoice over the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. The rest of the story is a flashback evoked by the question, “You and the Wicked Witch were friends at one time, weren\u2019t you?” Indeed, Glinda and Elphaba (powerful Donna Vivino) and Elphaba\u2019s wheelchair-bound sister, Nessarose (Amanda Rose), were students together at Shiz University, run by Mme. Morrible (Myra Lucretia Taylor). Other characters include Fiyero (handsome baritone Richard Blake), the prince both Glinda and Elphaba love; Boq (Ben Liebert), the Munchkin who loves Glinda; an old goat of a professor (Paul Slade Smith); and the Wonderful Wizard himself (Lenny Wole). Onlookers learn how the flying monkeys came to be, from whence came the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion, and how Elphaba, who becomes the witch of the West, got her undeserved reputation as wicked.\u00a0 The score includes such unforgettable numbers as Elphaba\u2019s “The Wizard and I,” “I\u2019m Not That Girl” and “Defying Gravity,” sung when she enchants a broomstick and escapes from the Emerald City. As for the voices, Vivino\u2019s Elphaba gets all the “belt” numbers, and considering that she started her career at 8, singing Young Cosette in “Les Miserables,” her voice is in remarkably fine shape with no apparent holes in the vocal line. To boot, she is a fine actor. Clarke\u2019s Glinda is the best I\u2019ve ever heard vocally. She has an amazingly free and lovely high voice, with little of the unpleasant rapid vibrato that plagues so many others. The rest of the company is just fine, more than adequate. The costumes and sets, by Susan Hilferty and Eugene Lee, respectively, are marvelous to behold as lit so beautifully by Kenneth Posner. Tony Meola\u2019s sound has good balance with the singers and the 14-piece orchestra. Purists may object to the twisted plot and the fact that Dorothy and her beloved companions are absent; others find the preachy elements to do with the mistreatment of Oz\u2019s talking animals tedious. This writer, who learned to read with the Oz books, finds it all surprisingly good fun. “Wicked” continues at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 30 at the Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. Tickets range from $25 to $128 and are available at the Civic Theatre ticket office, (619) 570-1100, and Ticketmaster, (800) 982-2787, or BroadwaySD.com.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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