Cast member returns to San Diego for four-week run starting June 20
By Charlene Baldridge | GSD Reporter

Stephen Schwartz’s “Wicked,” playing at the Civic Theatre for the third time under the auspices of Broadway San Diego, looks at L. Frank Baum’s “Oz” through several whacked-out prisms.

Out of whack because musical book writer Winnie Holzman based the musical on Gregory Maguire’s novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which offers its own interpretation of what really happened in Oz.

The musical begins with a thud, when Dorothy’s Kansas home kills the Wicked Witch of the East, making Dorothy the heroine of Munchkin Land.

Right away, Glinda the Good Witch of the North gives Dorothy the red slippers and sends her off to the Emerald City. We do not see much of Dorothy after that, until flying monkeys controlled by the Wicked Witch of the West abduct her.

Much of the Broadway show is told in flashback, relegating Dorothy, the original protagonist in Baum’s 1900 novel, to a small role. Principally, “Wicked” concerns two witches: Galinda, later Glinda, who becomes the Good Witch of the North and Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

The flashback begins when Glinda is asked, “You and the Wicked Witch were friends at one time, weren’t you?”

Indeed. Glinda, Elphaba and Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, were students together at Shiz University. Other characters include Fiyero, the prince beloved by both the blonde, popular Glinda and the unloved, green-faced Elphaba; Boq, a Munchkin who loves Glinda and is loved by Nessarose; Dr. Dillamond, an old goat professor; and, naturally, the Wizard. Not to worry; it would not be Oz without the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.

The score encompasses unforgettable musical numbers like “The Wizard and I,” “I’m Not That Girl” and the immensely popular “Defying Gravity,” which brings down the first act.

Kevin McMahon, who plays the character, “Witch’s Father” and understudies both Dr. Dillamond as well as the Wizard of Oz, is an openly gay man with San Diego connections.

McMahon was born and raised in Massachusetts, and his career odyssey has as many twists and turns as the Yellow Brick Road. After high school, he attended Boston Conservatory, and faced with career commencement upon graduation, he opted for the West Coast instead of New York.

“I did it backwards from most,” he said in a phone interview from Sacramento, where the show played before moving to San Diego.

“I started performing in Los Angeles, entered Equity there and through my San Diego connection, got cast as Jinx in ‘Forever Plaid,’” he said, “a gig that lasted two years at Old Town, then moved to the Broadway at Aubergine for another six months or so.”
McMahon, possessor of a ravishingly beautiful tenor voice, also sang an unforgettable Malcolm in “The Full Monty” with San Diego Musical Theatre, performed at the Welk six times and did numerous shows with Moonlight and Starlight.

His career had him careening from east to west, north to south. “I was all over the country,” McMahon said. “About four years ago, I changed agencies. They sent me to a ‘Wicked’ audition, I did several callbacks and then got an offer to go on the road. I’ve been with the show three years.”

He said he has his roles down pat, and that he travels with his dog, which he calls “great company.” Having a canine companion gives him a sense of normalcy while on the road. The show usually runs four weeks in each city.

McMahon said he enjoys performing Doctor Dillamont, one of the last animal professors in Oz, which he has done at least 50 times as understudy since joining the show. “He’s very gentle,” he said. “It’s a lovely role. The Wizard is fun, too.”

McMahon has homes in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where his partner, a baritone, sings in “Phantom of the Opera.” As McMahon says, two tenors sharing a life would be “really bad. We don’t want that. I actually sing baritone in ‘Wicked,’ which is kind of ironic.”

As for their relationship, McMahon said, “We work five weeks, then get a couple days off. We fly or drive or whatever to be together, easier now because we’re both on the West coast. He’s coming to Sacramento … and the show plays Vegas later this year, so that will be terrific. Like a honeymoon after all these years.”

Before the Las Vegas show, though, McMahon will spend time with his San Diego friends and said he can’t wait to taste Phil’s BBQ at its new location.

Individual tickets for “Wicked” start at $35 and the San Diego Civic Theatre is located at 1100 Third Ave. The show opened June 20 and runs through July 15. For complete show times and to purchase tickets, visit broadwaysd.com.