WICKED has been one of my favorite musicals for as long as I can remember. Since the first time I heard the music, saw it with Kristin and Idina, saw it again without that powerhouse duo, and have continued to adore the music, it remains one of my favorite shows. WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz, Elphaba (played by Alyssa Fox) and Glinda (played by Carrie St. Louis. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (known for Pippin, Godspell [which I was in—maybe another reason I love Stephen Schwartz and his music so much], Academy Award®-winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman (“My So Called Life,” “Once And Again,” and “thirtysomething”).
WICKED rocked Portland’s Keller Auditorium. National tours are known to be great, that’s what they are for: bringing a taste of Broadway to your doorstep when traveling to Broadway isn’t feasible. The quality of this show was unbelievable—I felt like I was in a small Broadway theatre (and believe me, I’ve been in a few, including the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre just one month ago). My 10-year-old daughter, who was my date for the evening, loved it too. She was also enamored with the props, costumes, and complexity of all that was the WICKED Broadway tour in Portland. She said it was just like being in NYC the month before. For someone who’s seen the show on Broadway, the really only notable difference is the size of the stage and set and the theatre. It’s seemingly a scaled down version of the same phenomenal show.
Alyssa Fox and Carrie St. Louis bring it. Carrie St. Louis is the funniest Glinda I’ve seen to date; her rendition of “Popular” would have had me rolling on on the floor if that was appropriate for the theatre. And Alyssa Fox’s vocals just blew me away. It’s refreshing to see someone in a role such as Elphaba—that was made so widely known by Idina, who belts the bejeezus out of everything—being able to both bring a hearty yet controlled belt to a song like “Defying Gravity” with such power and emotion, yet have the fluttery headvoice lightness to sing about her forbidden romance with Fiyero in “As Long As You’re Mine.” The range in Alyssa Fox’s vocals is extraordinary. As a vocalist, I only dream to have those pipes.
WICKED is directed by two-time Tony® Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony® Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…). Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Macguire
, WICKED, winner of more than 100 international awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
The show is only here in Portland until August 23rd and you’d be crazy not to try grab tickets while they last.
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TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
WICKED will be at Portland’s Keller Auditorium for twenty four performances. The schedule for the Portland engagement is:
Tuesdays 7:30pm
Wednesdays 7:30pm
Thursdays 7:30pm
Fridays 7:30pm
Saturdays 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Sundays 1:00pm and 6:30pm
For information on ADA seating, please call the Portland Opera Box Office at 503-241-1802 or email boxoffice@portlandopera.org
Tickets can be purchased:
www.BroadwayInPortland.com,
Portland Opera Box Office: 503- 241-1802 or toll free at 866-739-6737
Portland’5 Box Office: 800-273-1530, All TicketsWest locations
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Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One—born with emerald-green skin—is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
WICKED has been declared “A Cultural Phenomenon” by Variety and “The Best Musical of the Decade” by Entertainment Weekly. Since its New York premiere more than a decade ago, WICKED has been performed in over 100 cities in 13 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, and Mexico) and has thus far been translated into five languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Korean. The musical has grossed over $3.75 billion worldwide and has been seen by over 47 million people across the globe. WICKED currently has five productions around the world, in New York, London, Australia, a U.K. Tour, and a North American National Tour.
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How fun!!! We saw it last time it was in Portland and I LOVED it!
I saw Wicked a few years ago and enjoyed it. I was thinking of taking my daughter this year, but I felt she was just a little too young still (she’s 6 and a half). Hmmm, maybe we’ll get tickets the next time it comes around!
It definitely depends on how sensitive your child is. Some 6+ could handle it, some may not.
Sounds fantastic. Hope I can still get tickets.
I have tickets to see this in a couple weeks! I am super excited! It is definitely one of my favorites. I saw it in SF and Sacremento so we will see how they compare 🙂
Wicked didn’t only take over Portland this weekend, it took over my news feed as well! lol. I love Wicked, I have seen it twice- I highly recommend anyone who has not had the pleasure, to go immediately!