By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2009-08-03 20:09:19 | Word Count: 631
Wicked had casts its spell on the audience from the day it was launched on Broadway in 2003. It is a marvelous musical show breaking records throughout USA and has been viewed by over 2 million people. It is a pure fantasy entertainment.
As a contrast to other plays this show starts with the ending of Wicked of the west. From here it proceeds as a flash back. With Elphaba as the protagonist, the play starts with her birth. She was having green skin, hated by her widowed father and later on had a sister who is unable to walk. She has an unhappy childhood because of the skin discrimination. She grows up, goes to the Shiz University, encounters Galdina a beautiful, ambitious girl and they become good friends. In the meantime her crippled sister Nessarose comes to the University. Here she realizes her uncontrollable power, which was noticed by Morrible, the headmistress. Morrible decides to give her lessons of sorcery, which Galinda was envious of and both started disliking each other. As the play goes on with incidents Morrible again brings back Elphaba and Galinda togrther as friends but to part again in the future. Galinda gives Elphaba a makeover to make her look popular. Once, Morrible informed that the Wizard to the Emerald City invited Elphaba and she takes Galinda along with her. The Wizard traps Elphaba to cast a spell on her monkey by using Grimmerie, which she does but during the spell all the monkeys in the Wizards place had the same wings as Elphaba's monkey. Wizard misutilised the monkeys. Elphaba was sad on her doings and fled away from the palace with the ancient book.
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The second Act, it is seen that over the period of time Elphaba has gained the reputation of 'wicked of the west'. Elphaba tries to take refuge in her father's house which was then under the control of Nessarose, the Governor. She chides Elphaba for not using her spells to make her walk . Elphaba was forced to use her spell and turned the silver shoes to ruby shoes and Nessrose was able to walk. As the play proceeds Elphaba meets Fiyero and Nessarose dies and Elphaba escapes but Fieyro is captured and tortured. Here Elphaba's spell coudnot affect to release Fieyro and dejected she accepts the notorious reputation the 'wicked'.
The final scene is devoted to the attack against Elphaba, by people the Oz. Glinda smells the foul play of Madame Morrible and meets Elphaba. Glinda takes charge of Oz and the friendship between them is regained.When the mob was arriving Dorothy throws a bucket of water on Elphaba and she apparently started to melt. Lastly, it was revealed as an anti-climax that the Wizard was no other than the father of Elphaba, who ultimately was forced to leave Oz. Morrible goes to prison. Elphaba come out alive and with Fieyro leaves Oz to be ruled by Glinda.
The play is a show for everybody, a story of friendship, equality, love, politics, good and evil that appeal to all ages. The contrast between Elphaba and Glinda the two young women, who meet as unwilling roommates at sorcery school, their fluctuating attitude towards each other and the deceptive nature of Madame Morrible and the Wizard goes to gain a standing applaud from the audience.
The extraordinary success of 'Wicked' has made several of the songs popular and brings about references to the show, characters, and songs in admired culture. But dance is a bit on the slender side for a musical of this size.
Eventually, for its excellent performance the play has many awards to its credit including, Tony awards, Drama desk awards, Eddy Awards, and many more.
