Defying Gravity in the West End

Prior to attending Wicked, I had heard much about it.  Family members, friends, and roommates all had raved about the music and performances.  When my parents came to town to visit, I was given an excuse to go, and an excuse not to pay to go.  I was incredibly glad that I had the opportunity to see this show.  Despite a period of minor ‘freak outs’ by my parents as our bus to the theatre slowly drudged along through Friday night rush hour traffic, we arrived to the Apollo Victoria Theatre just in time before the doors closed.  Luckily, it was the weekend leading up to Halloween so all of the workers at the theatre were dressed in costume, which added to the appropriate atmosphere of a musical that’s centered around two witches.  As I took my seats, I was completely blown away at the magnitude of the inside of the theatre.  Previously, I had mentioned to my mom that all the theatres I had attended in London tended to be on the small side.  I could have not been more wrong about the Apollo Victoria, it was definitely the biggest theatre I’d ever been in.  The size of the theatre adequately matched the amazing performances by the two leads, Rachel Taylor who magnificently played Elphaba and Louise Derman who played the lovable, entertaining Glinda.  Rachel Taylor who couldn’t have stood more than 5 foot 4 boasted a breathtaking voice that made her seem 7 feet tall.   Derman’s portrayal of the spoiled yet caring Glinda was entertaining in its own right.  I know that the two characters are most identifiable with their original portrayals by Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, however I find hard to believe that they could have been any more convincing or impressive than Taylor and Derman.  The story of the play, albeit taking second stage to the individual performances was certainly notable.  The narrative cleverly weaves an original story that intertwines with the class tale of the The Wizard of Oz that most of us are familiar with.  Interestingly painting Elphaba, who’s traditionally known as the “Wicked Witch,” as a sympathetic, misunderstood personality who sadly just doesn’t fit in.  There are several themes that make themselves apparent throughout the length of the play.  Tolerance is clearly injected throughout and presented as a necessity all too often ignored by those trying to fit in.  The alternative story line from the original film creates a sense of doubt throughout the audience.  Those who had taken the original plot line as fact will be surprised to see how the writers of Wicked decided to take the story in another direction.  The climax of the performance was the final song heading into intermission.  As Elphaba is once more misunderstood and judged, she decides to physically rise above the scrutiny and perform Defying Gravity.  This song was truly moving and Taylor’s ability to captivate an audience was apparent.  For anyone who is interested or enjoys musicals, I would highly recommend Wicked.  Whether it’s a family outing or a date, the musical will not disappoint and the performances will leave you more than satisfied. 

by Ben Parnes