Review: WICKED at Straz Center

Through March 26, Wicked soars into Straz Center for the second time, which is magical. A prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Wicked gives us a different perspective, explaining why the Wicked Witch became wicked and showing us the not-so-good side of teenage Glinda the Good Witch.

Privilege in pink, Jennafer Newberry's Galinda (later Glinda) is introduced as a snobby high school mean girl to whom all the students at Shiz University bow down. Elphaba is attending Shiz University to care for her sister, who uses a wheelchair. She is the antithesis of Galinda's bubbly personality. Lissa deGuzman's Elphaba is brilliant, sarcastic, and a completely plain Jane with dark braids and brown eyes.... who also happens to be born with green skin.

Jennafer's "Popular" elicited giggles from the two youngsters sitting with their mom, mesmerized. Lissa is heartbreaking as someone who never felt like she belonged and felt like an outcast, alone even among her classmates. Christian Thompson, as Fiyero, showed a different side with "Dancing Through Life" than he revealed to Elphaba. I could hear Lissa's longing in "I'm Not That Girl," which had audience members sniffling in their seats. They were rooting for the underdog.

While Jennafer and Lissa were spellbinding opposites, Natalie Venetia Belcon, as Madame Morrible, stole the stage with her huge booming vocals in "The Wizard and I." Timothy Shew, as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was the perfect fraudster. When he sings, "Cause I think everyone deserves the chance to fly and helping you with your ascent allows me to feel so parental," little does he know to whom he's singing.

Of course, you can't talk about Wicked without recognizing the showstopper "Defying Gravity." The notes Jennafer and Lissa hit could be heard in the next county.

Wicked is a superb production in every area, from lighting and costume to choreography and special effects. And, of course, the cast is second to none.

Twenty years old this year, Wicked features timeless themes and lines that mirror horrific and historical happenings in our city this month. If you take away their voice, they can no longer tell their story. And there is the irony of wondering why Elphaba was bad when she was the moral compass, a soon-to-be-called Wicked Witch fighting for good and punished for fighting for good. It forces us to question what side we want to be on and asks us to answer: "Are people born Wicked? Or do they have Wickedness thrust upon them?"

Wicked is now through March 26 at Straz Center. Get tickets at https://www.strazcenter.org/events/2223-season/broadway/wicked

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