Member-only story
20 Years of Wicked
Unadulterated loathing and magical ambitions, turned tragic somewhere over the rainbow.
It’s hard to believe that a musical based on a darker and edgier take on classic American fantasy would occupy an international space. Yet Wicked is twenty years old, and still runs regular productions. I was lucky to see a Miami touring production this year with my older brother, and he didn’t laugh once during any of the sad bits. That is saying a lot, considering that he laughed at the end of Hadestown while I was moaning at the predictable Greek tragedy coming to light.
The show is a cynical take on who owns the narrative, and how good intentions can go wrong in the face of uncontrollable power or heightened emotions. We also learned that smoking can really kill your singing voice, as Idina Mendzel had to gasp in the right amount of air to belt “Defying Gravity” at the Tonys that year. She has since taken better care of it after Frozen launched her film and multimedia career, and you can hear her voice becoming stronger in each new singing installment.
