Review – Wicked the Musical – Hannah Osborn
Melbourne’s Regent Theatre has played host to the witches of Oz for almost the past 12 months, with no sign of slowing down. The smash hit Broadway spectacle has dazzled audiences all over the world, and for Australians, it has been no different.
Wicked is centred around the two female characters familiar to us from the L. Frank Baum tale The Wizard of Oz, and based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the best seller by Gregory Maguire. Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack are the leading ladies of the production, and each deliver commanding vocal and dramatic performances. Harrison brings to life Elphaba Thropp, the green skinned, misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, and delivers outstanding musical numbers such as Defying Gravity and the Wizard and I. Making her professional debut at the age of 18, Harrison is brimming with experience heard in every note of her performance. Similarly, Durack has an extensive musical background, and delivers a comically delightful Galinda/Glinda the Good, with impressive numbers including the colourful Popular.
Wicked is not just a musical, a show or a performance. It is an experience of a lifetime. The dynamic offering of sound and visual achievement would not be given justice if viewed through any other medium but the one of live stage. From any seat in the theatre, the performances of Harrison, Durack and the fellow cast are captivating. Their voices and stage presence are moving and thrilling, and the Sunday Age labelled it “the hottest ticket in town”. With a vast littering of memorable moments, including Elphaba raised high in the air as she belts out the lyrics to Defying Gravity, this show simply must be enjoyed in the theatre, performed live, to enchant all of the senses.
to book tickets or read more see www.wickedthemusical.com.au
