Wicked must be the most raved-about musical of the past two decades.
Like half the population I’ve wanted to see it for years and I know all the brilliant songs by heart.
What a set-up for disappointment: but Wicked is one of those rare shows that surpasses the hype.
It’s absolutely, utterly wonderful, everything you want a big musical to be, something you can sum up in one word: “wow”.
This is the story of the Wizard Of Oz from another angle, with Kansas girl Dorothy only seen fleetingly in silhouette.
We follow green-skinned Elpheba on her journey from magic-school student to Wicked Witch.
There are witty links to the famous story – like how the scarecrow, tin man and lion came to be – but that’s not really what Wicked is about.
What makes the show gripping, stirring and ultimately heart-breaking is the relationship between Elpheba and good witch Glinda.
They start out as enemies but gradually forge a friendship that turns the entire Oz story on its head.
The songs alone would have made Wicked memorable – they’re among the best in Broadway history – but it’s the witches who really make Wicked a classic.
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