Dancing Through Life..

Wicked is a musical, thus you need amazing music and dance to make it work. Thanks to Stephen Schwartz, Wicked comes to life in song. There are nineteen songs in Wicked.
The first act has eleven songs.
-No One Mourns the Wicked
-Dear Old Shiz
-The Wizard and I
-What Is This Feeling?
-Something Bad
-Dancing Through Life
-Popular
-I’m Not That Girl
-One Short Day
-A Sentimental Man
-Defying Graivty
The second act has eight songs.
-Thank Goodness
-Wonderful
-I’m Not That Girl (reprise)
-As Long As You’re Mine
-No Good Deed
-March Of The Witch Hunters
-For Good
-Finale
There were several songs cut from the original version of the show. These songs include “Making Good”, “Which Way’s The Party” and “Wicked Witch Of The East”. Mr. Schwartz wrote several versions of “Making Good”. He was concerned with what Elphaba’s desire actually was. That was when he talked to writer Winnie Holzman and asked her to write in a monologue about Elphaba making good. “Which Way’s The Party” was changed to “Dancing Through Life” after the pre-Broadway trial. Mr. Schwartz said that he wanted something that more clearly defined Fiyero’s philosophy on life. “Wicked Witch Of The East” was Nessarose’s only song. It is not clear why this song did not make it onto the album. It is almost always in the show.
This is a recording of “Wicked Witch Of The East”. Heidi Kettenring is playing Nessarose and Dee Roscioli is Elphaba. Warning, there is a spoiler at the end of this video.

Some of the best know songs of the show are “The Wizard and I”, “Dancing Through Life”, “Popular”, and “Defying Gravity”.
“The Wizard and I”-Idina Menzel

“Dancing Through Life”-This is the first part-Joey Mcintyre

“Popular”-Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth on the Today Show


“Defying Gravity”-Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth


And what would a musical be without dancing? Nothing, that’s what! Thanks to James Abbott, we get to see some amazing dance numbers in this show. The dances in this show don’t seem to be what is generally thought of as “traditional” theatrical dancing. It feels like it has more of a “pop” flare to it. This is evident in almost every dance scene.
James Abbott has done dance arrangements for at least five different shows. These shows include, Aida (2000), Bombay Dreams (2004), Tarzan (2006), and Guys and Dolls (2009). This basically means that he arranges the music for the dancing of the show.
Wayne Cilento is the master behind all of the fancy foot work you will see on stage. Mr Cilento was the choreographer for Wicked. He has a long history of dance. He has performed in more than eight different shows beginning with Seesaw (1973) and been in other shows such as the original production of A Chorus Line (1975), Dancin’ (1978), and Perfectly Frank (1980). Mr. Cilento has also choreographed many different shows. He choreographed Jerry’s Girls (1985), The Who’s Tommy, (1993), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying(1995), and Dream (1997).
This is a video of the opening number from Wicked, “No One Mourns The Wicked”. While there are several parts where all you see is Galainda singing, you can get a real feel of the dancing in the show. The peple of the Emerald City have a dance number as well as Elphaba’s mother and her lover.


Internet Broadway Database
Stephen Schwartz’s official fan site