Inside the Time Dragon

Two elements of a show that cannot be overlooked are the scenery and lighting. Wicked has some amazing scenery.

Eugene Lee did an amazing job designing the sets for Wicked. He won a Tony Award in 2004 for best scenic design for Wicked. He has a long history in the theatre beginning in 1970. Mr. Lee designed sets for Wilson in the Promise Land (1970), Candid (1974), Some of My Best Friends (1977), Merrily We Roll Along, (1981), Agnes of God (1982), Showboat (1994) and Seussical (2000) to name only a few.

The whole show is set in what is knows as the Time Dragon Clock, thus, a lot of the scenery has bits and pieces that look like clockworks. And within this clock, there are multiple places. In Wicked there are two settings for Shiz, inside the classroom and in the main hall, there is the wizard’s chamber, the home of Nessarose, Elphaba and Galinda’s bedroom, and the Emerald City. One thing you may notice is that many set pieces move and change directions, but are constantly on stage. This keeps the set changes reasonable and helps keep the look of the clock consistent.

This is a backstage video from WickedtheMusical.com. It has multiple elements of the show described in it. About fifteen seconds into the video they talk about the scenery of the show briefly. It is pretty interesting.

The proscenium of the stage holds the Time Dragon Clock itself. One thing that is unique about the scenic designs for Wicked is that when the production first began in the planning stages, Mr. Lee brought in a mockup of the stage. This idea is essentially what you will see on stage. There were a few small changes, but for the most part, it is the original concept.

The Time Dragon Clock.

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Dr. Dillamond’s Classroom at Shiz.

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The Corn Field.

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The Emerald City

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Another important aspect of any show is the lighting. The stage light up with the help of lighting designer Kenneth Posner. Mr. Posner has designed for more than thirty shows. Some of his work can be seen in, The Rose Tattoo (1995), A View From the Bridge (1997), Swing (1999), Hairspray (2002), Little Women (2005), Glengarry Glen Ross (2005), Legally Blonde (2007) and Grease (2007). Mr. Posner won a Drama Desk Award in 2004 for his lighting design in Wicked. He was also nominated in 2004 for a Tony Award for his lighting design. Unfortunately he did not win.

The lighting in Wicked really helps bring the magic alive. It disguises in “Defying Gravity” and “No One Mourns the Wicked”. It brings Nessarose’s slippers to life. The lighting makes the Emerald City what it is, emerald! It does so much.

These are a few images from the “Defying Gravity” secen. The lighting really makes the stage!

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http://www.chicagocritic.com/assets/images/wicked2.jpg

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“As Long As You’re Mine” also has some amazing lighting in it. The stage is fairly plain in this scene. The lighting really sets the tone and mood for the song. And while the song is amazing on its own, the lighting makes it so much more.

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Wickedthemusical.com

Internet Broadway Database-Kenneth Posner

Internet Broadway Database- Eugene Lee

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

Look to the western sky!

Part of making Wicked so impressive is the special effects that go on during the show. Lets be honest, the show has witches, wizards, a dragon and flying monkeys. To make this world seem real, you need someone who knows what they are doing. For Wicked, they have Chic Silber. He is responsible for making the magic happen.

Mr. Silber has done special effects for more than twenty five shows, including, Dracula (1980), Macbeth (1981), Alice in Wonderland (1982), Annie Get Your Gun (1999) and Dance of the Vampires (2002).

Another part of the play is the flying sequences. This is where Paul Rubin and ZFX inc. come in. Paul Rubin has worked on nine different shows including, Peter Pan (1998), Saturday Night Fever (1999) and Dance of the Vampires (2002). Mr. Rubin had help with Wicked. ZFX inc. ZFX inc. has done multiple shows, such as Peter Pan (1998), Saturday Night Fever (1999), The Green Bird (2000) and Dance of the Vampires (2002) to list just a few.

Aaron Waitz made his Broadway debut as the Special Effects Associate on Wicked. Since Wicked, he has worked on Dracula the Musical (2004) and Lennon (2005).

Want to know how Elphaba defies gravity? Stephanie J. Block will show you here in this CBS interview.

This is a clip of the song A Sentimental Man. In this clip you will see the wizard’s head and the flying monkeys. Beware; it has some plot spoilers in it.

You're gonna be Popular!

Since Wicked opened in 2003, it has gained huge momentum. It has a following that has no foreseeable end. With this being said, it is no surprise that the cast for this show is large and incredibly talented. There are currently seven casts for this show. Wicked not only has a continuous show running at the Gershwin, it also has shows in San Francisco, London, Tokyo, Stuttgard and Melbourne, plus there is also a tour cast.
These are some of the members of the original Wicked Cast.
Kristen Chenoweth- Glinda
Idena Menzel-Elphaba
Norgert Leo Butz-Fiyero
Michelle Federer-Nessarose
Christopher Fitzegerald-Boq
Joel Grey-The Wizard
Carole Shelly-Madame Morible
William Youmans-Doctor Dillamond
Some of these people have been involved in other notable production, which only adds to their popularity.
Idena Menzel, who played the original Elphaba, was also an original in the cast of RENT where she made her Broadway debut as Maureen Johnson in April of 1996. Ms. Menzel brought in a slew of her own fans to Wicked. Ms. Menzel was also in Funny Girl in 2002 and Aida in 2000. Idena Menzel was awarded a Tonyfor Best Actress in 2004.
Kristen Chenoweth, who is one of the more well known members of the cast was previously in Funny Girl in 2002 and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown in 1999.
Norbert Leo Butz was also an original member of the RENT cast. Mr. Butz was also in Thou Shalt Not in 2001.
Joel Grey has a long history in the theatre. He began in 1951 Borscht Capades where he was an original cast member. Mr. Grey was also an original in The Littlest Revue in 1956, Half a Sixpence in 1965, and Cabaret in 1966, among others.
Carole Shelly also has a long running history in the theatrical world. Ms. Shelly was an original cast member in The Odd Couple in 1965, Loot in 1968, The Elephant Man in 1979, and Sleeping Out in 1987. Ms. Shelly has also been in many other productions in her career on the stage.
William Youmans was an original member of the casts of Big River in 1985 and Titanic in 1997. He was also in The Little Foxes in 1981.

Take a minute and get to know some of the characters from the show. There are interviews with current cast members.



To find out who is in the current cast in each show, check out the official Wicked website, WickedtheMusical.com!

www.ibdb.com- International Broadway Database

Why can't you just teach us history, instead of always harping on the past?

The journey to get Wicked to where it is today has been a long one. The book, Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was published in September of 1995. Wicked made its stage premier on October 8th, 2003 at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. On October 30th, 2003 Wicked opened at the Gershwin Theater. It took 14 million dollars and hundreds upon hundreds of hours to get Wicked to this point. On December 21st, 2004, the producers of Wicked announced that the show had successfully recouped all of the 14 million dollars that had been invested into it. This was done in 14 months. Many successful shows take upwards of two or three years to recoup all of the money invested into it. As of May 31st, 2009, Wicked has done 2,310 performances. Wicked is currently bringing in $1.2 million per week.

These are members of the creative team members behind Wicked.

Winnie Holzman-Book
Stephen Schwartz-Music and Lyrics
Joe Mantello-Director
Wayne Cliento-Musical Staging
Eugene Lee-Scenic Design
Susan Hilferty-Costume Design
Kenneth Posner-Lighting Design
Tony Meola-Sound Design
Elaine J. McCarthy-Projection Design
Tom Watson-Wig and Hair Design
Joe Delude II-Makeup Design
Jake Bell-Technical Supervisor
Stephen Oremus-Music Supervisor/Music Arrangements
William Davis Brohn-Orchestration
Alex Lacamoire-Music Arrangements
James Lynn Abbott-Dance Arrangements
Michael Keller-Music Coordination
Chic Silbner-Special Effects
Thom Widmann-Production Supervisor
Corinne McFadden Herrera-Associate Choreographer
Lisa Leguilloue-Associate Director
Telsey + Company-Casting
Gregory Maguire-Author of Original Novel
321 Theatrical Management-General Management
Marc Platt-Producer
Universal Pictures-Producer
The Araca Group-Producer
John B. Platt-Producer
David Stone-Producer

Winnie Holzman, the writer of the book for Wicked, is a well knows writer. She is best known for her work on My So-Called Life in 1995. However, she also wrote for The Wonder Years, Thirtysomething and Once and Again.
You will hear more about Stephen Schwartz, Eugene Lee and Susan Hilferty later on in future blog entries.

In 2004, Wicked received two technical Tony Awards. Eugene Lee was awarded for Best Set Design and Susan Hilferty was awarded for Best Costume Design. In 2005, Stephen Schwarts was awarded a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
Wicked runs two hours and thirty minutes long with a fifteen minuet intermission. It if recommended for everyone age eight years old and up and children under four years old are not allowed in.

In this video you will see interviews with producers Marc Platt and David Stone, Writer Winnie Holzman, lyricist Stephen Schwartz and Director Joe Mantello.



www.wickedthemusical.com-The offical Wicked website
www.ibdb.com-International Broadway Database

I just had a vision almost like a prophecy...

In 1900 Frank L. Baum gave us a timeless story and introduced us to some of the most unforgettable characters of all time. In his book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he first told us of Dorothy Gale, the little girl from Kansas and her dog Toto. Dorothy lived with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry on a small farm. After an unexpected twister lifts her little farmhouse and plops it down in the strange Land of Oz on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy finds herself surrounded by all sorts of strange people! She meets Munchkinlanders, witches, a talking lion, a tin woodman and a scarecrow who can sing and dance! After the Good Witch of the North gives her the silver slippers worn by the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy is sent along a road made of yellow bricks to the City of Emeralds. Along the way she meets the Scarecrow, the tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion. When they arrive they are given glasses with emerald lenses. She asked the Wonderful Wizard of Oz to send her home. Her friends also seek his help: the Scarecrow wants a brain, the tin Woodman wants a heart and the lion wants courage. However, after being told their requests will be granted, the wizard tells them they must first kill the Wicked Witch of the West who reigns over Winkie Country. On their way to the castle of the Wicked Witch, the Wicked Witch sends out all sorts of beasts to deter them. When they all fail, she sends out her winged monkeys to capture all of the friends. After the Wicked Witch of the West obtains one of Dorothy's silver slippers using trickery, Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the witch in a moment of anger. The Wicked Witch of the West then begins to melt. The people of Winkie country rejoice in their new found freedom and reassemble the tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. Dorothy then summons the winged monkeys with the Golden Cap and has them fly her and her friends back to the castle of the King. Dorothy and her friends then return to the Wizard of Oz. The wizard then grants the request of Dorothy’s friends. The Scarecrow receives a ‘head’ full of bran, the tin Woodman receives a silk heart full of sawdust and the Cowardly Lion receives a potion of courage. After realizing that the only way for Dorothy to return home, the Wizard of Oz agrees to take Dorothy and Toto home in his new balloon. However, when Dorothy leaves the balloon to chase Toto, the ropes break and the wizard and the balloon leave without her. When the winged monkeys inform Dorothy that they can not fly over the desert surrounding Oz, she is advised to seek the help of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. Dorothy and her friends then journey to the palace of Glinda in Quadling Country. After battling treacherous Fighting Trees, Hammer Heads and finding their way trough China Country, the friends arrive at the palace of Glinda to a warm welcome. Upon her arrival, Glinda informs the Dorothy that she has had the power to return home all along. Dorothy bids a tearful farewell to her friends and gives the Golden Cap to the winged monkey. Dorothy and Toto then return home to Kansas. The silver shoes Dorothy was wearing upon her departure from Oz were lost in flight and never seen again.

With such a wonderful story, one might think, that’s all there is to it. But what if that’s NOT all there is to it? Why was there a tin woodman with no heart? Why was there a scarecrow with no brain? Why was that lion to terrified? Why was the Wicked Witch of the West so Wicked? And what on earth did she want with those shoes? This is where Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West comes in. In this book you see a whole new side to the witches of Oz. This book is more or less a prequel to Baum’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

It all begins with the Time Dragon Clock. Maguire descirbes the life of Miss Elphaba Thropp and her life growing up in Munchkinland as the illegitimate child of Melena and Frexpar Thropp. He then follows her through her experiences with her sister Nessarose. Her brother Shell is not really in this story, however, her mother dies giving birth to him.

The story continues when Elphaba and Nessarose go off to Shiz University where they meet Galinda, Fiyero and Boq, among others. Elphaba and Galinda form an interesting relationship which eventually blossoms into a great friendship.

The story goes on after their college years to Elphaba’s life in the Emerald City and her mischievous behaviors. Then to the nunnery where she lives with a young boy named Liir who acts as her page, though there may be more to that story. Elphaba and Liir eventurally go to stay with the wife of Fiyero where she discovers the legendary Grimmerie. Then, at her father’s request, to her return to Munchkinland where her sister Nessarose has become the Wicked Witch of the East. Her journey to visit the Wizard of Oz and the Time Dragon who reveals the true identity of her father and continues all the way up through her death.

Now with all this being said, the musical Wicked not exactly like the book. This is like almost any other book which has been made into a play or musical. For Wicked ,many of the darker, or more "questionable" parts have been edited out. And everything is set to a wonderful musical number!

"Baum, L[yman] Frank" The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature. James D. Hart. Oxford University Press, 1986. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 5 June 2009 http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezp.lib.cwu.edu/views/ENTRY.html?entry=t53.e189&srn=1&ssid=403418772#FIRSTHIT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz