Witches and wonder in 'Wicked'

It seems unlikely that a show starring a green-skinned witch could be described as heartwarming, or that it could become a favorite of girls the world over.

But the Broadway musical "Wicked" is just that. Based on Gregory Maguire's novel, "Wicked" is set way before Dorothy finds herself on the yellow brick road.

As in L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, "Wicked" is about a journey, this time of seemingly incompatible roommates Elphaba and Glinda.

Emerald-skinned Elphaba is quite the activist, while the pretty Glinda is popular. As they describe each other, Elphaba is peculiar, and Glinda is, well, blond.

Wicked is the story of their friendship, and how they become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

"It hits base, every song in the show could be a song for every teen girl, and it transcends to all ages, because there will be this little girl inside of us always," says Toni Rose Bufete, who began a Facebook petition to bring Wicked to Manila.

Bufete, a big fan of Wicked, shares that she was heartbroken when she missed the show during its Singapore run in 2012.

Don Aucoin writes in The Boston Globe that "Wicked" casts a spell on girls in particular because it "takes seriously their dilemmas and their dreams."

Its songs are catchy, even for those who hear it for the first time. It has humor, but more importantly, depth. "While giving full weight to the complexity of the path girls have to navigate, the show has affirmed the importance of standing up to groupthink, otherwise known as peer pressure," Aucoin writes.

The show is also quite huge in terms of entertainment. "Wicked" is, as producer James Cundall puts it, "the mother of all shows."

"It is the biggest and most complicated and the most sophisticated physically," says Cundall, CEO of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and presenter of Wicked in Manila during a press conference on August 14.

Suzie Mathers, who plays Glinda the Good Witch, shares that her dress weighs 25 kilos, thanks to its being made with Swarovski crystals. "There is no expense spared on the show," says Mathers, sharing that she and Jemma Rix do a 27-second costume change in the middle of One Short Day.

"It's a huge spectacle of a show," she says. While the show is amazing in terms of its elaborate set and flight scenery, what draws audiences is its heart.

"It is a story about love, insecurities, friendship and how you would forget about your dreams just to stand for the values you believe in," Bufete says.

Mathers shares that the best thing about the show is that  "there are two extraordinary female roles for female actresses that lead the show."

For Rix and Mathers, acting as friends on the show has led them to become friends off-stage, as well. "Going on a journey like this is really magical for both of us as people as well as characters," says Mathers.

"The unlikely friendship that they form together and what they've learned from each other is so special and...you really do feel like you go through a journey together every night. It's pretty special," says Rix.

Cundall says Wicked in Manila will be an exact replica of the shows staged in Broadway or London. "There's no shortcuts being taken," Cundall says.

Although both Rix and Mathers have performed their roles hundreds of times, they make an effort to make every night different.

"I always try to remember that for the audience, it's the first time I need to make sure it's special for them," says Rix.

Mathers adds that each new audience brings new energy to the show. "We really feed off each audience differently and it makes each performance magical for us as well as you," she says. — VC, GMA News


Wicked opens on January 22, 2014, and will play for a strictly limited season at the Main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. For more information, visit the musical's website.