Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast) Reviews

• Absolute Classic !

  
  By A2Z1DN5JF8AMHF on 2005-06-05
  I've had the opportunity to see this show twice (once with Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenoweth, the original witches) and it is truly powerful! The actors, music & sets are all terrific and the audiences are justifiably enthusiastic about this production!
  
  "Avenue Q" was a fun show, but "Wicked" should have won the Best Musical Tony! In ten years, "Wicked" will likely remain on Broadway ... but will many remember "Avenue Q"?
  
  Mr. Schwartz's score is filled with so many great songs, but standouts include:
  
  The Wizard And I
  What Is This Feeling
  Popular [Chenoweth's big song]
  I'm Not That Girl
  Defying Gravity [Menzel's powerful end to Act I & the classic of the show]
  As Long As You're Mine
  For Good
  
  Mr. Schwartz should have won for Best Score as these songs have real staying-power. At least he got the Grammy for Best Cast Album!
  
  A truly great listen!!!
  
  
  
  
  

• A modern musical masterpiece with two powerhouse leads.

  
  By A25AXWGBGJ5KBS on 2004-10-27
  Having just seen this a few weeks ago, "Wicked" blew me away. I wasn't expecting such a spectacular staging. Like any good Broadway musical, it taps into every emotion in the book, and with two masterful performances in the leads, the material is given every chance to shine. Even when the material is a tad weak.
  The story, as the other 293 reviewers have stated, needs not to be reiterated. However, I was continually surprised at how clever and funny the whole thing was. It's ingenious, and like, oh, probably a million other persons, went out and bought the novel right away.
  This recording is an excellent souvenir of the show. Like most excerpted cast albums, you're gonna miss a lot. Quite a bit happens between songs...
  ...nevertheless...
  ...the songs that floored me initially are all here. Idina Menzel is simply amazing. Having followed her career since "Rent" and her solo album, it's a joy to see other people finally discovering what the rest of us have known for quite some time.
  Kristin Chenoweth is absolutely hysterical. Her phrasing and timing are impeccable. The two together are formidable...the closing "For Good" tugs at the heart strings both the first and the fiftieth time you hear it.
  And yes, "The Wizard and I" and "Defying Gravity" are the two standouts, and rightly so. Yet I find the humor of "Popular" and "What is This Feeling" just as memorable.
  I agree with one previous reviewer that the supposedly "weak" songs are only so out of context. Trust me...during the show, they're essential.
  When you're dipping into this album for songs, yes you will skip to the big ones. But I implore you from time to time to "put the needle" at the beginning, and let it run. For this and many other musicals, it's an exhilarating experience.
  
  

• Wicked

  
  By A2F7CCPK4QL359 on 2004-03-09
  A few years ago, I heard You're a Good Man Charlie Brown soundtrack and the well crafted talents of Kristen Chenoweth. I heard her again in the Walt Disney records The Music Man soundtrack as Marion the Librarian. In Wicked cd, she takes the center stage and the vocal lead. She makes some of the pop style lyrics of Stephen Schwartz's score her own with her powerful voice.

  The proficiencies of Idina Menzel are not to be missed on such pieces as The Wizard and I, One Short Day, and her show stopper Defying Gravity. The production have spotlighted the talent of actor Joel Grey in Wonderful, which reminds me of Mister Cellophane from the Broadway soundtrack of Chicago.

  The weakest spots in the whole cd are the Greek chorus like echoes through the soundtrack of "Wicked" from the opening song No One Mourns The Wicked, as if we do not know the play's name. The score is overdone is some places and musically raw in others, I see why the critics gave the play a lukewarm reviews.

  All the whole, this score is worth hearing-if only for Defying Gravity, which should become a musical theater standard like Schwartz' Day by Day from Godspell. Musically, it seems like sweet tarts for the ear..very tart and sour combined with veins of sweetness
  
  

• 4 Stars because of Stars Menzel and Chenoweth

  
  By A1RCAZWJQJ1767 on 2004-06-11
  Wicked the Musical is loosely based on the wildly imaginative novel by Gregory Maguire, on how Dorothy's Wicked Witch of the West became "Wicked." I'm not going to try and compare and contrast the two because they are almost two seperate entities on their own. But I am going to focus on the musical, music and songs, and performance deliveries.

  I have had the priveldge of seeing Wicked live at the Gershwin Theatre New York, and had a wonderful experience. Wicked is a grand and glorious Broadway Musical in every sense of the word. Huge, amazing sets; awe-inducing costumes and special effects, but it does, however lack the strong music to back it up.

  I am a fan of Stephen Schwartz who writes great music for shows like Pippin, Godspell, Children of Eden, The Baker's Wife, and such films as Disney's Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Schwartz has a real knack for writing 3-5 amazing songs and the rest become mediocre, and this is definitely the case for Wicked. You might recall Schwartz gave the world such wonderful songs as "Corner of the Sky" "Meadowlark" "Colors of the Wind" among countless others. He has now given us Wicked's apointed Anthem, "Defying Gravity", "The Wizard and I" "I'm Not That Girl" "As Long As You're Mine" and "For Good." These are obviosuly the best songs of the show and you might agree as well. While these songs are good, they still can't hold the show up to the calibur of other Broadway greats. I'm wondering what the show would sound like if Schwartz wasn't afraid to take risks, or if it was composed by Sondheim, or even Robert Brown.

  Anyhow, the main things that keep these songs from defying downfall are the amazing lead actors. Menzel (Now the Tony Ward winner for her protrayal of Elphaba) has the powerhouse voice (which she displayed in RENT, and Lippa's WILD PARTY) that can make any song sound great, while Chenoweth's impecable comic timing can have you roaring with laughter and appreciation at her comedic brilliance. Chenoweth's live performance was nothing short of amazing. Her comic timing really is a force to be reckoned with, while Menzel's big a brassy belt and subdued meek performance was endearing. Norbert's voice lends a helping hand to the sultry, "As Long As You're Mine" while Joel Grey has two forgettable songs.

  Wicked is a shown to be seen, heard and experienced. Yes, the Broadway Cast Album does, indeed have some wonderful moments, but all in all there are many things missing from this. Perhaps it's the upbeat rock and roll/operatic style to the music that leaves us confused, but none the less, the story of Elphaba and Galinda lives on, just not as great a life as one had hoped it would be.
  
  

• Incredible

  
  By A1S57Z6CF350BU on 2004-02-04
  Although I've been a huge admirer of both Kristin Chenowith and idina Menzel for a few years now, I was not sure what to expect upon first hearing this soundtrack. Actually, I ended up seeing the show on broadway, and buying the CD the day after because i couldn't get enough of this music! Stephen Schwartz has made a brilliant creation, and couldn't have gotten better voices to sing it. The vocal harmonies are beautiful throughout. Defying Gravity, the real showstopper (much thanks to Ms. Menzel's UNBELIEVABLE voice), gave me almost as big of a chill when hearing it on the soundtrack as it did in live performance. Ms. Chenowith's lovely voice carries songs as well, and the song Popular is cute and funny, while showing off her vocal talent. Aside from Defying Gravity, my favorite songs are I'm Not That Girl (sung by Ms. Menzel), and the love ballad As Long as You're Mine. It's a fun, entertaining musical more full of emotion than I had expected it would be. Between Norman Leo Butz, and the two leading women, I can hardly put into words the feeling that their voices produce- you have to hear it to know! This is definitely one of the best new broadway shows to come about since RENT, and I hope it has a long, successful run.
  
  
• "Unlimited. [its] future is Unlimited..." - Remarkable Album
  By A2MCMAEJNNISEX on 2004-10-10
  In December 2003, I decided I would go and purchase the Broadway album of a show I had heard of called "Wicked"... it previewed in the summer of 2003 in San Francisco less than an hour away from me, and after listening to this CD, I'm still kicking myself for not seeing it's astounding premiere!
  
  Since then, I have traveled from the West Coast to NYC to see the production (though I came 3 sad days after Kristin and Norbert Leo Butz departed from the roles they created as Glinda and Fiyero), and it was EVERYTHING I imagined it would be and SO MUCH MORE! Now, I'm traveling across the country once again this Christmas to see Idina Menzel before she leaves on january 9, 2005! I'm unbelievably excited!
  
  On to this album: In the tradition of a few previous reviews, I am going to rate each song (my OPINION of each) on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best. Here goes:
  
  Quick Overview (for those unfamiliar with the show)- Following the stories of OZ's two famous witches, Glinda the Good (played perfectly by the lovely Kristin Chenoweth) and Elphaba, the mis-understood Green Girl who becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West (created by the flawless Idina Menzel!)... this show explores the relationship between these two enemies wh become friends who become enemies... and so on... ALL "before Dorothy dropped in." Buy this album and go see the show! you will never regret it!
  
  tracks:
  1. No One Mourns the Wicked - 8/10 Beautiful opening music, introduces the talented ensemble and features Glinda's unforgettable entrance! Also sets up some important back-story for Elphaba's character (very sad, in a way, once you know the ending)
  
  2. Dear Old Shiz - 3/10 Kind of a pointless song, sung by students at Shiz University as they arrive to school... Interest in this song is only increased once you've seen the show (Elphaba enters for the first time at it's start)
  
  3. The Wizard and I - 10/10 Idina's first song where she displays her range and BELTING power! The ending note will give you chills for days afterwards!
  
  4. What Is This Feeling? - 9/10 Hilarious song, with funny lyrics that sets up for Glinda and Elphaba's "loathing" for each other. Very good!
  
  5. Something Bad - 5/10 Boring song, very short (about 1:40), though Idina sings a few beautiful lines
  
  6. Dancing Through Life - 8/10 Longest song on the album, with the most characters involved. Introduction of Fiyero (Norbert, whose voice is SO sexy), Nessarose (Elphaba's sister, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East played by Michelle Federer), and the Munchkin Boq (Christopher Fitzgerald). Very FUN song, upbeat and thoroughly enjoyable.
  
  7. Popular - 9/10 Glinda's most prominent solo (though a few lines of dialogue between she and Elphaba are included). HILARIOUS lyrics, very clever and fun, and it shows off Kristin Chenoweth's fun, pop-py voice!
  
  8. I'm Not That Girl - 9/10 Beautiful song, Idina's only slow and low ballad... Heart-breaking lyrics and wonderful melody, it's a song that shouldn't be over-looked!
  
  9. One Short Day - 7/10 FUN chorus number, cute and pretty, but not incredibly memorable. Just a fun, toe-tapping introduction to the Emerald City.
  
  10. A Sentimental Man - 4/10 Short song, not incredibly well sung by Joel Grey, but not a BAD number. It's an appropriate setup for the NEXT song...
  
  11. DEFYING GRAVITY - 10/10!! (like most people agree) This is the BEST song on the album by FAR! the Act One Finale, it is intense and spectular, and the GREATEST SONG Idina has ever belted her heart out to... (and she's belted to A LOT!) This song will leave a lasting impression with it's beautiful lyrics, music, and melody, and it is UNFORGETTABLE! (especially LIVE on stage!)
  
  12. Thank Goodness - 8/10 Act Two opener... could be cut into almost two different songs -> the first being more of a chorus number, has interesting lyrics and is louder and more upbeat... the second being more of a solo for Glinda. Last section is incredible and heartbreaking, revealing a lot about the character!
  
  13. Wonderful - 7/10 Not MY favorite number on the album, but it IS very good. Great lyrics and vocals by Joel Grey, though my favorite parts are Elphaba's occasional lines throughout and singing about 4:00 into the song (she's incredible)
  
  14. I'm Not That Girl (reprise) - 7/10 Shortest song on the CD (about :50), very similar to the first one, now it's sung by Glinda... Kristin sings beautifully, but it's too short to leave an impression
  
  15. As Long As You're Mine - 9/10 The ONLY actual LOVE duet on the album, it is incredible! heart-warming and beautiful, the vocals by Idina and Norbert blend perfectly! it's SO romantic
  
  16. No Good Deed - 10/10 SOOOO intense and chilling, Idina gets ANOTHER well-deserved solo with a spectacular finish that leaves you reeling!
  
  17. March of the Witch Hunters - 4/10 Eh. An alright number (that offers a few spoilers about the show), but other than to fill in some needed information, it's not too important. (Cool references to the Tin Man and Lion or included)
  
  18. For Good - 10/10 Great finish for the shows two leading ladies... it is gaurenteed to rip you up inside and make you cry! The singing is wonderful once again and I consider it the REAL song finale for the show.
  
  19. Finale - 6/10 An alright closing, and is actually MORE effective while watching the LIVE show, and it's a more somber mixture of the opening and the last song, FOR GOOD. Haunting and sad, it's a big finish!
  
  ~ So that is MY account of each song on the album! the entire CD is wonderful, and the vocal talents featured are DEFINITELY worth the price of the CD, especially Idina and Kristin.
  
  Also, GO SEE THE SHOW BEFORE IDINA LEAVES!!! You won't regret it! (also, the show features a few other short songs, like "The Wizard and I (reprise)" and a FANTASTIC song [cut from the CD] called "The Wicked Witch of the East" sung by Nessarose, Boq and Elphaba... it's fantastic!) Trust me... GO SEE IT!
  
  Side note: This particular Cast Recording does NOT include a plot summary inside so as to avoid spoiling parts of the show. The songs will NOT ruin the show for you, but only add to your curiousity. If necessary, summaries of the show are available online, but I recommend leaving parts a mystery until you see it Live.
  
  
• Defying Gravity
  By A2UOEDMAJ9WXSI on 2003-12-17
  This show is remarkable, simply remarkable. I saw this show a month ago in NYC and have been waiting for the CD ever since. It's one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen, and everything about it is phenomenal. The story is intriguing, it's exciting, it's captivating, it's dark, it's hilarious, it's sad, and it's smart, very smart. The acting and depth and breadth of the characters is so good it makes you forget you're in the theater, you get invested in these people. And Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, I've never seen them in anything else, but I think they're some of the most talented performers I've ever seen in anything. That sounds weird, but they're just sincere and believable with their roles and blow you away. That's good theater for you!!!

  I know we're talkin about a CD here though. Quite a bit, not all though, of the above comes through on the CD, even though, understandably, that's tough to do on a recording. Well, the score of this show hooked me from the beginning. It's beautiful, catchy, fun, emotional, intelligent, and it gets to you in many ways and on different levels. It's definitely one of my favorite musical scores ever. And can those girls sing or WHAT? They're here in their full glory. I can't even recommend a song, they're ALL great, but off the top of my head "Defying Gravity" , "For Good", "Thank Goodness", "What is this Feeling?", wow, there are too many. It's a fine, fine CD. It might be confusing for people though, because it doesn't have a summary (major huge spoilers in the show, that's why), and you won't have a clue what's going on otherwise, but I suppose that's OK.

  It's cliche, but this show makes you laugh till you cry, it breaks your heart till it hurts, and it makes you think. It really makes you think. I'm never gonna be able to watch "Wizard of Oz" the same way again.
  
  

• Wicked from a Trained Perspective
  By A1ILEG27XRLF9V on 2004-10-25
  I don't usually do things like this, but after reading through several of the reviews left for "Wicked" I felt it my duty as a trained musician and actor to set the record straight.
  
  Like most of the other reviews I am giving it 5 stars, but that's about where the similarities end. I was appalled to see how many reviewers gave songs like "Dear Old Shiz" and "Something Bad" low ratings because they deemed them "boring and unimportant". I agree that these are not the most moving songs in the show, and they are not the ones that the audience or listener will walk away remembering, but they are ESSENTIAL to the formation of the plot and the progress of the show. If you are just learning a musical you should NEVER skip over a track because it is "boring" more than likely it is boring so that the complexity of the piece doesn't distract from the important information being presented to you. Telling a fellow listener to skip a track because it is boring is like telling a reader to skip a prologue that provides valuable background information or a chapter in the middle of the book because it ceased to hold your attention!
  
  Musicals go through dozens of re-writes before opening night and if the song was not important to the plot it would have been removed. "Dear Old Shiz" sets up so many things important to the plot...
  
  1. This where Elphaba makes her first entrance, obviously an important moment.
  2. It sets up the hierarchy at the school. We see where Galinda sits (literally), socially compared, to the rest of the students.
  3. It provides us with the feeling of the school, this song, is in essence, their alma mater.
  
  This is VALUABLE exposition information!
  
  I can say the same thing about "Something Bad". True, not the most moving piece in the show but again, but invaluable because of the information and relationship status it displays to the audience member. I can't say it enough... "short and sweet" doesn't mean "boring and pointless". You have to understand that the writers have compressed 400+ pages of a very complex novel into a 2 hour 45 minute musical; this information needs to get to us somehow.
  
  Which brings up another topic, some people have given the show a bad review because it varied too much from the book, but these people either don't know or forget that Gregory Maguire was involved in the creative process of the musical and approved of the changes stating he understood they needed to be done in order for the show to work on the stage.
  
  Also to those who are upset because it was much more lighthearted and happy than the book and deem this because Broadway is trying to sell tickets and appeal to the masses, all I can say is, exactly. Broadway is a business, and when they create a show they are trying to create something that will run for years; if that means "dumbing down" the story as some of you put it to attract more people, then that is an artistic sacrifice most are willing to take. Wicked cost $14 million to create, if they had written a show that didn't draw an audience, especially in a theatre as large as the Gershwin the show would have lost millions of dollars.
  
  There is no reason a person can't enjoy the book and musical as two separate entities. I do it, my sister does, and so does my boyfriend. The show is based on the book, and albeit loosely, it is not intended to be the same story.
  
  But back to the CD, I'm not going to lie, when I decide to not listen to the whole CD I do skip over these less intense songs, but in my own defense I've seen the show 12 times, owned the CD since before it was available in stores, and have read the book twice, so I am well aware of the background information and at this point I am simply playing the music to sing along, rev me up for a rehearsal, audition, or a day of work.
  
  My favorite song on the album is "The Wizard and I" because I think it's a song all young people can relate to, we all have our own "Wizard" that we aspire to meet one day or become, and being fresh out of college, when Idina sings that song I can taste Elphaba's desire to become "something". In same mind frame comes "Defying Gravity" because this is the point where Elphie decides it's time to make that dream come true and that she is going to embrace who she is and make her life her own despite what others around her say.
  
  I agree with fellow reviewers who state that "The Wicked Witch of the East" should have been on the CD, and I told Michelle so myself after it first came out, but I understand that it would have been difficult to include it due to the amount of plot information revealed in that song.
  
  I also love "The March of the Witch Hunters", as Norbert said in a backstage interview I had with him "Elphaba is the Osama bin Laden of Oz" and this song really shows it. Although reminiscent of "Kill the Beast" in "Beauty and the Beast" it shows us how much the people of Oz have grown to hate her, and all based on lies, a VERY important piece to the show, and very chilling.
  
  Overall, my opinion is that one should never apply numbers to an individual song within a show because while it may be only a 4 or 5 to the ear, it is probably a 9 or 10 to the brain and plot.
  
  All this being said, read the book for another mind blowing experience and a new perspective (beware it is vastly different from the musical plot)... just promise me you won't skip any chapters because they are boring!
  
  
  
• Wickedly Unimaginative
  By A2EQ0MBP4R51YU on 2003-12-28
  Reviews of this production, currently playing in NYC, have been largely mixed- but nearly ALL of them have held the score itself in low regard. Truly, it was a wicked thing indeed to take such a darkly imaginative book and turn it into a banally scored, unflatteringly camp piece of musical theatre goo.

  Unlike the scores of, say, Sondheim's playful fairytale `Into the Woods' or Lucy Simon's ethereal `The Secret Garden' this show has virtually NO musical texture or distinction. Those aforementioned shows have evocative, ambient melodies and atmospheres both whimsical and dark- `Wicked' has nothing like that to recommend.

  Stephen Schwartz's highly pop score is as generic as they come despite the double-whammy duo of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Both ladies find moments in the score they more than claim as their own, but alas the musical material is too hopeless to service them very well at all. Sometimes, 'Wicked' even veers into the kind of self-parody one finds in spoofs on `The Simpsons' or `Family Guy'.

  You have to wonder if the end result can be chalked up to producer interference; this is a classic case of dumbing down source material to make it more assessable to the general public... not unlike what Hollywood has been doing to most of its literary adaptations for years.

  But the combination of Chenoweth and Menzel with this very hot property will probably assure that `Wicked' will be a hit despite its obvious lack of charms.
  
  

• Ughhhh
  By A3CF7B2U0IB8PS on 2005-06-21
  I never reviewed this cast recording before? Hmm, guess I didn't think it was worth my time. Seriously. Wicked does absolutely NOTHING for me. There are like eight songs that I listened to it more than once (though Defying Gravity finds itself on my playlist quite often)
  
  Wicked is basically a mess of mediocre and so-generic-it-hurts showtunes. Every song in it reminds me of another (better) song from another musical. The most obvious of these would be all of the Wizard's songs. Every song he sing reminds me of Amos Hart from "Chicago." I'm almost beginning to think that Amos IS the Wizard! I can't even listen to the Wizard's songs because, not only are they boring and insipid (at least "Chicago" had the jazziness to get by), they are BLATANT RIPOFFS.
  
  When it isn't stealing songs from other shows, "Wicked" is filling the obligatory song cues. None of the songs feature any characterization whatsoever. If you took out all of the crazy Oz references, you could insert the songs into any situation and it would be dandy. There is one that tries its hardest, Dancing Through Life, but it is so dumb that it hurts. The worst offender is the love song, As Long as You're Mine, which was completely random.
  
  A lot of the songs just plain don't belong in the show. I already mentioned the love song, but there is also "For Good" which I agree DOES seem to want to be like "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" from "Side Show." A lot of Glinda's songs were really unnecessary too. It's like Schwartz had a checklist of what types of songs he needed in the show, and just went down the line. Here's the thing, Schwartz, you of all people should know that musicals have to show story and character through song. "Wicked" doesn't do this.
  
  Its songs aren't the only failure. The whole storyline is absolutely awful. If you watch "The Wizard of Oz" and keep "Wicked" in mind, you will realize how little the plots go together. Have they even seen the movie? Another thing I found dumb was the whole romance with Fyero. Umm... okay, Elphaba is an intelligent girl who has had difficulties from day one. Why in the heck would she fall in love with a guy who has it incredibly easy and doesn't even bother with any effort? It's like Homer Simpson and Frank Grimes! Okay, so say Fiyero's changed... there is absolutely NO indication of that whatsoever.
  
  My other problem with "Wicked" is that it really doesn't show why Elphaba turned evil. There is one song that attempts to delve into her psyche (No Good Deed); when isn't that supposed to be the whole point of the show? And that song has a pretty poor excuse. She goes from being this incredibly good, well-intentioned girl to this evil chick who sets her supposed-lover on fire (watch the movie!) It's too drastic for me, and one song isn't enough to explain that. Also, in their attempt to round out a 2-d villain, they just created another: the Wizard. Now I think I need to write a book/musical explaining why the Wizard's this evil tyrant!
  
  "Wicked" is insanely popular and is kind of like the new "RENT" (another horribly overrated show.) It seems to try really hard to appeal to teenage girls, which is probably why it's so popular. But its portrayal of social problems like that is about as deep as a bad teen movie. There was nothing REMOTELY likable about Glinda, even when she befriended Elphaba. I think that the writers went out of their way to make Elphaba the only decent character in the whole thing. It's incredibly unrealistic, and I'm not referring to the whole munchkins and talking animals.
  
  Don't get me wrong, Schwartz has done some fine work. I love "Godspell" and I even like his Disney soundtracks (though "Pocahontas" was a little preachy.) But when I saw his whining about how he didn't get the Tony, I just shook my head because I'd finally gotten around to listening to "Avenue Q," and there is absolutely no question about why that did so well. There have been arguable injustices with the Tony's in the past ("Lion King" winning over "Ragtime,"; even this year's Spamalot winning over "The Light in the Piazza") but that is not one of them.
  
  In short, there are better shows out there. I'd advise saving your money until you find one.
  
  
  
• "There are very few at ease with moral ambiguities...
  By A2BHWOS5PUGU78 on 2004-03-02
  ....so we act as though they don't exist." The Wizard sings that in "Wonderful" and it's the plot of the show in a nutshell. The Green Witch who defied the Wizard, was then villanized by a closeminded society, and was labeled as "Wicked".

  Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman, and Thomas Maguire have created a musical which is timeless. It's a self standing work of art that speaks for itself and runs without need of the oil of the hour (which perhaps explains critics' hesitancy to heartily applaud it). This enters the arena of grand artistic achievement. It does what great art can do: stirs the emotions, provokes thought, and engages you fully.

  I was never a big fan of "Wizard of Oz", but the show's poster (no kidding), concept of the "backstory" and revisionist history, Stephen Schwartz' music, and darkly comic sensibility enticed me. It was everything I thought it would be, but much more. This show is as heartbreaking as it is funny, as warm and friendly as it is dark and satirical, and anyone can appreciate it. It's social commentary is sharp, it's numbingly hilarious, and it's observations are keen and strike many chords, but it's heart and soul is what emanates from every moment and gets the audience to rise up on it's feet every night. You end up investing yourself in these characters, this fantastical world, and it does it better than any other show I've ever seen.

  Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth are gems, and reason enough to buy this CD. They could sing the phone book, but luckily they have what I think is Schwartz' best work to date. It runs the gamut of musical expression. We start off with the foreboding, modern classical, and deceivingly celebratory "No One Mourns the Wicked" and ends with the haunting folksy lullaby-cum-pop belt ballad "For Good". We have cleverly hidden biting commentary through Glinda's rib crackingly funny tuneful Broadway standard "Popular" ("it's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed, so it's very shrewd to be very, very popular, like me.") and very fun and melodic Top-40-Pop style "Dancing Through Life", which evoke the pleasures of the privileged rich, good looking, and "in-crowd", but are really used to illustrate the themes of selfishness, superficiality, and "do whatever it takes to get to the top", and contrast with Elphaba's ongoing struggles with doing the right thing and doing what's "easy", and indeed how hard life is for many people (in this show, it's a tragic play acted out between Elphaba's sister Nessarose and a munchkin named Boq who are used, hurt, pitiful creatures). I love all the songs on this CD (not counting "Something Bad" and "March of the Witch Hunters") but if I had to pick some to recommend, I'd say "Wizard and I", which display Elphaba's hopes and dreams (and Idina Menzel's remarkable vocal skills) and contain a sad irony ("unlimited, my future is unlimited"). Then there's "What is This Feeling", an infective, catchy, edgy, comic, upbeat tune about Glinda and Elphaba's "loathing" for one another (and yes, they become friends). "I'm Not That Girl" is simple and heartbreaking. Elphaba longs for love, basically, but it's completely lacking in bitterness and self pity, and is full of mournfulness and duty, and it hits you hard.

  The show-stopper "Defying Gravity" is a full blown knock-the-house-down "I'm not taking this anymore" change of weather. It gives you chills and pumps adrenaline at the same time. Menzel's miraculous vocals, the determined, wise, powerful lyrics, and Schwartz' beautiful, urgent, emotive, sometimes rock melody pushes this climactic epic crescendo of a song into Broadway history. Then there's the second Act, with Kristin Chenoweth's shining moment "Thank Goodness" , where she subtly changes the character of her character, and perhaps conveys the theme of the entire show, in front of our eyes "there's a kind of a sort of cost, there's a couple of things get lost, there are bridges you cross you didn't know you crossed until you crossed." It's a beautiful, tone changing, chameleon like, up and down song, that perfectly illustrates that true talent only needs a small space to get across big themes. Then of course I love "As Long As You're Mine" (I can't imagine Margaret Hamilton singing this one), the uber-powerful and despairing "No Good Deed" (it's like "Defying Gravity" part two but angry). Then the most beautiful song of the show, "For Good": Elphaba is defeated, and admits that she is "limited". It breaks your heart, but the rest of the song is a bittersweet balm and testament, poetic ode, to friendship.

  The character development in this show is some of the best I've ever seen. Every character goes on a full journey. It is something I rarely see anymore and which is delightfully refreshing, and helps in our emotional investment in the story. Personally I could relate to Elphaba, and hers are themes one can immediately, viscerally relate to: destiny, being an outsider, being shunned by society, friendship, integrity in the face of adversity. That said, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth own this show. They are opposite, contrasting equals in talent and presence, one serious, mysterious, loving, and sarcastic, one beautiful, caring, yet selfish and superficial. They own their roles and their songs, they ARE these characters, bring them to life. The two of them and their roles are among the greatest female performances and characters to ever grace the Broadway stage.

  Underneath it all, this is the story of a courageous girl who simply tries to live, to do right, yet is thwarted, and how she changed another girl's shallow life through friendship. Among all it's themes - corruption, destiny, rebellion, propaganda, deception, selfishness, misconception, racism, love, hatred, popularity, acceptance - this is it's greatest and it's strongest. It's what we take from it. And every aspect of the show, acting, characters, plot, and Schwartz' fine score breathing through and supporting it all, comes together to tell this story, and it's told brilliantly.
  
  

• New love for Musical Theater
  By on 2004-06-23
  I just got back from New York and I saw both Wicked, The Boy from Oz, and Avenue Q on Broadway. They were so amazing, fresh and different. I hadn't seen a musical in years after being so disappointed by Cats on Broadway, (I could actually see some of them lip sinking) that turned me off. But now I am fired up about musical theater again. So much so that I bought myself singing Lesson Cds- Voice Lessons To Go by Vaccarino , so that I could justly sing along with my new Musical CDs. Hey if only a was a few years younger I would consider going for those broadway lights myself. Even to be in the choruses of these productions must be awesome
  
  
• I HATED This Show
  By AHBJD85TJC1I2 on 2003-12-21
  I saw this show on Broadway shortly after its opening in November. The considerably talented cast, direction, and special effects were ruined by a weak score and a terrible book. The show basically had everything going for itself except the show itself. Stephen Schwartz's score is so boring, chuck full of power ballads that "sound pretty" and subsequently bored the HELL out of me. During intermission, I said to a friend "If there is ONE MORE POWER BALLAD I AM GOING TO KILL MYSELF." The book writer couldn't come up with any original jokes so she just made lame references to the movie. One or two would have been cute but since they were made consistenly throuought the show, it just made me hate it even more. Kristen Chenoweth was hysterically funny, however, and stole the show with her hilarious antics. Everyone else in the show was also wonderful. But the plan fact is, the show was terribly written. I hated this play. Hated hated hated hated hated this play. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it. I hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated this play. If you go see this and you hate it, don't say I didn't warn you.
  
  
• Sublime...
  By on 2004-07-17
  Miss Kristin Chenoweth... If there is a greater star on the rise on the great white way I dare you to name her. I spend my days puttering around in my care listening to Ariella Vaccarino's must-have CD series "Voice Lessons to Go" in preparation for the moment I put the real deal on here and try my best to match the vocal styling of Ms. Chenoweth... and fail (but maybe with these vocal CDs I've been listening to... who knows). Anyway, the woman is a queen of the stage at the moment and this recording is a vocal photograph of a true star in the midst of her prime. I highly recommend buying it.
  
  
• Awesome
  By A3QC1T69Z08AUK on 2005-06-06
  I was introduced to Wicked through one of my teachers and decided to listen to it. I listened to the samples and thought that it sounded good so i decided to buy it. I have to say i've never taken it out of my cd player and I listen to it going to sleep. I kept on telling myself to stop listening to it so much because sometimes it will start to lose its feel after a while , but I simply couldn't and I have to say it hasn't lost its touch. I think all the cast sings wonderfully. Idina and Kristin are awesome and fit their characters perfectly.
  
  My favorites:
  No One Mournes the Wicked
  The Wizard and I
  What is this feeling
  Dancing Through Life
  Popular
  One Short Day
  DEFYING GRAVITY
  Thank Goodness
  As Long as You're Mine
  No Good Deed
  March of the Witch Hunters
  For Good
  
  As you can see pretty much the whole cd.
  I HIGHLY recomend buying the CD and seeing the Musical!
  
  
• Wicked is OZSOME!
  By on 2005-06-19
  OK, time to sink my teeth into trying to put my love for WICKED into words. I first heard this amazing piece of Broadway during a school play rehearsal, waiting for my cue. I had the songs memorized in an hour flat and begged my friends to sing them with me in the dressing rooms. Since then I have made myself purchase both the CD and the book that inspired it. Now, I talk about this beautiful piece of history to anyone that will listen. My friends have taken to simply calling me Glinda, because of my perfection of Chenoweth's sweet funny style.
  
  Idina Menzel, who originated her Bway career in Jonathan Larson's RENT, uses her strong powerhouse vocal capabilities to her well deserved advantage, particularly in the stunning "Defying Gravity." Another favorie graced by her presence is the wistful "The Wizard and I" After these two numbers, Chenoweth steals the scene with "Popular" and "Thank Goodness."
  
  Chenoweth sparkles alongside Menzel in several well placed duets , such as "Defying Gravity", One Short Day", and the heartwerming "for Good." They work amazingly well together and are as sure and confident in their respective roles as if they were tailor made for them.
  
  The characters of The Wizard (Joel Grey) and the brainless Fiyero (Norbert Leo Butz) are understated, but present as the icing to the melodious cake Menzel and Chenoweth have baked. The Wizard's numbers are endearingly scatterbrained and realistically human. Fiyero plays a stunningly well done part as the lover of both Galinda and Elphaba at one point or another. His "Dancing through Life" blew me away as he took shape as a disinterested schoolboy. And "As Long as Your Mine", showcases both Menzel and Butz at the top of their form.
  
  This album has only strength and absolutely NO bad songs or sloppy vocal performances. I find myself humming it as I go down a street and the only time it leaves my discman is if I'm in my room.
  The orchestrations are "Wonderful" and the vocals, particularly the two leads, "Defy Gravity".
  
  Now stop reading my review and go spend "one Short Day" in the Emerald City.
  
  
• "Wicked" is truly wicked!
  By A2KFFAFU2VFOUG on 2004-06-24
  I had the privilege of seeing "Wicked" up close and personal on Broadway this summer, and right away came home and purchased the CD. I was not disappointed. Idina Menzel's vocals are SOO incredible and powerful, the only thing better is hearing her in person from the front row. Kristen Chenowith has such an unusual quality in her voice... usually pleasing, definitely distinctive. I have to disagree with the "professional" reviewer who stated these two ladies needed better material. The songs will stick with you. I listened to the CD twice and I can't get "Loathing" out of my head! The best song, however, is "Defying Gravity." I still cry when I hear it. If your first introduction to this musical was at the Tony awards, don't think for a second the music you heard over the TV captured even partially the beauty of the song. The CD, fortunately, does.

  I strongly recommend this amazing CD. It is VERY well done and you will enjoy it immensely.
  
  

• UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
  By AIYXDS2TP47W8 on 2005-04-30
  This CD is unbelievable!! i saw the show in Toronto a week ago and it was the most amazing thing i've ever seen! It made the CD a million times better. All of the vocals on this CD are amazing. Idina Menzel is the only person that can still give me goosebumps after hearing the songs a hundred times already. Here is my opinion of all the songs:
  1. No One Mourns The Wicked-9/10- Awesome song by Kristin Chenoweth that shows off her opera training.
  2. Dear Old Shiz-6/10- Not a very important song, but in the show it is our first glimpse of Elphaba. Still a good song, but can be skipped.
  3. The Wizard And I-10/10- This is Idina's first song and she is amazing! I get goosebumps when i hear this.
  4. What Is This Feeling?-9/10- I grew to like this song after a while. It is actually very funny and I liked it even more when i saw it.
  5. Something Bad-7/10- Not my favorite song, its the only song William Youmans sings, and he does well (for having to sing like a goat!). Idina sings toward the end which makes it even better.
  6. Dancing Through Life-10/10- This is a very fun song that Norbert Leo Butz sings. It gets the whole cast singing, including Michelle Federer who plays Nessarose (she sings another song that got cut from the CD that i will review at the end)
  7. Popular-9/10- I grew to love this song after a while. Kristin Chenoweth is so funny, i was cracking up when i saw it live. A very funny typical musical number.
  8. I'm Not That Girl-9/10- This is one of Idina's solo songs. it is fantastic, full of emotion.
  9. One Short Day-8/10- A good song with upbeat music that involves the ensemble.
  10. A Sentimental Man-6/10- Joel Grey is very good in this song, im just not a fan of this song.
  11. Defying Gravity-11/10- The breathtaking act 1 finale that will leave you in awe every time you hear it. Idina and Kristin are amazing! (Its even more breathtaking live, especially when Elphaba defys gravity!)The end will give you goosebumps and leave you speechless.
  12. Thank Goodness-8/10- Good song by the ensemble and Kristin Chenoweth who again shows off her opera training. Its a good act 2 opener.
  13. Wonderful-7/10- Not my favorite song. Again Joel Grey is great, and Idina is great when she sings.
  14. I'm Not That Girl (reprise)-7/10- Kristin Chenoweth sings this short reprise of I'm Not That Girl. Its a very smart song thrown in, and if youve seen the show, youll understand why. shes singing it.
  15. As Long As You're Mine-10/10- Awesome duet between Idina and Norbert Leo Butz. This is a very sweet love song, and the singing and emotion is so powerful.
  16. No Good Deed-10/10- One of my personal favorites! This is one of those songs where Idina shines. The song is full of emotion, and a sudden realization for Elphaba.
  17. March of the Witch Hunters-7/10- Good song by the ensemble (and a main character, but i wont say who)
  18. For Good-10/10- Idina and Kristin's powerful duet as they say goodbye to each other. This song will bring tears to your eyes (im tearing up thinking about it) because of the emotion both women put into the song.
  19. Finale-10/10- This song is like a mix of No One Mourns the Wicked and For Good. It actually makes my cry more than For Good (only after i saw it live). This is the perfect end to the perfect musical.
  (20.) The Wicked Witch of the East-10/10- This is Michelle Federer's (Nessarose's) song that was cut from the album. I was extremely disappointed because she has a beautiful voice that, in this song, can be as powerful as Idina at times. She is so full of emotion when she sings and speaks. This song was cut because it would give too much away and most of it is dialogue. It is still one of my favorites.
  If you read this review and still dont believe the CD is amazing, take it from the 300+ other reviews that say it is. I listen to this constantly and it never gets old, and i dont think it ever will. "Wicked" is a musical full of so much heart, it will be a part of Broadway and our hearts for years to come.
  
  
• Awesome Adaptation
  By ALR1CN6DL50DA on 2005-06-17
  Needless to say, I was very skeptical to hear that Gregory Maguire's brilliant novel, "Wicked," was going to become a Broadway musical. I couldn't think of many novels less suited for it. Put simply, "Wicked" tells the life story of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" -- all the way from the moment she's born until the moment Dorothy throws that bucket of water. In his book, Maguire took this premise and created a dark masterpiece of fantasy where the "wonderful" land of Oz was revealed as an angry and unsettling place rife with bigotry, religious persecution, and social unrest -- in short, a world not unlike our own. It was not a book for children, but it did have some serious things to say about good and evil, namely, are they merely illusions? Does evil come from who we are, or what we do, or neither? Do we need wickedness just as much as we need goodness?
  
  A Broadway musical, of course, must have a straightforward story, broad characters, and be family-friendly. Stephen Schwartz's adaptation of "Wicked" leaves much out and smoothes over the R-rated aspects of the story. The basic plot is still there: this is the tale of Elphaba, born with unnaturally green skin, shunned by her parents and the world. Sent off to a private academy, she meets Galinda, a spoiled and shallow upper-class girl who at first hates Elphaba, then becomes her unlikely best friend. The plot reveals how the duo are drawn in by the seductive power of the Wizard, and how their paths split: Galinda becomes Glinda, the beloved Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba is shaped by ambition, tragedy, and bitterness into the Wicked Witch we all know and fear.
  
  I can forgive the plot changes, just because the music is so good. Schwartz's songs are seminal Broadway: powerful, moving, funny, sad, and bold. Kristen Chenoweth makes Galinda wonderfully funny and obnoxious without turning her into a stereotype, and Idina Menzel gives the performance of her life as Elphaba. Joel "Cabaret" Grey is pitch-perfect as the dotty Wizard, and the other supporting actors hit all the right notes (my one complaint: the character of Fiyero, the love interest, is way too changed from the book. They should've resisted the urge to turn him into a generic Broadway hunk). And the songs? Well, there's the towering overture, followed by the equally towering opening number, "No One Mourns the Wicked." Then there's the hilarious "What Is This Feeling?" which sends up all those clichéd "eternal friendship" songs in a duet of total and complete hatred. "Dancing Through Life" is one of those great seize-the-moment numbers that make you feel young again. There's the goofy "Popular," the Vaudevillian "One Short Day," and the stellar Act I closer, "Defying Gravity," which is worth the price of the CD (Menzel's final high note blew me out of my seat). Grey gets his moment in the spotlight with the Wizard's song, "Wonderful." Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz have an erotically-charged love duet with "As Long as You're Mine." Chenoweth and Menzel reveal the true depths of friendship in "For Good," and then comes the surprisingly sad finale. If Elphaba's story reminds people of Anakin Skywalker, well, the debate about what makes evil has been going on for ages. "Wicked" may not end the debate, but at least it shows that "good" and "wicked" are just words, labels, and everything is more complicated than it seems.
  
  I'm glad "Wicked" won the Tony, because it's a triumph. The plot is simplified, but the spirit of the book is still there, and I only hope it will make people a little wiser. And did I mention that Idina Menzel is AWESOME??? "Wicked" gets top marks.
  
  
• unPopular
  By A3JT5LDECAZBPY on 2004-09-02
  While the score has a few terrific numbers (Popular, Defying Gravity), this one is, at best, uneven. The opening number is awful. Others are laughable. I really enjoyed the book and was terribly disappointed seeing the show. I have enjoyed much of Stephen Schwartz's earlier work. I gave this cast recording repeated listens and never warmed to it. Despite all the praise, Wicked is just not up to par for me. Some of the lyrics are pedestrian. There is little character development or plot advancement through song. The Wizard's songs are awful. The show never decides what it wants to be about or whose story it should be. The leads are terrifically talented and deserve a better written show. IMHO, Avenue Q absolutely deserved the Tony over Wicked.
  
  
• Truly amazing.
  By A10YIS3ZDAEZO6 on 2004-12-09
  This CD won't sound all that great the first time you hear it. It'll sound a little disorganized, vaguely schizophrenic; the music ranges from light pop (Popular) to aching, emotional duet (For Good). The thing is, if you listen to it a second time, you just get it. Every time you listen to it, it just gets better. Songs that seem vaguely vapid (although very catchy) and at odds with the emotional depth of later offerings suddenly connect with them in thematic ways you don't notice the first time.
  
  Forewarning: after this point, I'm going to be spoiling some significant plot points to explain the songs.
  
  The CD kicks off with the overture No One Mourns the Wicked, with the celebration at the end of the Wizard of Oz. We're quickly pulled into Elphaba's backstory; a glimpse of her birth quickly gives way to her arrival at college (Dear Old Shiv), performed with complex multi-part harmony that might not appeal to people looking for the pop ballad style the rest of the musical presents. We're introduced to the naive Elphaba and her dreams in a vaguely unfulfilling song that serves more as exposition than music but nicely showcases the vocal ooze of Madam Morrible, a minor character(the Wizard and I). After that we get a very clever comment on musical theater in What Is This Feeling, a sendup of traditional love duets with skillful harmonizing from both leading ladies. It's also very catchy. Then we get the iffy Something Bad, in which one of Elphaba's professors (a goat) tells her that something bad is happening to the animals, who are losing their abilities to speak or something, it's not too clear.
  
  Things take a turn back towards the perky with Dancing Through Life, in which the main man Fiyero shows up and they all go out partying. It's not really a song per se, more a collection of several very short songs, including a very notable one which shows Nessarose (another minor character)'s talent. Then we're immediately hit with Popular, a lyrically hilarious and flawlessly executed song of utter frivolity (think "My Strongest Suit" from Aida, only with better lyrics) and I'm Not That Girl, a tragic little number about loneliness, in quick succession. Now that all the major characters have been shown and their motivations touched on, we can move into the plot hinted at back in Something Bad.
  
  Glinda (she loses the A at this point) and Elphaba go to the Emerald City (One Short Day in the Emerald City) and see a show. This number shows more of the chorus talent and features some amazing pseudo-chaotic harmonizing but doesn't really connect in the way the play should. Then there's A Sentimental Man, the Wizard of Oz's entrance, which isn't anything spectacular. At this point we're very nearly halfway through the musical and the audience has pretty much settled in for a shallow little fable about coming of age.
  
  But no.
  
  During her conversation with the Wizard (not on CD), Elphaba discovers that he's actually behind a lot of the problems in Oz. Disillusioned, she decides she's "through playing by someone else's rules" and, in the most immediately impacting song in the play (Defying Gravity), takes off to make her own way. The song is a masterpiece, combining a bittersweet farewell between Glinda and Elphaba with the fierce joy of Elphaba's newfound freedom. And that's Act One.
  
  Act Two is a fundamentally different play. You could end the whole thing with Defying Gravity and it would have a happy ending, but then you'd miss out on most of the real meat in the musical - unfortunate, considering how long it takes to get to this point. Act Two opens with Fiyaro and Glinda's wedding party, which Morrible skillfully steers into a skewering of the Wicked Witch (apparently she and the Wizard spent a lot of time spreading propaganda during the intermission). It's got a nice little introspective moment from Glinda which I didn't even notice the first time through. At the end, Fiyaro gets annoyed with the crowd's stupid gullibility and takes off to find Elphaba.
  
  The Wizard gets his chance to explain what he's been up to in Wonderful, his big solo. It's a catchy showtune-style song about how he was seduced by power - think Razzle Dazzle from Chicago. Then we're back in emotional territory, with Glinda's brief reprise of I'm Not That Girl segueing flawlessly into Fiyero and Elphaba's incredible minor-key love duet As Long As You're Mine, which features a series of piano chords reminescent of running water as accompaniment. Their happiness is short-lived; the very next song, No Good Deed, opens with Elphaba struggling valiantly to cast a spell to save Fiyero's life from an angry mob. It's one of the best songs in the musical. Even aside from the incredible music, the song captures her transformation into truly being the Wicked Witch magnificently, with a realization that no good deed she's ever tried has ever ended in anything but tragedy and a vow to never do anything good ever again.
  
  At this point we're in the climax and very near the end of the show. The next song, March of the Witch Hunters, features the quartet from the Wizard of Oz on their way to Elphaba's castle; listen to the lyrics for the harshest plot twist I've ever seen (an especially ironic one, considering Elphaba's realization that her good deeds always turn bad).
  
  Finally, we get For Good, Glinda and Elphaba's heartbreaking last duet. It's vaguely reminescent of another Schwartz song (If I Never Knew You, from Pocahontas), but there's an amazing amount of maturation between that one and this. It's heartbreaking. And it only gets more moving the more you listen to the CD and piece together the plot. The finale, the last track, juxtaposes a reprise of For Good with the mob's discordant celebration from No One Mourns the Wicked. It's not very long and I'm pretty sure it's only on a seperate track so For Good could end with its own resolution; the CD ends with a jarring triumphant chord across a significant portion of the register that just slams across the fragile emotions of For Good in a way that really drives home the tragedy.
  
  Overall, the music and lyrics present a lot on the surface - enough that you could mistake this music for superficiality. A lot of the emotional content is simply stated. But it's stated with the musical tones and lyrics constructed so you feel it, too; this is no Disney movie. And once you've listened to it a few times through, you begin to notice the common themes (like Unlimited) which enter into many of the songs in ways that subtly tweak the content in ways you can't fully appreciate until you've heard it all the way through enough to catch them. Although it's excellent even on the first hearing, Schwartz's score runs very deep and you'll find yourself wanting to listen to it again and again, just on loop.
  
  
• Honestly...
  By A2TG16XRL9Z7TW on 2005-10-19
  First rule: If a review includes words like "insipid" and "poignant" or if it berates a show for being bombastic, well, I suggest ignoring the review. Typically people who write like that are trying hard to be "critics" (the quotes are important) and in doing so, they generally lose all sense of connection with both what is good and what is talented, falling back on what their (often over explained) "musical history" has "taught" them. If people don't by now know that both opera and broadway shows thrive on "bombastic" and otherwise powerful music, well, then they're fools.
  
  That said, Wicked is a good show with a few great moments. It is definitely worth listening to and, more importantly, worth seeing in person. I have not seen it on Broadway, but I did see the national tour and was quite happy with the show, it being my favorite since the run of Cameron Mackintosh shows from the 80s.
  
  The bad: Wicked is very, very weak in regards to ensemble music. Typically, if you come out from a show humming an overall theme from the show (not a solo song), then its a sign that the music was, overall, decent. While Wicked has a few identifiable theme melodies, not one of them seemed to stick throughout the show or stick with me afterwords. The opener, No One Mourns the Wicked, is like a bad version of "At the End of the Day" from Les Miserables, in both music and staging. The lyrics are clear on the CD, but are utterly garbled and overpowered by the pit on stage. When Glinda enters the song, it improves immensely, but the overall song doesn't have any great qualities or stand out moments beyond that. Also, songs like One Short Day and March of the Witch Hunters come across as lacking. Again, they are mediocre at best.
  
  Also bad, and I am going to get lambasted for this: Idena Manzell. She is an absolutely fabulous singer. Her voice is clean, her range strong and her power is extraordinary. The problem is she's just a bit too perfect. I saw Stephanie Blocke on stage and her voice is a bit darker and a bit harsher and, while just as talented a singer, her voice fits the part just a bit better. Idena is great, certainly, and she does not detract from the show at all, however, both my girlfriend and I listened to her and though "wow, beautiful voice, she's a lot more suited to Glinda." In fact, in few points of their duets, its difficult to tell her voice from Kristen Chenowith's.
  
  The Wizard's songs are also rather mediocre. It is like Schwartz was trying to throw his songs back to the early musicals like Oklahoma or South Pacific and, frankly, they just don't fit in with the rest of the show. Further, they don't really convey anything about the character. He's clearly meant to come across as a silly old fool who has no real clear ability to conceive of right and wrong, but he just felt like "village idiot." I think the part would have done much better had he been cast as either a cynical conniver or a rather comical fool).
  
  Finally, there are a couple weak songs that are primarily solos (with some ensemble). "Dancing Through Life," well, is jarring. It is a complete switch in the style of both the show and music when Fiyero appears and the song feels totally out of place. Further, its just not a great song. Its a rather flighty monotone and while flighty was what the character was meant to be, it doesn't really feel like it is going anywhere. This could be my taste, but I really just didn't like the song.
  
  Also, I have to say I liked "No Good Deed" but I didn't love it. At that point, Elphaba is trying to transform herself into something darker and, though she appears to fail at that and remains good at heart, the song comes across as more of a sad lament (appropriate at the time, perhaps, but sorta anti-climaxes a great build up). I think the song should be a bit faster, a bit more venomous. Not bad, but I think could be improved. Again, could be personal taste.
  
  The Good:
  Ok, here's a bone: Idena Manzell. Yes, I said I would like her better in a different role, but she is outstanding and there's no point in denying it. Fabulous singer, and so is Kristen Chenowith.
  
  There are a few songs that stand out and make both the show and the CD worth the money:
  
  Popular: This song is cute and funny on the CD and Kristen is great at it. Her version is flawless. However, this song is easily twice as good staged. While some people who haven't seen the show might just find the song downright goofy, the staging of it is fantastic, so long as the performer for Galinda is able to convey the silly bounciness of the character. Very fun.
  
  What is this Feeling?: An ok song on the CD, well done by Idena and Kristen though at some points they meld a little too well. Staged this song is great. Like Popular, it depends a lot on the chemistry of the performers.
  
  For Good: A great ending. It doesn't have quite the power of some of Broadway's biggest songs, but it remains touching.
  
  Defying Gravity: The power song of the entire show, a "critic" would find this song to be "overwrought," "talentless," "bombastic," and "playing to the popular taste of the unwashed masses." Yeah, ignore those idiots. The song is fantastic. Well written, damn well performed and very, very powerful. On stage it is significantly better as well. It is probably the most moving first act end I've seen or heard since "One Day More."
  
  Overall, Wicked has its highs and lows. Thankfully, its lows aren't "that bad" and the highs are good enough to make it very much worth the trouble and money. If you consider yourself an "artiste" or a "critic" then skip it, as you'll be too busy trying hard to critique it to enjoy it. If you simply like good, solid Broadway shows, then I recommend this highly.
  
  
• OH MY GOD
  By on 2004-04-10
  This musical is awful. I hate it. I cannot begin to describe how much I hated it. I hated it when I saw it on Broadway. Yes, Kristen was great, but the authors of the show RAPED the book, which had a dark sort of wonderfulness to it and turned it into a FEEL GOOD HULLABALOO. AND WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THOSE POWER BALLADS? THIS ISN'T "CELINE DION--LIVE IN CONCERT!" Or "The Frank Wildhorn Birthday Celebration." If I WANTED power ballads I would go see Les Miserables, a book which was also RAPED by its authors into a bland, meaningless mess of pop songs and POWER BALLADS. I HATED THIS SHOW! There are so few good musicals nowadays. This just further proves my point. I think if we're going to make musicals, they might as well show real life characters and allow us to embrace our problems rather than pat eachother on the back and say "It's alright. There, there. It's all better now." Who wants to be lied to? I don't. And the advertisements for "Wicked" are LYING to you. We've already seen this musical several times over....The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, et cetera. The only possible way to enjoy this show is if you get severely inebriated before hand, then sit in the first row right side of the balcony, and throw spitballs at the monkeys as they fly out in front of you.
  
  
• Terrible Show
  By A2D3T0GQPPEZ8P on 2004-05-24
  This show is horrible. The music is substandard. The story is moronic. How it can appeal to anyone over the age of 10 is beyond me. Turn your brain off before turning this CD on. It's a disgrace to the talents of Menzel and Chenoweth. It's an embrassment to Joel Grey. It sounds like a bad version of all the rest of Schwartz's shows. And it completely bastardizes the source material by Gregory Maguire. If you like the book WICKED this show will offend your sensibilities. If you have an appriciation for well written shows, this WICKED will offend your sensibilities. Don't waste your time or money on this CD or the tacky and childish show is represents.
  
  
• IT'S WICKED THIS MUSICAL HAS NO MEMORABLE MUSIC!!!
  By A39VUGRKPJF1OI on 2005-11-28
  A 5 star review means the BEST. Sorry, this musical doesn't even come close. When you're throwing 5 star ratings around, you're throwing them in the direction of My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, and many musical scores more. Who do all these 5 star raters think they're trying to kid! They must all be members of the cast.
  
  If this musical is noted for anything, it's for the most un-memorable music I've ever heard in a Broadway musical. It's lucky to get a 1 star from me.
  
  
• Bewitching!
  By A3KEZLJ59C1JVH on 2006-07-22
  "Wicked" is by far one of the best musicals to debut in years. The original Broadway cast recording features the dazzling vocal talents of Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda. The musical (which is based on Gregory Maguire's novel of the same name) tells the story of the life of the Wicked Witch of the West, who has been immortalized as one of the greatest villains in movie history. "Wicked" tracks Elphaba's (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch) life story from birth to university, where she ends up with the spoiled, self-absorbed Glinda as a roommate. It turns out that Elphaba isn't really wicked at all: she's actually more of a "good witch" than Glinda, especially in the beginning. These two very different women form an unlikely friendship, and they are ultimately torn apart when Elphaba learns about the corrupt and evil dealings of the Wizard of Oz and decides to take matters into her own hands. There's also a love triangle between the two witches and Fiyero, a fellow student at Shiz University. Elphaba and Glinda eventually find themselves making different choices that lead them on two different paths. Unlike Maguire's novel, the musical version of "Wicked" has a semi-happy ending, and the show challenges people to recognize the illusions of good, evil, and beauty.
  
  The music and songs in this show are truly outstanding. Menzel and Chenoweth are both outstanding vocalists. They shine in their solo numbers ("The Wizard and I," "Defying Gravity," "Perfect") and blend wonderfully together ("What is This Feeling?," "For Good"). The soundtrack also features a beautiful love song performed by Elphaba and Fiyero ("As Long As You're Mine") as well as several outstanding ensemble numbers ("No One Mourns the Wicked," "One Short Day").
  
  I have a feeling that every person who sees this show eventually ends up buying this CD. If you aren't able to see the show in person, this CD is the next best thing. You'll listen to it all the time!
  
  
• "Wonderful!"
  By on 2003-12-19
  It's simply "Wonderful," to steal an adjective from Joel Grey's second act number.

  I saw this show on November 8th, and it was probably one of the best shows I've ever seen, maybe tying with RENT, which I have had loyalties to for a much longer time. I've been tracking the development and tryout of this show since June of this year and before, and run the 2nd Unofficial Wicked Fansite.

  The show doesn't come off quite as well on CD as on stage, and a bootleg I've burned of the San Francisco tryout of Wicked better captures the raw emotion of the performances and more of the spoken lines. However, someone who isn't biased toward a previous recording will love this CD. I love the music, and I have since I took a first listen in around September/October. The music sticks in your head forever.

  I have to say the performers are some of the best in show business, but, unlike most, I think the show is still Idina's and that all the attempts to allow Kristin to take control of the show are wrong, especially considering Idina is the title character and should be the emotional core.

  Favorite songs include "Defying Gravity," "Dancing Through Life," "What Is This Feeling?" and "For Good." All of them are good though. This show has a great breadth of musical styles, from power ballads, to traditional-sounding show songs, to soft-shoe, pop, and rock.

  Go out and buy this, and, if you can, fly out and see the show.
  
  

• Great Music, Different Story.
  By A1NLX2NT3A5Z1U on 2004-02-21
  First, let me say that this is NOT the same story that is told in the fantastic novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. If you go into this thinking you will be hearing the same story as the novel, you will be sorely dissapointed. Whereas Mr. Maguire's novel is an adult-oriented, fantasy thriller full of symbolism and sociological meaning, the book behind the play is a cheesy kids story which illustrates completely different characters (except in name), different plot lines, different messages, and differnt settings. But, for Broadway, it works, So it really needs to be judged on its own merits which is not as a politically meaningful piece of prose, but, rather, as an easy to digest, fun, and fantastic musical journey through the backstory behind Oz - albeit a much different backstory than the one which was originally portrayed in Maguire's book of the same name.

  And that brings me to the only problem with the story - it is far too different from the book to deserve being named the same. All it does is build up false hope for the fans of the book. In fact, the stories are so much different, that they really do not even deserve to be compared. So as not to give either story away, I will not go into intricate details other than to say that the play features much more simplistic and superficial personalities and plot lines that, although enjoyable in their own right, have no underlying meaning in the grand scheme of things. They are, just as in "The Wizard Of Oz" movie, fluffy. But that's OK - as long as you go into it with the right attitude.

  Alright, with all of that said, lets get to the music which is absolutely the highlight of this play. Stephen Schwartz has, once again, married Pop to Broadway with extremely melodic, wonderfully orchestrated, and thoroughly enjoyable tunes that will keep you listening to this CD for weeks at a time. I can't say that I am reminded of any of Schwartz's older works such as Godspell or Pippin, or even of his newer theatrical works such as Children Of Eden. Rather, I would compare the music more to Schwsartz's The Prince of Egypt or some of the Menken animated musicals, all of which I love. Of course, Broadway and Sondheim purists will turn up their noses and poo-poo at the idea of melody in musicals. But for those of us who just love to put on a CD and sing along, Wicked is one of the greats of our time.

  As for the performances, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel deliver some of the most poewerful performances I have ever heard committed to record. Of course, Stephen Schwartz knows how to bring a song to climax and you could not find two better "belters" to complete the process. "The Wizard And I", "Popular", "Defying Gravity", and "No Good Deed" round out the highlights of these two amazing vocalists. Also, not to be overlooked, is the performance of Joel Grey as The Wizard who gives a solid performance, although not living up to his normally dominant presence only because the rest of the cast is actually that good.

  And, so, as you can probably tell, I was and am an immediate fan of Wicked The Musical. And to all the purists who are dedicated to the original book or to the traditional Broadway musical style, I say, in all good humor, "turn down your noses, turn up the volume, and just enjoy."
  
  

• Chenoweth, you big huge star, you...
  By A2CCQAASXB6AXM on 2004-07-15
  2 weeks ago I hated Wicked. The word sent the sound of popping gum to my ears.

  I can't really fingerpoint exactly WHY I "loathed" it... maybe it was because my sister was quickly becoming obsessed and my sad initial instinct is to go against. Likewise, people all over the place (no, not here in Texas - LOL) were raving about Wicked and, of course, the obsessed Wicked fans drove me up the wall claiming it to be the greatest show Broadway has ever seen. All this calamity over WICKED turned me off greatly.

  I'm a Sondheim head. I love rich, complex storylines with witty and insightful lyrics. I like music with time changes madder than the Mad Hatter. I like a show that will make me think for the rest of my life. SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE quickly comes to mind. The first Wicked songs I heard were "Defying Gravity", "Popular", and "No Good Deed". "Defying Gravity" definitely hooked me, but soon grew off me. It didn't have that long-lasting quality I'm so used to. "No Good Deed" was a favorite then and still is now. More comments on it later... "Popular". This song could have possibly completely pushed me over the edge to hating Wicked forever.

  I began reading many opinions of Wicked. Pretty split. Many who loved it, many who disliked it for interpreting the book in such a family-friendly, accessible way.

  Many months I had a complete indifference to Wicked. It was kind of like those knat bugs that don't really BOTHER you, but just won't simply GO AWAY.

  I saw the Tonys this year and thought the Wicked performance was awful. Idina Menzel's high pitched gasping after every syllable and the incredibly off key notes at the end. The flying machine was pretty cool, though.

  2 weeks ago I was in NYC with my family and saw a few shows. A few months ago we were supposed to buy tickets to see Wicked. Never got around to it and ended up being too late. As is, every show through August is sold out. We tried for the Wicked lottery and did not win. The weirdest thing was walking back to the hotel and feeling REALLY upset that we weren't seeing Wicked. What? I'm not supposed to care! What the hell am I doing?? When we got home, I borrowed my sister's Wicked cast recording and just listened. .........

  I love this music. I love these actresses. (For the most part) I love the story. I feel that it should have followed the dark and dramatic themes of book rather than making it a -respectively- fun-loving pop show. I feel that it could have been a masterpiece this way. And the unborn music it would have created really almost brings a tear to my eye knowing that it didn't turn out that way.

  This recording has introduced me to who I think to be one of Broadway's greatest revelations of this generation. One with a capturing personality and stage presence much bigger than her petite size. One with a voice of an angel, who's range carries over every spectrum of music with impeccable comedic timing. That of one Miss Kristin Chenoweth. My #1 leading lady is Bernadette Peters and I believe that Chenoweth has the chops to follow in her footsteps. I realize that this is Idina Menzel's show. She does an excellent job with the role and her songs (from what I'm hearing). She has a powerful rock belt and emotion in her voice. I'm happy she won the Tony. However, from first listen, Kristin Chenoweth completely stole the show for me. She transfers well on CD with the crystal clear soaring voice and comedic/dramatic skills. I'm in terrible pain that I have not and will not see her in Wicked ever. All I can do is pray to the good Gods that she will come back to perform on Menzel's final performance in Jan. 2005 because that is most likely when I will see the show. Whatever the case, I will follow what Chenoweth does in the future. I can tell she's something to take note of.

  It hasn't been mentioned much, to my surprise, but I am in AWE of the opener "No One Mourns the Wicked". All of its percussive layers with the harmonies of the ensemble.. And of course that beautiful operatic voice of Chenoweth's. It's my favorite from the show. Other favorites: "What Is This Feeling?", "Dancing Through Life", "Popular", "One Short Day", "Defying Gravity", "Thank Goodness", "No Good Deed", "For Good".

  4 stars only because 5 stars goes to a recording that has no "skip over" songs. I tend to skip over Joel Grey's songs and "Something Bad".

  5 stars for Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Together they are gold. How about a filmed performance of Wicked to preserve this great chemistry they share.

  This has probably been the fastest I've ever fallen in love with something... especially after really despising it. I don't get it.
  
  

• Defying Sanity
  By A2SS25MV7K73MJ on 2004-11-29
  To be entirely honest, I listened to this CD with quite high expectations, having heard so many rave reviews about it from all my friends. And admittedly, the vocals are fantastic and the plot is somewhat more original than the usual Broadway fluff. But other than a few standout songs (three or four at the most), I found this pretty standard, run-of-the-mill stuff. The music is far too poppy and synthesizer-driven (it reminds me of the eighties), the lyrics are often awkwardly phrased (verdigris?), and most of the characters I found so fascinating in the book (Fiyero and Elphaba, namely) were completely stripped of any and all color in the musical. There's no new ground covered here, no fresh ideas or characters; just a few good singers, some mediocre songs, and a watered-down plot. Major disappointment. I suggest Avenue Q for some real entertainment.
  
  

• Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical
• Wicked - Piano/Vocal Arrangement
• Hairspray (2002 Original Broadway Cast)
• Avenue Q (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
• Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast)