Wicked: Apollo Victoria Theatre, London.
Wednesday 11th April 2012
Wednesday 11th April 2012
On April 11th 2012 I turned 21 and gained the knowledge and insight promised on such an occasion. But not only did I get the gauntlet to life and the ability to legally drink in America but I got an amazing privilege bestowed upon me by my parents.
I got to go and see Wicked for the first time in my life! Yes I kid you not, Wicked, the fantastic musical that has mesmerised audiences for years now. I am a little behind the times but what with the recession and things
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| Gregory Maguire's Amazing Book! |
I just have not had the funds, hence the amazement when I got the opportunity to attend after years of dreaming!
I was like a little girl being given a pony at the age of four…The bright emerald lights shone down on me as I walked out of Victoria Station and into the amazing Apollo theatre that housed the best musical I have ever seen.
If you are unfamiliar with the story, it is the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West mentioned in The Wizard of Oz. The musical is based on the book written by Gregory Maguire and tells the story of how hard it was to be born into a family when you are green and the ridicule you get when growing up. It really highlights the issues of being classed as different in the social classes and how to break down the boundaries.
Above all it tells the story of Elphaba and Galinda, two people who could not be more different, yet when they are thrust together in an unforeseen set of circumstances, a friendship blossoms. It is a tale of two friends and the turmoil that can occur, but above all, how best friends stay together no matter what they do or what they consequences may be…
At the matinee performance I was thrilled to join a packed audience, the atmosphere was buzzing and the set looked fantastic. The stage was loomed over by a mechanical dragon representing the time dragon clock mentioned in the book.
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| The AMAZING Set |
From the moment the performance started I was welling up due to being so overwhelmed by just being in the same room as the legendary production. The costumes were eccentric at times but always styled with the utmost respect for the imagery in the book. The voices collaborated with such precision and they were pitch perfect throughout.
I must say besides seeing the book come to life before my very eyes numerous parts touched me greatly. The performance of my all-time favourite Broadway song ‘Defying Gravity’ was a heart stopper. It was the last song before the interval and it left me clutching my chest and so overwhelmed that I had no words for the first time in my 21 years of life! That never happens!
The second part of the story was heart wrenching. It mentions how relationships can emerge out of the strangest situations and how people deal with such grief in their life. The renditions of ‘Not That Girl’ and ‘As Long as You’re Mine’ left me in tears due to the atmospheric tension and feeling behind it all. I was so in love with this show!
The show stopping moment for me and the time I was crying like a baby was during ‘No Good Deed’ because of the pure emotion behind the song and the story accompaniment. I honestly was flabbergasted at how good this production was. I knew it would be fantastic, but I never knew anything could be so amazingly beautiful!
The finale was absolutely flawless, the ending was perfect and the story complete. I was crying up until the final bow was taken at the end of the show and the cast performed fabulously! I do not think there was a dry eye in my row let alone the theatre!
I left the theatre in silence, thinking about my reaction and how I never expected to get so emotionally attached to a fictional story, but that is the power of the theatre and especially musicals. You go there to be moved and to go to places emotionally that you may not ever go again.
Clutching my programme, CD and t-shirt I left the theatre. I took one last look at the sign before departing the city.
The cast were truly amazing though and their names are as below:
Elphaba: Nikki Davis-Jones
Galinda: Gina Beck
Fiero: Matt Willis
Madam Morrible: Miss Tania Mathurin
Bok: Adam Pettigrew
Doctor Dillamond: Christopher Howell
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Desmond Barrit
Nessarose: Lillie Flynn
The songs were spectacular, and if you only have one thing to do before you die, go and see Wicked. You will regret not going!
Photos taken from website http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/sightsandsounds.asp: Photographs by Tristram Kenton
To watch a trailer and book tickets, click the link here: http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/
Victoria V.L Walker
