Going Green
Wicked returns to Columbus
By Lia Eastep |
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Photo by Joan Marcus When someone takes a story or character beloved in one genre and attempts to translate that into another, the results can often be less than stellar.
Think A Chorus Line: The Movie, the television series Joey - or Disney on Ice.
In 1996, writer Gregory Maguire pushed this sort of risk to epic proportions when he took perhaps the most beloved movie of all time, The Wizard of Oz, and gave the antagonist top billing. The resulting book, Wicked, a prequel of sorts that describes life in Oz before Dorothy's arrival, was well received by readers and critics alike. In 2003, the creators of the musical version took the risk further, choosing to build songs from scratch rather than capitalize on the overwhelming popularity of the movie's hits "Over the Rainbow" and "We're Off to See the Wizard."
Billed as "the untold story of the witches of Oz," Wicked is a complex tale that explores the nature of good and evil and the transcendent meaning of friendship. Born to a vain mother and a stern father, Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West, whom Maguire named for the original Oz writer, L. (El) Frank (pha) Baum (ba)) is elevated to ultimate underdog status. She is burdened with the care of her disabled sister, ridiculed by classmates, and her actions are continuously misunderstood.
Wicked appeals to all ages and backgrounds; Brenna Kupferman, 40, put it this way: "I think the play is effective because it takes a familiar character from a familiar story and turns it around so the reader/audience can identify closely and even empathize with someone who they always thought was evil and not at all connected to them."
"The songs were, like, the best songs ever in a play!" said former professor's daughter Elysia Roorbach, 9, in heavy exclamation. "My friend thought the play was a little creepy. But in a good way."
Justin Brill plays Boq (pronounced "Bock"), an unusually-tall-Munchkin-turned-Tin Man with a thing for the Glinda the Good Witch. Originally from Annapolis, and educated at Carnegie Mellon, Brill joined the touring company of Wicked in August 2009. In a show known for turning conventions on its head, Brill plays a fairly recognizable character - the good guy who falls for the pretty girl who doesn't know he's alive.
"The guy's got a lot of heart and definitely lives by his emotions," Brill said of his character. "I spend most of my time on stage doing everything I can to simply try to catch Glinda's eye."
Most of the characters of Wicked have thwarted desires and experience unrequited love, but "Boq really speaks to that desire we all have to love and be loved."
When asked what it's like to be involved in a show with such a huge following, Brill answers carefully.
"There is this pressure to consistently live up to the audience's expectations, night after night. We have people who have literally seen the show 30 to 40 times. That can be really intimidating." On the other hand, there are the things Brill refers to as the "little perks." "In one city, I was in a Whole Foods and the cashier recognized me from the show. He was very complimentary and we had this nice moment. You don't always get that."
Having witnessed Wicked-mania secondhand, I asked Brill the most outrageous thing he's seen so far. "We met a woman who had tattoos signifying different parts of the show all over her body, including a prominent one of Elphaba on her arm. That was quite something."
Wicked flies into the Ohio Theatre July 28 - August 29. For more information, visit www.capa.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Originally Published: July 1, 2010
