Wicked review

From the very beginning of "Wicked," it's obvious that not only are we not in Kansas any more, but we've left Southwest Florida far behind too.

Even before the musical starts, we're greeted with a giant map of Oz, with the Emerald City smack in the middle, glowing a magical green. And above the proscenium, an oversized metal dragon with outstretched wings and glowing eyes as red as embers.

As the show begins, terrifying humansized monkeys scamper across the stage and climb down a rope.

Yep, we're definitely not on home turf anymore.

This mega-musical, which has broken multiple records on Broadway and played around the world, just opened its second national tour in Fort Myers at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.

It plays here through March 29 before moving on to the rest of the country and is, inarguably, the hottest ticket in town right now.

And for good reason.

It's a fun, special-effects filled extravaganza.

The arrival of this show has been so anxiously awaited that when Glinda the Good first appears, floating down to the stage in a metal bubble and exclaiming, "It's good to see me, isn't it?" she could just as well been speaking for the show itself.

COURTESY PHOTO Marcie Dodd as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. Helene York's Glinda is annoying perky, pathologically shallow and blissfully unaware of her shortcomings.

Or, as her roommate Elphaba (Marcie Dodd) succinctly puts it, "Blonde."

The fun of this show is seeing "behindthe scenes" at Oz, what happened before Dorothy appeared in Munchkinland, and how things came to be: the importance of the shoes, the origins of the lion, scarecrow and tin man, and how a green-skinned girl came to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

It is based, loosely, on Gregory Maguire's bestselling 1995 novel, which, 14 years later, continues to appear on bestseller lists. (The book is more complex and darker in tone. Writer Winnie Holzman and composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz used it as a jumping-off point.)

The two witches first meet each other at university, where they're thrown together as roommates. But it's actually Glinda who's bad; she's mean-spirited and self-centered. She leads the others in mocking Elphaba. Glinda cares only about her own popularity.

Elphaba is an outcast, because of her green skin color. She isn't wicked at all, but kind-hearted and thoughtful. Though she feels she's less than everyone else, she's also her own person. Marcie Dodd, who was previously playing the role on Broadway, makes us care about her character.

There's a touching scene at a school dance where she's mocked. Yet, she boldly stands alone and does her own lyrical, private dance. It's one of the musical's more powerful and moving scenes. And when she belts out "Defying Gravity" at the end of Act I, you not only cheer for her but believe that for you too, nothing is impossible.

This too, is part of the musical's charm: the rooting for the underdog, the subversive belief that diversity and being different are good things.

Madame Morrible (Marilyn Caskey) as headmistress of the school, teaches the two witchcraft, and introduces them to the Wizard (Tom McGowan.) The Wizard, unfortunately, is one of the show's weaker links; he is out-performed and out-sung by the powerful female actors around him.

The two witches, unfortunately, fall in love with the same boy, Fiyero (played by a preening and self-satisfied Colin Donnell).

The show is fun fluff, with some hints of depth here and there. It teaches that it's important to believe in yourself, and that love and friendship can transform us just as well as a magic spell.

And there are some political messages too: the Wizard says he knows he's mediocre, but became power-hungry because the people of Oz needed someone to believe in and told him he was wonderful. He tells them lies because "they were the lies they wanted to hear."

He hires Madame Morrible as his press secretary to twist the facts to say whatever he wants them to, creating his own version of reality. And they use others as scapegoats to call attention away from their own wrong-doings.

But for the most part, though I would've loved a little more depth, the musical veers away from being too complex. Regardless, it's a fun night at the theater that can be loved and enjoyed by both children and adults. (Be forewarned: the flying monkeys are truly terrifying and menacing; I was surprised I didn't hear younger kids crying.)

There are times when the musical goes for the easy laugh, the easy joke, and then there are more subtle jokes (Glinda posing as Evita behind a microphone, arms outstretched, at the top of Act II).

And if you're not sitting in the center seats, or balcony, you'll be unable to see some of the action in the beginning with Elphaba's mother, as the cast is effectively blocking the view on either side of the stage.

But this musical is superlative, theater at its best, especially when it comes to sets, special effects, costumes and wigs. The costumes for the ensemble, whether they're students, Ozians, or citizens of the Emerald City, are quirky and innovative. There are flounces, ruffles, layers, unusual hats and boots that curl up at the toes.

And those who've attended the nowshuttered Naples Dinner Theatre in the past might recognize a familiar face: Jenn Furman, one of the best actors to appear on their stage, who can belt out a song like no one else. She's a member of the ensemble and also plays the midwife at the beginning of the show.

"Wicked" is everything it promises: an over-the-top, exuberant, entertaining musical that makes you leave the theater feeling as if you could defy gravity yourself.

If you go

>>What: "Wicked" >>Where: the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers >>When: Through March 29 >>Cost: $62 to $146 >>Info: Call 481-4849 or go to www.bbmannpah.com