Seeing green -- and a rather pleasant shade

I went to the Detroit Opera House last evening to see the musical Wicked (watch for spoilers at this link). It is a show that has set box office records. I think the Opera House seats about 2000 and it was (or was close to) a sellout. Alas, that meant the lobby areas, which aren't all that big, were quite packed.

For those that don't know anything about the show it tells the story of the witches of Oz, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The story briefly touches on why she is green, then picks up in college where the two are assigned as roommates. Glinda is the total ditz and Elphaba starts off as one who knows discrimination and that nobody should be discriminated against. We also see the toll on her as she takes on the Oz power structure and is falsely accused of various crimes. Along the way we see how the flying monkeys, the cowardly lion, the tin man, and the scarecrow come to be. We also get lots of in-jokes for those familiar with the movie -- or at least know the effect the movie has on popular culture.

I enjoyed it. As a musical show, it was pretty good, even though the songs aren't all that memorable. However, as probably the case with most musicals, it has the emotional obviousness of television (and I watch very little television). There is nothing subtle about it. It is also disconcerting that most of the major characters are more interested in appearances than anything of substance. Elphaba is the notable exception.

To my friend and debate partner who dislikes shows that rely on spectacle: Don't bother with this one. It is very much a spectacle, starting with the dragon that is suspended from the top of the stage out into the theater whose head wags and eyes light up. Is such a beast in the movie?

In the 1939 movie the Wicked Witch of the West is not given a name. Though the playbill and the show don't say so, I remember a news article that explains how Elphaba was named (though it didn't click until after I was home). The author of the original Oz books is L. Frank Baum and her name is derived from his initials.