Wicked Tour Shows—Cities, Tickets, Cast, Reviews

Wicked Tour Show Reviews and Articles

We also invite you to read about Defying Gravity--a book with 150 pages on Wicked's development. Autographed copies signed by composer Stephen Schwartz and author Carol de Giere are available. www.defyinggravitythebook.com/

REVIEWS AND ARTICLES for Wicked play on Tour

March 14, 2011 Wicked in Orange County

Brummel as Elphaba, the "wicked" witch, and Natalie Daradich as Glinda, the "good" witch - carry the show....Brummel may be the stronger singer, but Daradich shows impeccable comedic delivery and timing, particularly in the first act when she steals scenes.....Particularly strong in a supporting role is Marilyn Caskey as the opportunistic Madame Morrible. And Tom McGowan makes for a devilish Wizard.

January 23, 2011 At the heart of 'Wicked' is a friendship against all odds

"We began to realize the story really was about these two young women and how they were going to affect each other's lives and change each other's lives," said Holzman about the creative teamwork that also involved composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz.... At the heart of Wicked....

Nov 7, 2010 - Arkansas - Wicked lives up to it's billing

....This "Wicked," bolstered by lead performances of Vicki Noon as Elphaba and Natalie Daradich as Glinda, is everything a huge musical should be — tuneful, funny, compelling, fantastical, glittery and odd. Musicals strain at credulity to begin with and the story in "Wicked" is one that makes your head hurt if you think about it too much. But the bottom line is the bottom line for any dramatic medium — if you are made to care about what comes next then everything else will take care if itself.

And you do care about the fate of the two girls who will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West (Noon) and Glinda the Good Witch (Daradich).... Arkansas times -

October 21, 2010 - Toronto Star - Good Outweighs the Bad

Richard Ouzounian says "....Though this Wicked isn't perfect, it's a wonderful piece of writing and production, and you don't have to be a teenage girl to like it. Even with a few warts, it's well worth a visit." The Star - Wicked review

September 6, 2010 Cape Cod Times - for the Boston Wicked tour

Review includes cast comments. "The Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, sings "Defying Gravity" so power­fully at The Boston Opera House that it feels like the audience may levitate from their seats and join her in the intricately painted rafters.... A 'Wicked' good time at Boston Opera House

July 31, 2010 - Columbus Ohio

...Buoyed by a clever portrait of Oz before Dorothy drops in, as well as a poignant friendship between girls destined to become Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West, Wicked flies high on the firm foundation of an engrossing story and characters to care about. Columbus Dispatch review

June 1, 2010 - Dallas - The Broadway Mega-Hit Wicked Packs a Good Story in a Wonderfully Designed Punch

....Eugene Lee's clockwork set does tricks and tocks. It is flexible and transporting. But it is Susan Hilferty's costume design that declares design dominance. No seam is left unembellished in the ensemble. It is as if to make up for having to design inside a recognizable image of Witches East and West, her creativity exploded onto everyone else. Add to this projections by Elaine J. McCarthy and special effects, and you've got a magical masterpiece indeed.....

January 2010 - Philadelphia ... "Whether your resolution is to be popular, defy gravity, accept who you are, or rally against social injustice, Wicked is sure to inspire you in all of your 2010 endeavors." Wicked review - Phillyist

November 23, 2009: Musical is a 'Wicked'ly good time

"Wicked" is wonderful. For anyone who thought that composer Stephen Schwartz peaked with his scores for "Godspell" and "Pippin" back in the '70s, "Wicked" offers incontrovertible proof that there are indeed second acts in American life — or at least the American musical theater. [From a Cleveland review in 2009]

September 9, 2009 - Wicked A Surefire Hit with eye-catching flair

Elizabeth Ayres of the Herald-Citizen Staff writes: ....There are many enjoyable facets to the show, one being the arc between "Wicked" and "The Wizard of Oz." Ever wondered what was so great about those spangled shoes Dorothy stole from the Wicked Witch's sister? Where exactly did the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow come from? You get your answers with "Wicked."... Ayers also praised Schwartz's score. "I suspect the largest draw to the show... is the show-stopping musical numbers, most of them being Elphaba's. Marcie Dodd, who is playing the role of 'Elphaba' in Nashville, has got some pipes and isn't afraid to use them."

Tennessee reviewer, Martin Brady, comments: "Let's get this on record: Wicked is great. There are few chinks in its armor, and on many levels it beats other brand-name road shows that have come to Nashville in recent years..."

Another creative Nashville writer, Jonathan Pinkerton, calls Wicked a "modern version of Oz's yellow brick road less traveled." Among his comments, he praises the score: "The songs, while perhaps not as instantly recognizable as some other musicals, are absolutely fantastic. Glinda's Popular is cute and fun while Elphaba's I'm Not That Girl is touching and emotional. Defying Gravity and For Good feature both leading ladies and showcase their talents as well as those of lyricist and writer Schwartz. There's not one part of the show that is a let down, save when the curtain falls and the house lights go up at the end. Go see Wicked, or you'll be green with envy towards anyone who did." Jonathan Pinkerton at Examiner.com

July 18, 2009 Tulsa World Review - Wicked Good

'Wicked' just feels so darn good! Magic rules the PAC stage before the curtain falls.

March 6, 2009 Wicked' ways
Musical smash makes magic, steals hearts

Article from the Ft. Meyers Florida News Press:

It's not easy being green. People stare, people laugh and people persecute. No wonder the Wicked Witch of the West went to the dark side. And Glinda, the so-called "good witch" in "The Wizard of Oz"? Not always such a goody two-shoes. Can you say spoiled and self-centered?... the smash Broadway musical "Wicked" peers behind the curtain....

November 8, 2008, Funnier, deeper 'Wicked' resonates with times

As Glinda the good witch in "Wicked," Katie Rose Clarke descends from the sky like a fairy goddess, her wheel-like conveyance giving off bubbles. "No one mourns the wicked," she sings in the show's splashy opening, setting up a simplistic good-versus-evil narrative. Yet the story that unfolds has never seemed more nuanced or current.... - Star Tribune.

September 6, 2008 Wicked Continues to Dazzle

Making its second appearance in Pittsburgh, the national touring company of "Wicked" is still soaring high and defying gravity. The visual spectacle continues to dazzle the eye, performances are strong and Stephen Schwartz's songbook remains a source of lyrics that are clever, articulate and smart, paired with a score that's tuneful, complex and electric.

Winnie Holzman's adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel streamlines the story so that it's accessible without dumbing it down or eliminating his more serious messages.... Pittsburgh Tribune.

December 16, 2007 Wicked in St. Louis...

"Wicked," the Stephen Schwartz musical that enjoyed a hugely successful run at the Fox last season, is back — still dazzling to look at, still immensely entertaining, still able to turn adult theatergoers into little kids, breathlessly entranced by a story they've loved all their lives.

Sept 28, 2007 Touring Company Is 'Wicked' Good

For those who think the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked is nothing more than a tween girl sensation, take a look at the crowds that are buzzing in the lobby of the historic Opera House now that the national tour of this record-breaking phenomenon has landed in Boston once again. Families, younger couples, older couples, groups, teens, tweens, and men and women of all ages are clamoring for tickets to this musical juggernaut that in five years has become a world-wide franchise....

Sept 15, 2007 Cape Cod Times:

...Nothing about this latest version of "Wicked" that has swept into town suggests the traveling company is witch-weary. Christina DeCicco is perky-times-infinity as Glinda, who meets Elphaba when they are forced to room together in boarding school. Her version of "Popular," as she flits, blond curls bouncing, about the stage, suggesting makeover tips for Elphaba, is the show's funniest moment (and there are many in competition).

As the tortured but kind-hearted Elphaba, Victoria Matlock brings the required vulnerable interior hidden in hautiness — as well as a bring-down-the-house voice. She's fabulous.

April 20, 2007 'Wicked' a cauldron full of wonders"

Says the Dallas Morning News: "the entire cast takes the stage and makes every role sparkle.... All hail the wonderful wizardry of Wicked. And those who keep it up to snuff."

Another Texas reviewer, John Garcia, especially liked the Fiyero actor in the touring Wicked. "Cliffton Hall takes a firm, masculine hold of the role and delivers a dynamic, exciting, and vivid performance. This is first time ever that I actually enjoyed hearing the songs sung by this character. Hall has a pop tenor quality to his voice that worked magic on the songs." He also praised Glinda. "Christina DeCicco brings the same blonde bimbo overtones as the previous golden hair beauties, but it is her attack to the darker, more dramatic elements of the character that makes her performance both immensely moving and powerful to watch."

October 2006: The witches of Oz are back with a cast that delights, thrills, dazzles and touches the heart

"...Wicked has been put together by people with showbiz savvy and theatrical boldness, but it's the feelings they convey that make the show such a winner. Sure, they've got the brains and the nerve, but best of all, they've got the heart. Plenty of it." RICHARD OUZOUNIAN - Toronto Star

"On second look, Wicked is even more enjoyable as an emotionally involving tale of an unlikely friendship between two women as well as a campy deconstruction of The Wizard of Oz mythology....Stephen Schwartz's score proves richer and more addictive with successive listens"--Globe and Mail

August 26, 2006 Wicked fills Gammage with Oohs and Oz

Forget "The Phantom of the Opera" and that lurching chandelier. Declaw "Cats" and "The Lion King." Ditto the grumbling fur ball with the dancing housewares in "Beauty and the Beast." When it comes to musical theater as grand spectacle, my money's on "Wicked," that clever and whiz-bang bombastic prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" that recasts the Wicked Witch of the West as something closer to a misunderstood hero, and Glinda the Good Witch as a flighty, spoiled girl..... - East Valley Tribune.

July 28, 2006: Spectacular, entertaining 'Wicked' was worth the wait: "...Schwartz's score is magical, packed with big-finish ballads, harmonizing romantic and friendship duets and big ensemble numbers, without a clunker among them. The most thrilling numbers are Elphaba's show-stoppers, which all end on a stratospheric top note, including the optimistic "The Wizard and I," the high-flying first-act closer "Defying Gravity" and the formidable song of defiance "No Good Deed." The second-act friendship duet between Elphaba and Glinda, "For Good," brings tears to the eyes...." From San Diego NCTimes,

Wicked in San Diego Review July 27, 2006 by Welton Jones. "...Here, Elphaba is the sensitive one who sympathizes with the animals and resists wizardly mind-control. Her inevitable spiral downward toward her watery fate at the hands of an unseen Dorothy is done with far more style in the novel but more elbow-digging realism on stage. The play becomes a duo for Elphaba and Glenda, the nice witch played by the creamy-white Billie Burke. In the novel, they meet as school chums, along with a brace of other fetching youngsters...."

Theater review July 15: 'Wicked' has more than a sense of humor

The giggle has landed. After much salivating and anticipating, "Wicked," the ballyhooed Broadway prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," finally opened Thursday night at Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre. It's surprisingly funny, a hoot on a broomstick.. Minneapolis Star Tribune.

AWARDS:

Touring Broadway Awards The Wicked touring company took home three top prizes at the Touring Broadway Awards including Best New Musical, Best Production Design and Best Musical Score. AND in Feb 2006 - Wicked Tour's Stephanie Block won the Helen Hayes award. Read Wicked Awards!

REVIEWS FROM THE FIRST TOUR

Wicked in San Diego Review July 27, 2006 by Welton Jones. "...Here, Elphaba is the sensitive one who sympathizes with the animals and resists wizardly mind-control. Her inevitable spiral downward toward her watery fate at the hands of an unseen Dorothy is done with far more style in the novel but more elbow-digging realism on stage. The play becomes a duo for Elphaba and Glenda, the nice witch played by the creamy-white Billie Burke. In the novel, they meet as school chums, along with a brace of other fetching youngsters...."

Theater review July 15, 2006: 'Wicked' has more than a sense of humor

The giggle has landed. After much salivating and anticipating, "Wicked," the ballyhooed Broadway prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," finally opened Thursday night at Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre. It's surprisingly funny, a hoot on a broomstick....

Toronto Star for the Wicked Tour, 2005: "The book by Winnie Holzman (based on Gregory Maguire's smashing novel) is a truly clever piece of work. It offers us the backstory to the witches of Oz — good and wicked — as well as filling us in on where the ruby slippers came from, how the Tin Man and Scarecrow wound up like they did, etc. But it's also a serious exploration of the nature of friendship, as well a cautionary fable about the danger of governments who rule by fear. All of this is also captured by Stephen Schwartz's tuneful score, which knows when to soar with inspiring pop anthems or when to make you smile with its musical and lyrical cleverness."--Richard Ouzounian

Wicked Links; Questions and Answers

Visit Wicked home page for links to 50 Wicked-related pages

Questions or comments to share? Write to Carol (that's me, the webmaster) at carol@musicalschwartz.com with the words "Question" or "Comment" in the subject heading. (If you don't hear from me please write again - it got lost in my spam filter or yours).

Is Wicked on Tour appropriate for children?

This section has moved to its own page: Wicked for kids?

Where can I find Wicked lyrics and libretto (script)?

For lyrics see our Wicked Lyrics page or the sheet music or CD. The Wicked Libretto will be published along with lyrics and lots of photos, etc. in a book. Wicked: The Grimmerie

What's the URL for the official tour site for more photos, etc.? http://www.wickedthemusical.com/