McKinnell, filling in for principal Natalie Daradich, literally dazzles as one half of the witchly team that headlines “Wicked,” Stephen Schwartz’s hummable 2003 musical that alighted in Madison Wednesday night.

Chris Peluso and Vicki Noon play unlikely lovers Fiyero and Elphaba in the second national tour of Wicked, playing at Overture Center through Oct. 10, 2010.

Wicked, running through Oct. 10 in Overture Hall, is all-over shiny, from polished dance numbers to Eugene Lee’s spinning, glowing set. It’s slick, and a little cold.

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In the lead role of Elphaba, Vicki Noon excels as the green-skinned girl who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. At 25, she is a phenomenal talent. Though a powerhouse while singing, she doesn’t oversell her acting. Watching her, I could only conclude that having a voice like Noon’s come out of your body is a magical power of its own.

For Thursday’s performance, the other lead role — Glinda — was played with aplomb by understudy Lesley McKinnell, who showed no sign that she’s not Glinda every night of the week. While she, too, is a fine singer, I was more captivated by her goofy comic skills, particularly in the first act, when Elphaba and Glinda meet at students at mythical Shiz University.

Wicked proves that a show can be a commercial hit yet also visually and emotionally rich.

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‘Wicked’ sets up in Overture Center from The Badger Herald on Vimeo.

“Wicked” tells the story of Elphaba, the tragically green-skinned girl who grows up as a misunderstood outcast. As a young adult at Shiz University with her wheelchair-bound sister, Nessarose, Elphaba meets her match in Galinda, a perpetually perky, blonde, pink-donning nemesis. Although their relationship begins as a stubborn rivalry, it eventually gives way to a friendship put to the test by their former allies. Between Elphaba and Galinda, who would later re-christen herself as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, “Wicked” tells the tale of the true meaning of friendship, and what is worth risking to maintain it. It also teaches another valuable lesson.

“‘Wicked’ tells a really touching story about how to not be worried about how you’re perceived,” said Chris Peluso, who plays love interest Fiyero in the Madison show. “(It’s about) how to be okay with who you are, whoever you are.”

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Wicked tells the story of two girls who meet in the land of Oz. Elphaba is an intelligent, independent outcast born with bright green skin, while Galinda is a motivated and popular beauty. While the two start off as enemies, they become close friends during their time at school together, but are eventually destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. The musical traces the story of how their lives took such dramatic turns to reach such opposing ends.

Wicked is the winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards. The show features hit showtunes like “Defying Gravity” and “No One Mourns the Wicked.”

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“It’s really exciting that right on the heels of ‘Lion King’ we’re getting another top blockbuster multiweek musical in the fall,” said Overture President and CEO Tom Carto. “That’s going to give us good momentum for letting this region know that first-class Broadway is here to stay in Madison.”

“Wicked” is set to run Sept. 21 through Oct. 10, eight shows per week. A Stephen Schwartz musical based on the book by Gregory Maguire, it tells the “untold” story of the witches of Oz.

The show will run from Sept. 21 through Oct. 10 at Overture Center.

The show’s ticket prices and a complete performance schedule will be announced later, according to Overture officials.