Wicked” might not be a great musical, but it is a great night of theater.

Wicked Proctors Theatre Tickets

The national touring company of “Wicked” is at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady for a month-long run and the extravagant production shows why the musical that opened on Broadway in 2003 to less-than-enthusiastic critical views has turned into one of the most popular shows in Broadway history.

“Wicked” is entertaining, provocative and romantic. And, as if it needs more, it has an intriguing premise that forces you think differently about a cultural icon. It uses a beloved story — “The Wizard of Oz” — and turns it on its ear without being offensive to even the staunchest supporters of the original film. At the same time it mutes the darkness of Gregory McGuire’s novel, upon which this show is based, without causing its fans to rebel.

The genius of the show is that all this political intrigue and rebellion is counterbalanced by a couple of love stories. One causes conflict between Glinda, Elphaba and the handsome Fiyero. A case of unrequited love between the crippled Nessarose and the Munchkin Boq causes pain for both. Hard choices must be made and no one seems destined for happy-ever-after.

A lot of fun in the second act comes from seeing how beloved characters, like the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the flying monkeys, evolve through Elphaba’s magical powers. Also clever is discovering the reason for the Kansas tornado that brings Dorothy to Oz and why the magical shoes get their power.

The performances at the Thursday night press opening were impressive. Indeed, Elphaba was performed by Carrie Manolakos, the lead’s standby. If she’s an understudy, I can only imagine the skills of the normal lead, Marcie Dodd. Making the role her own, Manolakos plays Elphaba more vulnerable than dynamic. The approach costs some of her numbers their angry power, but it does make the character more sensitive and brings a tenderness to the romantic songs.

Helene Yorke is a delight as Glinda. It’s actually a more complex role than Elphaba as Glinda is both vain and vindictive as well as caring and brave. Yorke exploits the comical shallowness of the woman without negating her more valuable assets. And she sings enchantingly.

The tech is impressive, with most of the mood set by intense dramatic lighting. There are times where the lyrics of some songs are difficult to understand, but with some of the throwaway songs that’s no loss.

Maybe “Wicked” is a great show as well as great theater.

“Wicked” at Proctors Theatre, Schenectady. Through Jan. 3. Great Seats for Less. Save $20! First-Ever Coupon Codes!
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PERFORMANCES BEGIN WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 AT PROCTORS

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from December 9 – January 3 at Proctors. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time people who present themselves at the Proctors box office will have their names placed in a lottery drum and then thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person.

WICKED is a new musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Disney’s Enchanted, Academy Award winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman (“My So Called Life,” “Once And Again” and “thirtysomething”) based on the 1995 best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. The musical is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues, 9 to 5) and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…). WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

WICKED features set design by Tony Award winning Eugene Lee (Ragtime, Show Boat, Candide, Sweeney Todd), costume design by Tony winner Susan Hilferty (Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Assassins), lighting design by Tony nominee Kenneth Posner (Tony Award winner for The Coast of Utopia, Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King, Man of La Mancha). Stephen Oremus is the show’s music director. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.

WICKED has “cast quite a spell” (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few.

Called “one of the most successful shows in Broadway history” by The New York Times and “a phenomenon that keeps growing” by the Los Angeles Times, WICKED continues to thrill audiences around the world. There are currently eight productions of WICKED worldwide, including two North American tours, a Broadway production, San Francisco production, London production, a Japanese-language production, a German-language production and Australian production. A Dutch-language production of WICKED will open in 2011.

The official performance schedule for Wicked will be as follows:
Wednesday, December 9 at 8pm
Thursday, December 10 at 2pm & 8pm
Friday, December 11 at 8pm
Saturday, December 12 at 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, December 13 at 2pm & 7:30pm
Tuesday, December 15 at 8pm
Wednesday, December 16 at 8pm
Thursday, December 17 at 8pm
Friday, December 18 at 8pm
Saturday, December 19 at 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, December 20 at 2pm & 7:30pm
Monday, December 21 at 8pm
Tuesday, December 22 at 8pm
Wednesday, December 23 at 2pm & 8pm
Saturday, December 26 at 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, December 27 at 2pm & 7:30pm
Monday, December 28 at 8pm
Tuesday, December 29 at 8 pm
Wednesday, December 30 at 2pm & 8pm
Saturday, January 2 at 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, January 3 at 2pm & 7:30pm

Please note the special performance schedule. There are no performances on December 25, 31 or January 1 due to the holidays.

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Albany native and author of the award winning novel “Wicked” – Gregory McGuire – will be presenting a free program on December 9th at the Schenectady library. The McChesney Room at Schenectady Country Public Library (99 Clinton Street) will host the famed author, who wrote among many other things the “Wicked” series, the first of which was brought to Broadway at 3:30pm next week. The story follows the Wicked Witch of the West and her boarding school roommate, Glinda the Good Witch as they grow up to become the well known women captured in the film “Wizard of Oz.” That same day Proctors will open it’s doors to the story turned to life when the theater hosts the national tour of “Wicked.”

Along with a special basket that includes two tickets to the play among other things that will be given away, Janet Hutchinson of the Open Door Bookstore will be handling the pre-sale of several Gregory Maguire titles; available to all SCPL libraries, the Open Door, the Whitney Book Corner and online (www.scpl.org), the first 25 people to order will get a free Maguire book, in addition to being entered into the chance to have Maguire himself sign the book.

Get Wicked Proctors Theatre Tickets.

Great Seats for Less. Save $20! First-Ever Coupon Codes!
Buy now and save $20 on your next order over $250.