Wicked north american national tour is in Des Moines, IA through November 10, 2013 and currently performing at Des Moines Civic Center (221 Walnut St., Des Moines, IA 50309).
Wicked Casts Spell Over Des Moines – Reviewed By Brooke Bridenstine, BroadWayWorld.com.
The musical that flew back to Des Moines last week needs no introduction. Wicked, The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, cast its spell on Des Moines in two prior engagements and this time around new spectators and Wicked veterans alike will be flocking to see the gravity defying musical. Wicked is now a ten year Broadway veteran, and with a timeless story, excellent production value and top talent, Wicked will no doubt continue to thrill audiences for years to come.
Wicked takes the classic fable of The Wizard of Oz and turns it on its head by focusing on the unlikely friendship between Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. When the two meet at school, there is instant hatred between popular Glinda and loner Elphaba. But when the two are forced to interact they learn that perhaps they have more in common than they thought.
Wicked endures because the story it tells is timeless and filled with relatable themes. Set in the fantasy world of Oz, Wicked is not bound by conventional time. Again and again, audiences are transported to the magical, green world of Oz and the story never becomes dated because it is not of our world. Oz is a land where animals talk, there are thirteen hours on the time dragon clock, and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz presides over a seemingly perfect society. Themes such as the importance of friendship, seeking personal identity and the battle of good versus evil are woven throughout the show. And while the themes are familiar, when told against the Ozian setting they are as fresh as ever.
Wicked is the rare show that successfully combines spectacle and heart. Whether you have seen it or not, take a trip to Oz this week. Wicked continues its’ Des Moines run through November 10th. For ticket information visit Des Moines Performing Arts.
‘Wicked’ lures audience again and again – Reviewed By Michael Morain, DesMoinesRegister.com.
“Wicked” returned to Des Moines Wednesday for its third visit and brought with it another horde of ticket-buyers, drawn in like trick-or-treaters for a sugar fix.
Nobody can really explain why the show hit the sweet spot that by now has generated more than $3 billion from 38 million viewers worldwide. It could be that we identify with the two main characters, the allegedly “good” and “wicked” witches, who feel misunderstood in distinct but understandable ways. It could also be that the feel-good takeaway about being yourself and accepting others is a message that bears repeating. It’s certainly the kind of emotional ride that attracts repeat viewers, who might not return for something like “The Book of Mormon,” which loses some of its shock value the second time around.
As Glinda the Good, the Kansas native Hayley Podschun seems to have inherited DNA from both a chipmunk and Barbie. She is a chattering blonde bombshell, whose perky vanity belies a steely spine and sparkling set of pipes. Her giddy acrobatics win laughs in “Popular,” her signature song, but her voice is no less flexible or energetic. Later she brings something deeper to “Thank Goodness,” slapping on a smile to hide her character’s pain.
Jennifer DiNoia plays Elphaba, the green one, and belts out the empowering anthem “Defying Gravity” with apparent ease, adding musical heft even to its final Tarzan yell. She has an impressive range — listen to her sweet low notes in “I’m Not That Girl” — and she clearly believes what she’s singing. Still, it’s her acting that pulls us in, showing us exactly why the witch was never so wicked as we once believed.
“It’s all in which label is able to persist,” the Wizard (Walker Jones) explains, showing off the lyricist’s knack for internal rhyme. “There are precious few at ease / with moral ambiguities / so we act as if they don’t exist.”
Even without the multimillion-dollar sets and costumes, it’s a moving story with beautiful music and relatable characters. It’s embedded in our culture now, as solid as bricks in the yellow brick road.
Wicked musical will be in Des Moines IA for only 2-weeks through November 10, 2013. From here the national touring production moves to Indianapolis, IN where Wicked will be performing at Murat Theatre from November 13 to December 01, 2013.
Jennifer DiNoia, who is defying gravity as the star of Wicked at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium Music Hall, enjoys being green. DiNoia plays Elphaba in the blockbuster musical and has taken on the role in five different companies of the high-flying show.
Wicked behind-the-scenes look by kctv5.com – Watch the Video Below:
Wicked second national tour is currently stop in Kansas City, Missouri and performing through October 27, 2013 at Music Hall Kansas City (301 West 13th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105).
41 Action News Meteorologist Kalee Dionne goes behind the scenes of Wicked the musical and met Kansas City native Hayley Podschun, who plays the lead role of Glinda – watch the Video below:
Podschun attended Blue Valley High School and her parents still reside in Overland Park.
Wicked second national tour is currently performing at Music Hall Kansas City (301 West 13th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105) through October 27, 2013.
Broadway’s meticulous ‘Wicked’ electrifies its Kansas City audience – Reviewed By Robert Trussell, HispanicBusiness.com.
Big Broadway shows that tour for ever and ever are built on templates that guarantee one thing above all else — that the audience gets exactly what it wants. That was certainly the case Thursday night at the Music Hall Kansas City, where the road company of “Wicked” had the audience on its feet before the curtain call.
This touring production of “Wicked” looks and sounds like the first company that played Kansas City a few years ago. The meticulously crafted and inventively designed show works like precision machinery, providing visceral laughs and excretions of sentimentality at specific moments to tug the audience along, no matter where or when you see it. The director, Joe Mantello, has a long, lucrative history of creating hits.
As the show unfolds, it explains the creation of the Tin Woodsman and the Scarecrow, the significance of the ruby slippers and lets us see Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger sister who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East before she meets her demise beneath a falling Kansas farmhouse. We also meet the Wizard, a flimflam man who, it turns out, is stunned to discover his unknown connection to Elphaba. Much of this is inherently amusing and delivered with appreciable wit.
Of chief interest in this production to local audiences is the presence of Hayley Podschun, an experienced Broadway actress who grew up in Overland Park. I’d never seen Podschun in a principal role before and she delivers a superior comic performance, full of spontaneous moments and inventive surprises. She exhibits a sharp instinct for physical humor and possesses a stunning voice.
Her counterpart is Jennifer DiNoia, who handles the role of Elphaba with a strong stage presence and a powerful set of pipes. She makes the character’s inner sorrow and anger palpable, thus anchoring the show with a respectable degree of dramatic weight.
To nitpick is a critic’s prerogative and I still find this show too long, with a score that turns to hyper-melodrama when a memorable melody can’t be found.
That said, “Popular” is a fine musical-comedy number and the blistering “No Good Deed” is a high point of Act 2.
Wicked musical will be in Kansas City MO for only 3-weeks through October 27, 2013. From here the second national touring production will be moving to Des Moines, IA where Wicked will be performing at Des Moines Civic Center from October 30 to November 10, 2013.
Wicked second national touring production all set to open Wednesday, October 09, 2013 at Music Hall Kansas City. Hayley Podschun plays one of the leading role Glinda, the good witch, originally from Kansas is back in town with the touring company. Wicked musical will be in Kansas City, MO for a 3-week run from October 09 to October 27, 2013.
Podschun made her Broadway debut when she was all of 12 years old. As a member of the Von Trapp family in the 1998 revival of “The Sound of Music,” the formidably talented former student at the Miller Marley School of Dance and Voice had made a crucial first step in a musical-theater career.
Podschun graduated from Blue Valley North High School and after only a year of college in Boston she auditioned for the national tour of “Hairspray” and was hired. It was one of those “and I never looked back” moments.
Since then she has racked up some impressive Broadway credits: revivals in 2008 of “Sunday in the Park With George” and “Pal Joey” (directed by Joe Mantello), a 2011 revival of “Anything Goes” and last year, a new original musical, “Chaplin.”
In “Wicked” Podschun plays Glinda, the good witch, opposite Jennifer DiNoia as Elphaba, the misunderstood outsider who becomes the wicked witch. Podschun said the nice thing about this tour, in which she was again directed by Mantello, is that the actors are not seen as more than interchangeable parts.
“Whenever they get a new Glinda or Elphaba, they really want you to bring yourself to the role,” she said. “They don’t want you to do anything you’ve seen before. They want you to bring your own personality. So I get to to use my little weird quirks, my own comedy. I don’t have to be someone else. I get to be the weird self that I am at home with my friends. … Her arc is really fun because she starts so innocent and wide-eyed and then things change and she grows to this lady.” she said.
“Wicked” will be at the Music Hall Kansas City for an extended run of 19 days, which Podschun said will give her a chance to explore what’s new in Kansas City. “This will be the longest I’ve been home since college,” she said.
“My parents come to see me where my show’s at because I get maybe one day off, if that. I’m kind of excited to see the city because I haven’t been back in so long.
Wicked touring musical is scheduled to stop in Chicago from October 30 to December 21, 2013. Tickets for the award winning musical at the Oriental Theater are on sale.
Wicked musical story is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. As the story of the Wicked Witch Of The West and Glinda The Good Witch before and continuing through the time frame from the movie the Wizard Of Oz that everyone knows, Wicked exposes theater goers to aspects of characters already well known to the audience.
Wicked Oriental Theatre Performances Schedule:
Wednesday Oct 30 – 7:30 PM
Thursday Oct 31 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Friday Nov 01 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Nov 02 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Nov 03 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday Nov 05 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Nov 06 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Thursday Nov 07 – 7:30 PM
Friday Nov 08 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Nov 09 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Nov 10 – 2:00 PM
Tuesday Nov 12 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Nov 13 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Thursday Nov 14 – 7:30 PM
Friday Nov 15 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Nov 16 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Nov 17 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday Nov 19 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Nov 20 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Thursday Nov 21 – 7:30 PM
Friday Nov 22 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Nov 23 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Nov 24 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday Nov 26 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Nov 27 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Friday Nov 29 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Saturday Nov 30 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Dec 01 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday Dec 03 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Dec 04 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Thursday Dec 05 – 7:30 PM
Friday Dec 06 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Dec 07 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Dec 08 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday Dec 10 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Dec 11 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Thursday Dec 12 – 7:30 PM
Friday Dec 13 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Dec 14 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sunday Dec 15 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tuesday Dec 17 – 7:30 PM
Wednesday Dec 18 – 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Thursday Dec 19 – 7:30 PM
Friday Dec 20 – 7:30 PM
Saturday Dec 21 – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Wicked wowed a full audience with magical music and visual effects – Reviewed via HispanicBusiness.com.
Wicked wowed a full audience with magical music and visual effects at the Stranahan Theater on Thursday night. As the play opens, Glinda (Hayley Podschun) confirms the Wicked Witch of the West’s death and the production unfolds as a flashback about how the two came to know each other.
The Good and Green met when they arrived at Shiz University. The daughter of the Munchkin governor, green-skinned Elphaba (Jennifer DiNoia), was sent to school to keep an eye on her fair-skinned younger sister Nessarose (Jenny Fellner) who uses a wheelchair.
There is friction between the two at first, then a competition of sorts as they share an interest in the popular prince Fiyero (David Nathan Perlow), who turns out to be much deeper than his deep pockets and good looks. From there, the musical twists and turns, surprising the audience.
The cast dazzled in beautiful costumes and stunning sets and special effects. Even with a sound system that rendered some lyrics incomprehensible, the vocal performances soared, entertaining an audience that applauded thunderously after each scene.
The production is based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, Since its Broadway opening in 2003, it has been wildly successful, bringing in more than $3 billion in ticket sales and viewed by more than 35 million people worldwide. Seven productions of Wicked are being staged worldwide, including two national tours and more than 4,000 Broadway performances.
In the year 2010, Most of the Wicked shows were sold out or near capacity at the Stranahan. For the current engagement also Wicked Stranahan Theater Tickets are selling fast online. Click here for the Wicked Toledo OH Tickets Availability and Buy before they go on sale completely.
“Wicked!” and “Awesome!” – Reviewed by Chris Harding via Boston Neighborhood News.
The musical , which depicts an alternate history of the witches of Oz, has repeatedly broken box office records in Boston and around the world, having been seen by 37 million people (largely those of the female persuasion). You don’t need green spectacles to perceive that the young leads have greater vocal power and stage presence than many a better-known performer could muster.
At the heart of this prequel is the ever-changing friendship and rivalry between two women who meet at the Hogwartian Shiz University. Alison Luff plays the green-skinned, thin-skinned Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West while Jenn Gambatese portrays her blonde-headed, air-headed roomie, who becomes Glinda the Good.
The show was adapted from a best-seller of the same title written by part-time Concord, MA, resident Gregory Maguire. Librettist Winnie Holzman’s stage version is more light-hearted and conventionally romantic than Maguire’s somewhat grim and definitely adult take on the Frank L. Baum classic series. Creator of the lauded TV series “My So-Called Life,” she highlights “Seventeen”-ish issues like body images, dangerous boyfriends, school rivalries, self-esteem, and animal rights. However, Holzman doesn’t shy from the book’s existential reflections on how well-intentioned deeds can turn out to have evil effects.
So “Wicked” fronts up with more than enough spectacle and laughs to enchant the first-time viewer, but its haunting, tangled plot and intelligent lyrics just seem to grow richer and more intricate with each subsequent visit. So slip on your ruby red party shoes and head over to the Boston Opera House.
Broadway’s highest grossing show is running now through September 15 at the Boston Opera House. Watch the Awesome musical Wicked by owning Wicked Boston Tickets.
Touring musical is a ‘Wicked’ good show – Reviewed via HispanicBusiness.com.
A decade after opening on Broadway, “Wicked,” the musical back-story of “The Wizard of Oz,” is still vibrant and exciting, with absolutely gorgeous music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
The touring production that opened this week at The Boston Opera House had some uneven singing, but better acting and dancing than in the two other touring shows I’ve seen.
Jenn Gambatese’s Glinda the Good is a terrific blend of a ditzy exterior and a genuinely nice person hidden within. The character is also hilarious. A Broadway veteran, Gambatese is comfortable on stage and well-versed in handling the musical demands of a show like “Wicked.” Her soprano is smooth and warm, bringing to life the opening number, “No One Mourns the Wicked,” as well as “Thank Goodness” and the widely sung, and very funny, “Popular.”
This is definitely a “Wicked” good production worth seeing, even if you’ve seen the musical before. But without a crystal ball to see Luff, the Elphaba regular, it’s hard to say if the chemistry will be as good as it was between Gambatese and Harris, and whether Luff’s singing as Elphaba will be even better.
