Wicked is all about backstory, taking familiar characters we think we know and making us — to paraphrase a tune from the show — see them with different eyes. The touring production that opened at Overture Center this week (September 22) is a triumphant start to the arts center’s Broadway season. Like The Lion King, Overture’s spring hit, Wicked proves that a show can be a commercial hit yet also visually and emotionally rich.

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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