Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Galinda, later Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Their friendship has problems through their opposing personalities and views, rivalry over the same love-interest, their response to the Wizard's tainted government, and, in the long run, Elphaba's public fall from grace. Wicked the musical premiered at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in May 2003. In October, 2003, the show went to Broadway's Gershwin Theatre. It was produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Joe Mantello. In the first Wicked cast the stars were Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and Joel Grey as the Wizard. Even though production was given mixed reviews and was slated by The New York Times, it has proved to be a favorite amongst patrons. The Broadway production's financial success spawned shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, London's West End, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Stuttgart, and San Francisco. There were also two North American tours that have been to over 30 cities in Canada and the United States. Wicked has broken box office records around the world, having weekly-gross-takings records in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London, and the record for the biggest opening in the West End (£100,000 in the first hour on sale). Both the West End production and the North American tour have been seen by over two million people.The show was nominated for ten 2004 Tony Awards, winning those for Best Actress (Menzel), Scenic Design and Costume Design. The song most connected with Wicked is the outstanding Defying Gravity. In Wicked Defying Gravity is the finale song for the show's first act, when Elphaba finds out that The Wizard of Oz is not the heroic figure she had originally thought him to be. Knowing this, and even with Glinda's attempts to deter her, Elphaba decides to do in her power to combat the Wizard and his sinister plans against the Animals of Oz. She sings of how she wants to live without any limits, contrary to the rules that others have set for her. During the song, Elphaba enchants a broomstick to levitate and, pursued by the Wizard's guards, rises from the stage above the angry citizens of Oz, who try in vain to bring her down. The staging of the Wicked Defying Gravity climax includes several special effects. The actress playing Elphaba is lifted up into the air by a hydraulic launch system. The sequence includes lots of moving lights, smoke, and wind effects. You must see Wicked Defying Gravity !
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Wicked is a Broadway and West End musical. The tale is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The musical features songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
If you would like more info about Wicked Defying Gravity visit http://wickeddefyinggravity.org This useful site has the lyrics, lots of information on Wicked, Wicked merchandise and you can buy Wicked tickets as well.
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