Were Critics Wicked to B'way-Bound Tuner?

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's Wicked, the Broadway-bound Oz tale starring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, opened its tryout at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco on Tuesday, June 10. The tuner is set to begin previews at the Gershwin on October 7 in preparation for an October 30 opening. Did it cast a magic spell on area critics?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

Robert Hurwitt of the San Francisco Chronicle: "The Emerald City radiates glowing green rays of promise but the yellow road has a few bricks missing. Wicked, the Broadway-bound alternative-Oz musical that opened Tuesday at the Curran Theatre, is as bright, wittily conceived and original as an investor's dream, and as hackneyed and poorly balanced as a backer's nightmare--sometimes, all at once. The stars--a sparkling Kristin Chenoweth, a passionate Idina Menzel, a sly Robert Morse--ride high on the best material and glitter through the low moments. The design is a fantastical feast for the eyes… But Wicked, which has been playing for two weeks in previews at the Curran, still needs some wizardry before its planned Broadway opening in October. Winnie Holzman's book--adapted from Gregory Maguire's beguiling novel about the trials, tribulations and bad rap of the Wicked Witch of the West--needs work. Stephen Schwartz music and lyrics has to dump several songs and write some new ones to give Menzel's brightly intense Elphaba the Wicked Witch a chance of holding her own alongside Chenoweth's gloriously, insidiously bubbly Glinda."

Dennis Harvey of Variety: "A certain page-to-stage shrinkage of ideas was inevitable. But Winnie Holzman's book and Stephen Schwartz's score too often flatten out the source material in cliched crowd-pleasing ways, creating a heavy-handed parable about intolerance and hypocrisy that takes itself far too seriously--without any of the sophistication that allowed Into the Woods an obvious comparison point to juggle fairy tale fancy, grownup satire and character poignancy. Gluey, banal sentiment reaches artery-choking levels several times here; more wit and whimsy is called for. Whether Wicked can achieve a sharper, more streamlined tone not to mention running time before braving Gotham is a very good question indeed. For the problem lies less in the production--sleekly directed by Joe Mantello, snazzily designed, for the most part smartly cast -- than with a mediocre book, trite lyrics and largely generic music."

Tiffany Maleshefski of The San Francisco Examiner: "With a $14 million budget and a cast packed to the rafters with talent, Wicked is a wonderful debut play that is certainly going to leave audiences spellbound for years to come. The leading ladies of the play are phenomenal, enjoying an on-stage chemistry that is truly captivating... The script is impeccable, managing to tell a story that, despite all of its familiarity, is still filled with plot lines that keep you guessing, and the dialogue is expertly timed and loaded with wit. While the play's musical score isn't groundbreaking, the songs 'Popular' and 'Defying Gravity' are quire accomplished, and the singing is superb, while the choreography is fresh and fun. Packed with momentum, Wicked rarely slows down its pace with the first act running 90 minutes, but at that breakneck speed it feels like half that time. The supporting ensemble is as strong as its leads, donning elaborate costumes that look as if the pages of a Dr. Seuss book have come to life. Now running at the Curran Theatre until June 29, this is a show to see before it blows out of town to Broadway like a midwestern twister."

Chad Jones of the Oakland Tribune: "The new musical Wicked, which had its world premiere at San Francisco's Curran Theatre Tuesday, is many things--colorful, ambitious and entertaining to name a few. But the three-hour show is also hindered by a Stephen Schwartz score that is only fitfully fresh or interesting and choreography by Wayne Cilento that is, at moments, embarrassing… Despite what's wrong with Wicked--and the slow patches in Act 2 give you plenty of time for such contemplation--everything's right with Chenoweth and Menzel… The road to Broadway is hardly paved with yellow bricks. Wicked still has a way to go before it gleams like the Emerald City, but the show has a lot going for it, namely its stars and a seemingly insatiable audience appetite for Ozian lore."

Pat Craig of Contra Costa Times: "…the already solid musical, which had its world premiere Tuesday in San Francisco's Curran Theatre, still has to do a bit more skipping down the Yellow Brick Road to get in shape for New York. That said, however, the play is charmingly entertaining as it is, even though it's about a half-hour too long and occasionally drags in places like the anchor on the wizard's balloon. Filled with more talent than you'd see in a half-dozen shows on New York's 45th Street, the show has the sort of promise that could easily turn it from memorable to classic. The Winnie Holzman script is funny and touching, and Stephen Schwartz's songs have a bouncy, Broadway feel, but with enough meat to offer up a musical banquet to contemporary audiences. The stars shine as well."

Karen D'Souza of the San Jose Mercury News: "Dorothy isn't the only one who thinks there's no place like home. About an hour into Wicked, in its world premiere at San Francisco's Curran Theatre, this reviewer started to yearn for a pair of ruby slippers… Style over substance is the real theme in this Emerald City. The real stars of the show are Eugene Lee's glittering set design and Susan Hilferty's fanciful costumes. From the opening tableau, when hideous flying monkeys scamper about a map of Oz as a dragon looms above head, the backdrop drew "oohs'' and "ahs'' from the opening night crowd. Alas, the same attention has not gone into the characters and songs, which should be the soul of the show. Schwartz, who in recent years has turned out scores to Disney animated movies Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, serves up one bland ballad after another. There's a sugary sameness to the songs, which seem devoted to soaring melody for its own sake instead of propelling the story forward or revealing anything about character. Winnie Holzman's My So-Called Life book has an equally high preciousness factor."