Wicked

Wicked is renowned for lavish Broadway spectacle, so it’s pleasing that the huge challenge to pare the hit Broadway musical back for Sydney community theatre, especially in the notoriously challenging Sutherland Entertainment Centre, is in safe hands with Miranda’s scenic wizards Bob and Col Peet. They simplify the physical setting effectively, while atmospherics are achieved through lighting, LED, projection and animation in a symbiotic collaboration with Technology Director Chae Rogan (supported by Adam Ring and Robert Mason).

The icing on the cake, though, and the ultimate visual treat of the night, is comes courtesy of James Worner’s splendid costumes, wigs (impressively dressed by Mavia Timmer) and millinery (in collaboration with Jodi Burns). His Emerald City costumes, a personal highlight, are a delicious surprise, going way beyond a purely green palette in fabrics to achieve a strikingly textured emerald interaction with lighting design.

The heart of Wicked, though, is its touching theme of friendship, and the personal journeys of the two unlikeliest of friends in this Wizard of Oz prequel, lashed with side helpings of outsider and politics /propaganda themes, all conveyed through Stephen Schwartz’s sublimely integrated score. It’s how much we care about and connect to that relationship which ultimately provides the true magic and heart in any production of the show.

That beating heart of Wicked is splendidly delivered through the performances of Misha Williamson as white witch Galinda / Glinda and Emma Tavianni as green witch Elphaba. Both have terrific voices, act truthfully, and engage the audience credibly as young university students. Pleasingly pulled back from the often OTT stereotyping of Glinda, thus making her friendship with Elphaba less of a leap, Misha sings the role with a pure, sweet soprano. Emma utterly personifies Elphaba, in a delightfully empathetic portrayal, her impressive Broadway mezzo vocals balancing Misha’s soprano delightfully. ‘For Good’, the climax of their friendship, is lump-in-the-throat special.

They’re joined by as uniformly strong a principal cast as you could hope to find on a Sydney Community Theatre stage.

Garth Saville’ s Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a splendid song and dance turn, with heaps of panache. Leonie Johnson’s malevolent Madame Morrible is a strikingly textured interpretation of the role.

Emilie Davila’s Nessarose, genuinely vulnerable and touching, moves me as much as any professional portrayal I’ve seen. Daniel O’Connell’s controlled swagger as Fiyero makes him altogether human and sympathetic, vital if both these strong women are to credibly fall for him. Jack Paterson’s earnest, lovelorn Boq simply is that guy we all know, who’s madly and hopelessly in love with the wrong girl.

Sam Cowes’ Doctor Dillamond, the goat history professor, provides not just a highly satisfying characterization, but perhaps the clearest illustration of the production’s outstanding make-up design by Rozlyne Vidal.

Smaller supporting roles are well cast and capably played, while the energy, focus and attitude of the large ensemble is a joy to behold, though the real excellence of Craig Nhobbs’ choreography is probably best displayed in the tighter groupings.

In such an integrated musical, the entire creative team must be absolutely on the same page to deliver an organic whole. If my preceding praise of the various elements of the production hasn’t already implied that unity clearly enough, let me state for the record that Director Tim Dennis, Musical Director Andrew Howie and Choreographer Craig Nhobbs have achieved that in trumps, in a production with seamless acting, vocals and choreography.

Sound design from Anthony Lorenz and Loud and Clear ensures an excellent balance between Andrew Howie’s top notch band (located in the dress circle foyer) and the performers.

An excellent community theatre performance of one of my favourite musicals.

Neil Litchfield