Things are Getting Rather Wicked Around Here....

Wicked:
Book by Winnie Holzman
Song and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire

Show in Toronto:
October 20 - November 28
Approx. $100 - $400
Canon Theatre


If you haven't heard already, Wicked the Musical has come to Toronto, and brought with it a frenzy of excitement. The musical is based on childhood classic The Wizard of Oz (1939, dir: L. Frank Baum), but adds a modern twist: Wicked is told from the perspective of the witches in the land of Oz, set before and during Dorothy's arrival in Kansas.

Wicked follows the friendship of Elphaba, the future wicked witch of the west, and Glinda, the good witch of the north. They experience some Mean Girls-esque drama, competing for the same love interest (who is later turned into the scarecrow we all know and love) and butting heads on various issues in Oz, particularly the Wizard and his corrupt government. The two switch from friends to enemies and back again as the drama unfolds in Oz, with the storyline of the original Wizard of Oz woven in as well. Wicked has received stunning reviews and has caused serious excitement across the city - I strongly advise getting your tickets!

"It was Maguire's brilliant idea to take this hated figure and tell things from her point of view, and to have the two witches be roommates in college, but the way in which their friendship develops – and really the whole plot – is different onstage." 

                                                      ^{- Holzman for Playbill}

"Primarily we were interested in the relationship between Galinda – who becomes Glinda – and Elphaba...the friendship of these two women and how their characters lead them to completely different destinies." 

                                        - Schwartz

[An interesting sidenote: Wicked was written during the years following 9/11, and is largely based on the smoke-and-mirrors foolishness of George W. Bush and the seemingly all-powerful government of the United States of America. Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glinda (the Good Witch) represent the blue states and the red states of America, respectively.]

*If you've seen the show, please send us in your reviews, comments, or criticisms!