As a musical theatre obsessed middle schooler, I could tell you more about Wicked than almost anything else. My first dog was named Elphaba, and “Popular” was my go-to audition song for years. I’m happy to report that this production of Wicked is just as glittery and hilariously heartfelt as I remembered.
From the very beginning, Glinda (Jennafer Newberry) had my heart. Her performance was so whole and full of depth, without losing any of her humor and pep. We were also thrilled to see that she had played Nemo in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Finding Nemo: The Musical! Her personal touches were a welcome addition to such an iconic role.
Elphaba, played by Lissa DeGuzman, was just as full of life and depth. Elphaba is another truly iconic role, and like Newberry’s Glinda, DeGuzman did not fall into the trap of imitating the actresses before her. I noticed that she incorporated similarities in vocal tone and physicality to Margaret Hamilton, who famously portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West in the original film version of The Wizard of Oz. It was a great addition to the role – and used just enough to notice without being distracting.
Overall, this production of Wicked was delightful. The touring company was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped, and more. I just kept thinking back to my very first trip to New York City, and remembering how magical it felt to experience Wicked. Years later and miles away, the magic was still there.
Wicked runs at the Dr. Phillips Center in Downtown Orlando through February 12th.