'Wicked' at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood

The LA performance of Wicked at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood is wonderful. It's just not quite as wonderful as the screaming teenagers in the audience might imply, or maybe it was just all the shouting and screaming in the audience every time a new character entered that was the distraction. When did musical theatre become a shouting sport?

Wicked is a brilliantly imaginative back story to the Wizard of Oz that explains how Elfaba came to be the Wicked Witch of the West, starting with the conception that led to her being born green. It follows her relationship with Glinda after they meet at school and a misunderstanding lands them as hostile roommates who eventually become lifelong friends. The mysteries of how there came to be a Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion are revealed, as well as how the flying monkeys got their wings.

There are quite a few memorable songs in the score, with just the right amount of sentimentality for the story line, and tunes that had me humming out the door. I appreciate that the creators included spoken dialogue, rather than singing all the text (bonus points from me).

On the Tuesday night that I attended, understudy Melissa Fahn stepped beautifully into the role of Glinda and was one of the highlights of the performance. Carol Kane is perfect as Madame Morrible, the sorcery teacher at the boarding school who discovers Elfaba's natural talent for magic. John Rubinstein is as entertaining as always as the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The superbly talented Eden Espinosa does a great job of interpreting the varied emotions of the unlikely green heroine and has a phenomenal voice. Yet some artistic decision by the director or musical director has encouraged or allowed her to crunch out some hard country Rs that are downright distracting.

The set is appropriately fantastical, with a giant dragon protruding from above a stage strewn with cogs and wheels (was there a dragon in the Wizard of Oz?). A mechanical floating bubble to carries Glinda the Good, and the blinking lights of the giant golden head provide a fitting front for the Wizard. Multi-media effects add to the yellow brick road, Emerald City and the flying house that lands on Elfaba's unfortunate sister.

Having seen many perfect shows on Broadway and in London's West End, I hold "Broadway" productions to a very high standard. There were some lackluster moments in the choreography that really stood out in the first act. Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero, the love interest, didn't seem to be up to the caliber of the rest of the leads, but he could have been having an off night.

The sound balance was adjusted too loud for my perfect hearing during some of the more forceful numbers; and the wonderful acoustics of the Pantages Theatre turned the unexpected audience participation into a cacophony of painful noise. It was perfect for my friend who doesn't hear that well.

Wicked has developed a bit of a cult following, especially among young girls and teens who have memorized the whole production. I noticed this over the summer during Wicked Wednesdays at Universal Studios Hollywood, when girls from 8 to 48 sang Wicked karaoke and knew all the words to songs like Popular and The Wizard and I. I am sure some of those girls must have been at the performance screaming in the audience. The man behind us said this was the fourth time he brought his daughter to see the show. At $98.00 each for orchestra seats, that's devotion.

Despite the slight imperfections, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and wouldn't hesitate to go back.

Tickets for Wicked at the Pantages Theatre are currently available through the beginning of January 2009.

This information was accurate at the time of publication. Please check www.wickedthemusical.com for the most current information.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary tickets for the purpose of reviewing this show. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.