‘Wicked’ works its wizardry

The Broadway hit “Wicked” is as much of a stylistic roller coaster as it is a study in contrasts.

For every big, brash moment there’s one that’s small, sincere and intimate.

There’s as much visual eye candy as there is all-too-clever wordplay.

It’s got enough sparkle and spectacle for those who want that in their Broadway musical extravaganzas, and plenty of snark and cynicism for the rest of us.

It can be taken on its surface as pure entertainment, even as it delves into matters of prejudice and acceptance.

And it both celebrates and pokes a bit of fun at its original source material, the Kansas-based “Wizard of Oz” in both L. Frank Baum’s book and the 1939 MGM movie classic.

Wichita audiences are getting that entire array and then some, as “Wicked” returns to Century II for the first time in nearly seven years, continuing through Oct. 23.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, “Wicked” won three Tony Awards in 2004 and was nominated for seven more. A prequel-of-sorts to “Oz,” it shows the friendship between Good Witch wannabe Glinda and Wicked Witch-in-training Elphaba, and solidified the Broadway star-power of Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, respectively. (Menzel was one of those to take home a Tony.)

In the touring production at Century II, Amanda Jane Cooper and Jessica Vosk fit into those Chenoweth and Menzel molds quite nicely, yet carry enough variations in their voice inflections and small stage business to make the roles their own. Cooper is uber-perky as the perfect witch, and Vosk shows depth in her transition from self-described “beautifully tragic” loner to full-scale wickedness.

We first meet the two as they’re thrown together as roommates at a magical boarding school, where they constantly clash until a moment of tenderness leads to Glinda instructing Elphie in how to flirt – which brought some of the biggest laughs from Thursday night’s Century II crowd.

A love triangle with brash bad-boy Fiyero (played here by a cool and relaxed Jeremy Woodard), as well as Elphaba sticking up for the rights of animals – including that of a goat professor, played by Chad Jennings – eventually splits the two.

Other standout performances come from Wayne Schroder, stepping in for Stuart Zagnit in Thursday’s performance as the Wizard of Oz; Kristen Martin as Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose; Sam Seferian as Boq, who eventually becomes Nessarose’s love interest after pining for Glinda; and Wendy Worthington as schoolmistress Madame Morrible.

Composer Stephen Schwartz’s score contains some of the most popular songs of the 21st-century showtune canon, including “Defying Gravity,” “For Good,” “Popular,” “I’m Not That Girl” and “One Short Day.”

It’s nicely handled by a traveling orchestra of five players, supplemented by nine local musicians providing a lush, full sound.

Broadway director Joe Mantello’s work transitions nicely into the movement and motion of the touring company.

But the biggest wizardry of “Wicked” comes from the technical side. From a large, metallic dragon looming over the stage to a multimedia set that can change from candy-colored and gorgeous one minute to dark and brooding in a snap, Tony-winner Eugene Lee’s set provides a more-than-ideal backdrop. And lighting designer Kenneth Posner’s work, especially with its theme of bright-lime green, is downright hypnotic.

Without dropping any wink-and-a-nod lines to the Sunflower State crowd, “Wicked” succeeds as a full-scale, emotion-packed 2 ½ hours (plus intermission) and proves Dorothy Gale wrong – we are in Kansas. Evermore.

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 4:21 PM with the headline "‘Wicked’ works its wizardry."