Dear Dorothy, she just wanted her sister’s shoes back

It was just for that reason that she was after Dorothy. That’s wicked?

Photo by Jeff Busby     Unfortunate circumstances lead Elphaba to turn into the Wicked Witch of the West.

So much has happened before Dorothy showed up. That’s where the truth to the story lies. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about this. Not until they see the play themselves, which I highly suggest they do.

If you ask me what the highlight of my recent Singapore trip was, it would be catching WICKED, the multi-awarded including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, play at the Marina Bay Sands Theaters. Staged in SFO back in 2009, I kept noticing its large billboards around the city but paid no heed to it. It was for that reason I still perceived the witch in the Wizard of Oz as the truly wicked. Catching the play this time, my view of the witch took a 180-degree turn. She’s not wicked after all.

Finally, I caught Wicked in Singapore

Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls, meet in the Land of Oz. Elphaba, born with emerald-green skin is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other, Glinda, is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Photo by Andrew Ritchie Elphaba & Glinda, dorm roommates in the university.

Photo  by Andrew Ritchie The Emerald City.

Cliffhanger. It’s best you see the play for yourself, shed a tear or two, and exit the venue with a smile and feeling good. I will attest to that.

But just to point out why the so-called witch was after Dorothy and the shoes. The ruby slippers’ true owner was Nessa Rose, Elphaba’s sister. It was the one thing she had left of her late sister, and she wanted it back.

Wikipidea image This pair was all Elphaba wanted. It belonged to her sister. An original pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 The Wizard of Oz, on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

In the Singapore production, the cast is composed of Australian front rank entertainers with an impressive resume under their names: Jemma Rix as Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. She was cast as Elphaba in a world first staged adaptation of WICKED, which required her to perform parts of the show in Japanese; Suzie Mathers as Glinda, the ‘Good’. She played the lead role of “Sophie Sheridan” in the 10th Anniversary Australian tour of Mamma Mia!; Australia’s legendary TV and radio host and comedian, Bert Newton, is the Wizard of Oz; Anne Wood is Madame Morrible, Headmistress of Shiz University. She commenced her career with the original Melbourne production of Cats and played the lead role of Donna in the original smash hit production of Mamma Mia!; David Harris as Fiyero, the prince, a very handsome and wealthy party boy. He’s one of Australia’s leading men in musical theatre and is best known for his portrayal of Chris in Cameron Mackintosh's production of Miss Saigon; Singer/Songwriter James Smith as Boq, a quirky munchkin enamoured with Glinda, who pays him no mind; Elisa Colla as Nessa Rose, Elphaba’s younger sister who is crippled and confined to a wheelchair. She was fooled into believing that Boq loves her and embittered when she learns the truth; and Glen Hogstrom as Doctor Dillamond, a professor at Shiz University and also the sole animal on the faculty – a goat. He has a string of musical credits to his name, including Beauty & the Beast, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, to name a few.

Photo by Jeff Busby Elphaba meets the  Wizard of Oz.

An amazing play, Wicked has on-going productions worldwide- New York, London, Japan and several other locations. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Lisa Leguillou with original direction by Joe Mantello. The musical staging is by Wayne Cilento. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, David Stone and John Frost.

For information & ticket bookings, visit www.MarinaBaySands.com/Ticketing