Wicked at the Straz Performing Arts Center Review

There IS such a thing as having too much back story, especially when you’re talking about great pop culture villains.

For example, Hannibal Lecter was a lot scarier when we had absolutely no idea why he liked to eat people after he killed them. Eventually, we got “Hannibal Rising” (or as I call it, “Fine Young Hannibal”), in which we learned Hannibal Lecter had been adopted by his Japanese aunt — who taught him about flower arranging and martial arts — and wanted to avenge the death of his sister. Seriously.

Let’s just say the character was a lot more effective in “The Silence of the Lambs”, when we were all perfectly willing to accept the fact that he was just crazy. (Or when we could create our own creepy back story in our imagination.) The back story we actually got in “Hannibal Rising” was a joke — a plodding, humorless joke, but a joke nonetheless.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz” ranks among pop culture’s most notorious baddies. I mean, Margaret Hamilton iconic portrayal STILL resonates more than 70 years after the movie’s release. The back story we get in “Wicked” is a joke — an upbeat, clever, crowd-pleasing joke, but a great joke nonetheless.

“Wicked” is based on the Gregory Maguire novel of the same name and tells a story parallel to the events in L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

The twist is that “Wicked” is told from the perspective of Oz’s witches.

The story begins where “The Wizard of Oz” ends with the citizens of Oz celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West (“No One Mourns the Wicked”) with Glinda the Good Witch.

From there, Glinda recounts her history with the Wicked Witch of the West. We learn the Wicked Witch’s name was actually Elphaba and that she was a strong and independent outsider thanks in large part to her green skin. Elphaba met popular girl Glinda (pronounced Ga-linda at the time) at school and the two took an immediate dislike to each other before eventually forging a strong friendship that would be tested by their ideology and, of course, a boy (named Fiyero).

The reason “Wicked” worked for me was because I see it more as a freewheeling “what if” riff on “The Wizard of Oz” mythology, than as a serious companion piece. If you think too much about how the two works relate to each other, some things just won’t make sense. (Like why “The Wicked Witch” attacks the Scarecrow in the movie.) As a result, I like to think of “Wicked” more as an alternate take on an already-established piece of work.

The main reason “Wicked” worked for me was because it’s a straight-up crowd-pleasing, big-hearted musical. I mean, all for edginess and finding new ways to tell stories, but every once in a while it’s great to get an old-fashioned spectacular musical, and that’s what “Wicked” delivers. (The staging and lighting are absolutely stunning.)

The touring company also delivers two absolutely excellent lead performances.

Donna Vivino is absolutely INCREDIBLE as Elphaba. She commands the stage with her authoritative and vulnerable performance when she’s acting, and she’s an absolute superstar when Elphaba sings. (The songs are by Stephen Schwartz and the book is by Winnie Holzman.) Vivino’s rafter-shaking voice was in especially good use during “The Wizard and I” and show-stopper “Defying Gravity.” (THAT’S how you end an Act I.)

Vivino has a terrific (and hilarious foil) in Chandra Lee Schwartz who plays Glinda as a meaner (at first) version Elle Woods. Though Schwartz has her own musical moment (the great “Popular”), her best moments are when she brings the funny as the good-natured but self-absorbed Glinda.

Vivino and Schwartz have gigantic shoes to fill (Broadway legends Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth originated their roles, respectively) and they do a great job.

(I also have to give props to the production and Morsani Hall at the Straz Performing Arts Center – I’ve seen quite a few musicals at this venue and a lot of the singers end up getting drowned out by the music. Vivino, Schwartz and company simply would NOT let that happen.)

In fact, those two are so outstanding they make everyone almost seem superfluous. Richard H. Blake is a fine Fiyero, but he has little to do but preen before his character’s predictable turn. The Wizard (Richard Kline) has a charming number, and Randy Danson has some amusing malapropisms as Madame Morrible, but there just isn’t that much to their characters.

Fortunately, Vivino and Schwartz are more than up to the task of carrying the show. Act I introduces and develops their characters’ relationship. Meanwhile, Act II - an absolute downer in most musicals - is considerably livened up thanks to many references and nods to “The Wizard of Oz” film following the (unseen) arrival of Dorothy. (There's also a decent chance I teared up during "For Good.")

Yes, “Wicked” is cheesy (and it probably has one twist too many at the end), but (like me) it’s upfront and unabashed about its cheesiness. It’s also one of the most satisfying experiences you’ll have at the theatre.

Wicked…A