Wicked in Manila backstage tour: Changed for good

Every time I  hear the song, my eyes begin to tear up. It’s not the kind of cry that stems from sadness, or the hysteric hopelessness that screams “Woe is me!” It’s the kind that just creeps up on you, you’re carried away by the melody, you finally get the full context, and then streams of liquid just flow down your cheeks. Your heart has been touched. And “you have been changed for good.”

Tagged as the prequel of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked follows the story of the friendship between Glinda the Good and Elphaba, known to be the Wicked Witch of the West. You’ll see them in their childhood and you’ll know and understand how things came to be and how things are not what it seems. In other words, this is the untold story of the Wizard of Oz. It’s a story that happens parallel. It’s what you don’t see when you read the book or see the film. “What’s been interesting to the producers and observers along the way is that you don’t need to be familiar with The Wizard of Oz to really enjoy this show. You can go on the journey regardless. If you have seen The Wizard of Oz, you’re going to pick up a few little jokes along the way that are part of The Wizard of Oz, Says Jane Ross from the Australian touring production of Wicked.

“It’s an exciting year for us. It’s Wicked’s 10th birthday on Broadway so Manila becomes part of our 10th anniversary tour,” says Bec Windsor, company manager as she took us on a backstage tour of one of my favorite musicals in the world. “We recently had Stephen Schwartz — who is the composer — to see the show and he actually said this is one of the best productions of Wicked that he’s seen.” This is the same production that you are about to see, If you haven’t seen it yet on our shores.

The magic of ‘wicked’ 

With Wicked, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll secretly sing along and you’ll also try to hide your tears, not knowing your seat-mates are all crying, too. So bring some Kleenex, let me warn you about that fact. There lies the magic of Wicked. It’s a feel good musical with all the elements of music and magic, but there’s more. Yes, there are the songs that have been made immortal by theater people and have become anthems on their own. There’s also the unforgettable staging, what with giant moving statues, over-the-top costumes and wigs that, my dear Tessa Prieto-Valdes went crazy over, but even without it, the story and music have so much heart. So much heart plus a major spectacle. What’s here not to love?

Underneath it all, there’s something so adult and yet so child-like within its material. There are political and conspiracy theories that lie well underneath the witches and wizards that the show revolves around. And there is definitely the explanation on why Dorothy got there and how she met the Wizard of Oz. After seeing `, a lot of your questions will surely be answered. You’ll go “ooh” and “ahh,” and you’ll say to yourself “That explains it!” For something so appealing to children, the message is quite mature~ that there is a grey area, that not all that is perceived to be good is good and not all that you think is evil, is evil. Hmm, sounds like Philippine politics. When you come see the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about. 

The first time I saw Wicked was on a biting winter night in Broadway, New York. I fell in line for cancellation tickets, hoping that there would be people that would give their tickets back because for some strange reason, they couldn’t make it. Nobody cancelled. For three straight nights, I fell in line, and on the fourth night, I got it! I saw it another time in London’s West End, and yet again with a select Philippine media delegation that went all the way to Auckland, New Zealand. Each time, the show was like watching it for the first time. And yes, the tears never fail to fall. I like crying while watching a show that I love, that’s the sap in me.

I still get goosebumps every time I recall my experience watching the show, I don’t know how to tell people who haven’t seen the show that they MUST really see the show. For the beauty of the message, the fantastic score that accompanies the book,  for the wonderful staging,  for the depth of each character.

As of this writing, Wicked has been seen by 38 million people around the world. That figure continues to grow pretty quickly. It’s traveled to an enormous amount of countries now — obviously Broadway, West End, there’s a North American tour, it’s been to Germany, it’s been to Japan. This particular company toured Australia and New Zealand and now they’re here in Manila, playing to sold out audiences at the CCP.

Your chance to defy gravity

An auction is happening next Friday afternoon where the Wicked cast and crew are donating the proceeds for the victims of Yolanda. Aside from props and limited edition signed items from the show, one of the things they’re auctioning off is a walk on role that will last for several scenes. For Wicked aficionados, this will be the ultimate thrill. For details on the auction, check out Wicked Manila’s Facebook page.

And did I tell you that this cast features a stellar mishmash of the best and the brightest? Suzie Mathers has been, hands down, the best Glinda I have ever seen. Jemma Rix has been part of the show since day one. Emily Cascarino who plays Nessa has had a Pinoy boyfriend — I just had to inject that fact.

When it was my turn to see the Wizard, an Australian man of Samoan descent — the first of his race to play the role ( as most Wizards are played by Caucasian actors) — he imparted a great message on why he loves what he does, theater. Jay, whose Samoan name is Manila, ironically, said. “Every night is a battle and you don’t always win, but that doesn’t mean you’ve lost the war.” 

Spoken like a true wizard.

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(Wicked is now showing at the CCP. For tickets call Ticketworld. For more details on the auction, follow me at twitter.com/officialtimyap.)