Wicked, with songs by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, about the friendship between Glinda the Good and The Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz," is, as we say in New England, "wicked good." Kristin Chenoweth is the greatest comedienne Broadway has seen in a long time -- she isn't "Glinda the Good," she's "Glinda the Great." With superb comic timing that takes her lines far beyond the text, inventive character quirks that delight, and a singing voice that can chill you with its beauty, she is a star not to be missed.
Idina Menzel as a green Wicked Witch is also a powerhouse, and deserves her co-star billing -- her lovely, powerful voice is a perfect counterpoint for Chenoweth. They are a matched pair. And then there's Carole Shelley, the mature Broadway star who brings warmth, strength and humor to her role as manipulator. As a bonus, there's Joel Grey as The Wizard. He sings, he dances, he's cute, he's adorable, he's still a star who brings a smile to all who watch and hear him.
The set by Eugene Lee is magnificent, evoking the time when the Oz books were written -- a Jules Verne world a hundred years ago, and lighting by Kenneth Posner is super. Costumes by Susan Hilferry have flair, panache, humor, originality and brilliance.
Joe Mantello, the director, guides with a true sense of how to delight an audience.
