Rebekah Head and Catherine Hay in character as Glinda and Elphaba. Photo / Chris Hill Photography.
The musical "Wicked" is one of Broadway's biggest success stories and, as such, was always going to be a hot ticket when it came to Taranaki thanks to New Plymouth Operatic.
There's a reason the show is one of the top 10 longest-running musicals in London, it is a tale designed to appeal to the child in us as it takes us on a magical journey to a time before Dorothy landed in Oz. We learn why the Wicked Witch of the West has green skin, how the monkeys got their wings, why the lion is cowardly, the tin man has no heart and we also learn the scarecrow is less brainless than we were led to believe.
With all that, plus a brilliant soundtrack courtesy of Stephen Schwartz, any production of this musical has a great starting point and director Carolyn Murphy certainly used that to her advantage.
From the moment the curtain goes up, the audience is transported to a magical world where anything is possible. Visually this production is absolutely spot on, with the lighting, props, set and costume departments all giving the show the magic it deserves.
Despite an initial feeling of frustration when the cast announcement came out, with "non-local" lead actresses getting the roles, the moment Rebekah Head (Glinda) and Catherine Hay (Elphaba) stepped, or floated, on to the stage that frustration was swapped out for enchantment.
Any criticism of the casting decision to put these two fantastically talented actors into the lead roles was laid to rest the moment they appeared, and left me wondering - which came first, the chicken or the egg, or were they cast simultaneously as their on-stage pairing was so perfect.
They were a true yin and yang, with chemistry to match, and whenever the pair were on stage, magic happened. Rebekah's beautiful voice rose as high as she and her bubble did, and she managed to give Glinda all the comedy the role enjoys while still giving her depth. With a deft flick of her hair and pop of her hip and spot-on comedic timing, Rebekah makes Glinda perfectly perky and beautifully clueless without becoming vapid or slapstick.
Catherine's Elphaba was truly phenomenal. Her rich voice was made for this role and she embodied the complicated, moody, overlooked young woman Elphaba is. While the green makeup certainly helped remind the audience of her character's outcast status, it wasn't actually needed, so perfect was Catherine's posture and physicality throughout.
While the witches had flown in for the show, the majority of the cast is local and gave Taranaki plenty to be proud of.
Stacy Manktelow's Madame Morrible was a masterclass in character acting and she played the master manipulator beautifully. She commanded attention whenever she was on stage, matching her dramatic costuming and makeup with her presence. I can't wait to see what show she is cast in next - seeing her name in any cast list will certainly get me booking tickets.
Another great local talent is Justin Clinton-Gohdes who ensures the Wizard of Oz is wonderful throughout. Justin's interpretation of the duplicitous Wizard is mesmerising to watch. His duet with Elphaba, "Wonderful" is one of the stand-out moments in the show that will stay with you long after you leave.
David Liggett (Doctor Dillamond) and Jesse Pearson (Chistery) both bring some brilliant physicality to their roles and are equally mesmerising to watch. Every movement, every expression is faultlessly spot on.
As Nessa-Rose, Jess Old is in her element. She manages to give the wheelchair-bound sister to Elphaba a believable transition from spoiled teen to demanding and frightened adult. She is well-matched on stage with Keegan Pulman's Boq, who was an audience favourite and rightly so.
Every story needs a heartthrob hero of course, and that role fell to Sam Mitchell as Fiyero. He rose to the occasion with aplomb, with brilliant movement and expression that grabbed attention whenever he was on stage. His performance in "Dancing through Life" was memorable for all the right reasons.
Choreographer Alannah Matthews excelled with this production, especially when it came to the ensemble. Made up of some very talented actors, dancers and singers, she made sure she drew out the very best in them. Watching them move across the stage, leaning towards the audience and twist and turn their way through the various scenes was a case of watching real magic, as somehow the choreography gave the illusion of a far bigger crowd on stage than was actually there.
Another beautiful moment of choreography was an early flashback scene featuring Elphaba's mother. The movement, the score and the staging of this scene were perfect and set a high standard for the show.
Having a live band is always great, and under conductor Christopher Luke the band did a fantastic job. Soundwise, however, at times the music drowned out the vocals, leading to some characters almost having to shout to be heard.
Hopefully, this was just a glitch with the sound system as the story of Wicked is reliant on the audience hearing the words of the songs themselves. There were a few puzzled faces when it came to intermission and people who did not know the story in advance were scrambling for their programmes for the synopsis.
An audience not knowing the storyline isn't the fault of the cast or the director of course, but is worth noting. So if you are going to see this show, make sure you are familiar with the story to maximise the experience.
Overall, this is a great family show with a well-chosen cast who bring some fresh magic to a popular musical. It's got a great soundtrack, fantastic costumes and puts some great talent in the spotlight.
Under Carolyn Murphy's direction, the show's theme of wicked versus good translates into a wickedly good show that makes for an enjoyable evening out.
WIN: We have one last double pass to give away to a lucky reader. To enter the draw, simply email editor@stratfordpress.co.nz with the word Wicked in the subject line. Include your name and contact details. The tickets are for the show on Tuesday, June 29, and the competition closes on Friday, June 25, at 5pm. The winner will be contacted later that day.