There were seven of us at opening night of “Wicked,” though we required only four seats. You see Jaime, Lisa and Rhi are at that age where they have alter egos – Fang, Li Panda and Ish. Good thing. I would have needed a witch’s spell to conjure cash enough for seven.
There was one collective word for what we all saw Thursday in celebration of niece Jaime’s 14th birthday: “Wicked.”
Bright green gowns on munchkin bodies dominated the Buell Theatre crowd, but not in our group: Lisa sported a midnight-blue evening gown with antique fur stole; Rhi went with pinstripes and gloves with black adornments. The birthday girl chose a tasteful sage skirt with black shawl, collared corset top and black velvet gloves.
I wore jeans. What can you do with me?
When Jaime learned the national touring production of “Wicked’ that thrilled her in 2005 would return to Denver – and open on her birthday, no less – she presumed it was all my doing, and I did nothing to dissuade her. As uncles go, I’m as smoke-and-mirrors as the Wiz. I’ll take whatever love I can get.
But Jaime faced a traumatic choice: She could invite just two friends from among an unbreakable quintet of best buds. Her solution: The two who didn’t see “Wicked” in ’05 would get tickets in ’07.
Now that’s a wiz.
By curtain, the titillated trio were bouncing off their seat cushions. And the spectacle they had waited so long to see thrilled them down to the tips of that giant overhanging dragon’s wingspan – which is the equal to a Cessna 172 (true!).
Two had read Gregory Maguire’s book, so they knew why a dragon hangs over an industrialized set that puts us all inside a clock. After all, he’s the “clockwork dragon.”
The what?
Jaime: “At the beginning of the book, they have this giant, mechanical clockwork dragon.”
Rhi: “The dragon is what turned the people of Munchkinland against the minister.”
Jaime explained how this dragon has magical puppets that depict past, present and future events. “But for the play, they made it all look like everything was a presentation by the dragon – and that was really cool.”
Their favorite special effects: The melting and the monkeys (not to be taken for melting monkeys!). They loved the mechanics of the scene changes. They loved the busy ensemble and their costumes. (Jaime: “People always underestimate the extras, but they totally made this play.”) They also noted a crucial early clue, when Elphaba is caught in the rain – and doesn’t melt.
They absorbed a variety of political and personal messages: Beware labels. It’s OK to be different – in color and style. If you call a kid a name long enough, he might just become that name. And that living in a society where everyone is the same would be boring. They discussed whether talent is a gift or a curse.
Jaime talked about how hard it is to be 13 (now 14!) and to have to choose between the right thing and the popular thing. “That’s a big thing for us now,” she said.
They were chilled by the brilliant, rebel Goat Professor who speaks out against the Wiz and is punished by slowly reverting to a braying, nonverbal animal – a silenced voice of dissent. They saw how Elphaba was clearly a moral pillar, but when she became a threat to the Wiz, she was presented to a gullible public as an enemy – and they blindly believed.
Lisa: “That’s just like real life. It really is. People believe what they want to believe, and not what’s really true.”
They were left in awe of the golden-voiced Victoria Matlock as Elphaba, and the adorably spazzy Christina DeCicco as Glinda – which left them tellingly conflicted by their appreciation for each.
“Wicked” asks all young girls to ponder: “Am I a Glinda or an Elphaba?” Turns out we had one Glinda, one “Glindaba,” and one Boq – the Munchkin.
Luckily, these three have yet to feel the deep sting of ostracism in their young lives. But they understand the misunderstood Elphaba.
“I relate so much more to Elphaba in every way,” said Jaime, “but it would be so much more fun to be Glinda, just to be her on a stage in that costume and in that bubble.”
Lisa offered, to unanimous agreement: “I think it would be fun to be both of them.”
The evening ended in happy tears. Exclaimed Rhi: “My arms are tingly from clapping so hard!”
Best, it resonated with these three teen girls how two opposite women went through so much conflict, but managed to stay friends to the end.
“I think the message is how strong real love is,” Jaime said.
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
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“Wicked”
MUSICAL | National touring production|Written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman | Starring Victoria Matlock and Christina DeCicco | THROUGH JUNE 3 | Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex|8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays | 2 hours, 50 minutes|
TICKET LOWDOWN | Primarily sold out. A lottery for all unsold limited-view seats takes place before each performance. You must arrive at the box office 2 1/2 hours before curtain to enter; lottery 30 minutes later. Winners pay $25. Details:
303-893-4100 (800-641-1222 outside Denver) or denvercenter.org.
