WICKED

LATE, LATE review … owing to various circumstances. However ... too late to see Abbey Musical Theatre's WICKED at the Regent now, if you haven't already, but … let me just say this was possibly the most stupendous show the old theatre has ever seen.

Our local musical leading lights were brighter than ever, joined by professionals Shaan Kloet and Ellie Neal as Elphaba and Galinda/Glinda. Have you ever been to a truly wonderful show and wished you could slow it down it so you could look at it over and over again? That's how I felt. A musical extravaganza like this takes a massive effort to stage ... we are so lucky to have had the likes of Scott Andrew (Director), Barry Jones (Musical Director) and Teesh Szabo (Choreographer) at the helm. I read the book a while back, but seeing the whole thing live was a rare treat.

Like maybe other people who watched re-runs of the old "The Wizard of Oz" movie, I always wondered about those red-striped stockinged feet sticking out of the crashed house after the tornado. The film makes just one fleeting reference to who she was. WICKED explains all ... very satisfactory. Incidentally, in rambling-on mode, the original Good Witch of the North (Glinda) in that movie was played by Billie Burke, Hollywood movie star and former burlesque dancer in her younger days. Billie was 54 years old when she played Glinda. Fancy that.

- Tina White