Last week, the national touring cast of “Wicked” descended upon the Providence Performing Arts Center, where they will remain until March 22. The cast’s dynamic performance complemented an already fantastic show, doing the classic justice.
The 2003 musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” The book is a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” which was adapted into a film in 1939. Over the last two years, Universal Pictures has released film adaptations of the musical: “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good.” Although both films were perfectly adequate, it is impossible to even attempt to recreate the magic of the live musical.
Upon entering the theater, viewers were greeted by a large metal dragon that looms over the stage which is curtained by a giant map of the Land of Oz, foreshadowing the incredible sets that were yet to come.
The audience, which was decked out in various hues of pinks and greens — including some fully green-faced attendees — was hooked from the very first note.
As Zoe Jensen’s Glinda descended onto the stage in a metal bubble, she was showered with real bubbles. Jensen, who has previously starred in multiple Broadway shows, was a spectacular casting choice.
While Jensen undeniably has big shoes to fill — the role of Glinda has been played by both Kristin Chenoweth and Ariana Grande — she brought her own effervescence to the performance and embodied the essence of the complicated character beautifully.
Jensen’s Glinda was well complemented by Jessie Davidson’s Elphaba. Together, the two were absolutely electrifying, and their chemistry radiated off the stage, with Davidson convincingly portraying the character who is notoriously difficult to perform.
The two characters follow the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, though their relationship stops just short of the lovers that they are in the book. The only truly upsetting part of the show was that the two never kiss, forcing their romance to remain in the imaginations of theatergoers.
Unfortunately, not all of the characters could match Jensen and Davidson’s bond. Ethan Kirschbaum’s Fiyero, for example, had zero chemistry with Jensen or Davidson, his two love interests. Wildly, Kirschbaum seemed to have the most chemistry with Nicolas Garza’s Boq despite the two only sharing one physical interaction.
But that did not detract from the rest of the show. With just the right balance of anxiety and spunk, even the occasional voice crack felt intentional and only added to the emotion of the show.
One of the most outstanding moments was immediately before intermission, when Elphaba famously defies gravity. This moment — and the high note — is the ultimate test of any actress playing the Wicked Witch of the West, and Davidson delivered beautifully, radiating as she floated above the audience.
This excellence was also evidenced by Garza’s performance as Boq. From the second he stepped onstage, he embodied his famously quirky character. His emotions were immediately clear, which is exactly what any actor playing Boq should do. His descent into obsession-fueled hatred — as he goes from longing for Glinda to wanting Elphaba dead — is portrayed with spectacular accuracy. Through Boq, audiences see how those who proclaim themselves to be “good” are truly the most wicked of them all.
At its core, “Wicked” is a loving tribute to the magic of musical theater, and this cast did not disappoint.
Talia LeVine is a section editor covering arts and culture. They study Political Science and Visual Art with a focus on photography. In their free time, they can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee.
