Broadway blockbuster 'Wicked' has landed in OKC, here's what to know before you go

It doesn't take a magic spell to figure out what makes the musical "Wicked" so perennially popular.

Before the show even starts, the three-time Tony Award-winning smash provides a practically peerless musical theater spectacle, from the giant glittering map of Oz that serves as the curtain to the massive mechanical Time Dragon Clock looming above the stage.

From Glinda's (Celia Hottenstein) iconic entrance in a big bubble to Elphaba's (Olivia Valli) famously verdigris visage, the national touring production of "Wicked" didn't let down the Oklahoma City audience at its Feb. 22 performance at Civic Center Music Hall. With lavish costumes, dazzling special effects and a captivating cast, the show effectively transported the crowd to the enchanted land of Oz.

For the first time in a decade, "Wicked," is making its long-awaited return to Oklahoma City for a three-week run through March 10 as part of OKC Broadway's 2023-2024 season.

Here's what you need to know about "Wicked" in OKC:

What is 'Wicked' about?

Set before and during the events of "The Wizard of Oz," "Wicked" helped launch Broken Arrow native Kristin Chenoweth and "Frozen" actor Idina Menzel to stardom when it bowed on Broadway in 2003. The show last followed the Yellow Brick Road to OKC in fall 2013, which means local fans have been waiting more than 10 years for another chance to see the song-and-dance extravaganza.

Based on Gregory Maguire's novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," the show boasts music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman.

An alternate telling of the iconic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" and L. Frank Baum's classic 1900 book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," "Wicked" chronicles the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, a smart and talented yet hot-tempered and misunderstood witch who was born with green skin and eventually gets labeled the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, a spoiled and bubbly blonde who is particularly popular and eventually becomes known as Glinda the Good.

The Broadway blockbuster drops the audience into the Land of Oz as the people are raucously celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda confirms that the Time Dragon Clock has recorded that the Wicked Witch was melted at the 13th hour by a bucket of water thrown by a female child.

Setting off the flashbacks that constitute much of the musical, Glinda tells of her unlikely friendship with Elphaba, which started when they were roommates at Shiz University and endured despite the two witches having divergent outlooks on life, falling in love with the same roguish prince, Fiyero (James D. Gish), and reacting differently to uncovering corruption in the Ozian government run by the so-called Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Tom McGowan, also a busy movie and television character actor).

How does the current national touring production of 'Wicked' measure up?

In many ways, "Wicked" is the ultimate musical theater spectacle. Directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony victor Wayne Cilento, the current national tour delivers on eye-popping stage magic.

The show casts a strong spell with Euegene Lee's Tony-winning steampunk-inspired settings, Kenneth Posner's often emerald-tinged lighting, Elaine J. McCarthy's otherworldly projections, whimsical wigs and hair by Tom Watson and sensational special effects by Chic Silber. Susan Hilferty deserves special praise for the stunning Tony-winning costumes.

Holzman's book sometimes struggles to keep all the threads of the complex story untangled, and if, like my daughters, you haven't seen "The Wizard of Oz," the show's narrative can be a bit mystifying. It's fun to learn the origins of cinematic icons like the witches, flying monkeys, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion — Dorothy literally stays in the shadows — even if the timeline between the movie and musical gets a little muddled.

But there's nothing confusing about why Schwartz's "Wicked" score has become so beloved: His potent songwriting bewitches the audience, especially as delivered by the excellent ensemble. Kathy Fitzgerald is perfectly loathsome as the Machiavellian headmistress Madame Morrible, Gish continually brings new depths to the princely character who isn't as shallow as he first appears, and McGowan impresses as the insidious Wizard, particularly on his "Wonderful" number.

After charming as the lead in the national tour of "Pretty Woman: The Musical," which played OKC in 2022, Valli again proves a towering talent as Elphaba, from emotional ballads like "The Wizard and I" and "I'm Not That Girl" to the bombastic anthem "No Good Deed."

Hottenstein nimbly plays up the comedic side of Glinda while showing off her ceiling-scraping vocal capabilities on "No One Mourns the Wicked," her version of "I'm Not That Girl" and on the ever-entertaining "Popular." She and Valli conjure up excellent chemistry, and they are dynamic duet partners on the uproarious "What Is This Feeling?" and the moving farewell "For Good."

"Defying Gravity," the show's signature Act 1 closer, never fails to delight audiences, and if it doesn't soar quite as high as the first time you see it live, it's still a thrill to be swept away by it.

How do the themes of 'Wicked' continue to resonate?

Over the past two decades, "Wicked" has been performed in more than 100 cities in 16 countries around the world, been translated into six languages and been seen by in excess of 60 million people worldwide.

Last year, the show's 20th anniversary on Broadway was cause for multiple Technicolor celebrations, and the anticipated two-part cinematic adaptation of "Wicked," starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, recently premiered during the Super Bowl. "Part One" of the movie version is flying into theaters Nov. 27, while "Part Two" is slated for a 2025 debut.

The show's explorations of the nature of good and evil are part of its timeless appeal, and it still remains the rare Broadway hit with two women as the main characters and a focus on the power of female friendships.

But many of "Wicked's" themes resonate even more strongly and uncomfortably than ever in these contentious times, including storylines about censoring marginalized communities, bullying and scapegoating outsiders and strategically spreading misinformation.

How can OKC fans get tickets to 'Wicked?'

Limited tickets for the musical's OKC run are avaiable at the Civic Center box office, at OKCBroadway.com or by phone at 405-594-8300.

OKC Broadway and the production have announced a Broadway Direct Digital Lottery ticket policy. A limited number of "Wicked" tickets will be available at $35 each. Entries for each performance will be open starting at 10 a.m. four days prior to each performance at lottery.broadwaydirect.com. Entries will be accepted through 6 p.m. three days prior to each show, at which time winners will be contacted by email.

Those selected as winners have 60 minutes to purchase up to two tickets. Seats are assigned at the discretion of the ticket office and cannot be transferred to other people or performances. Tickets will be delivered via mobile delivery between one and three days prior to the event and are subject to availability.

For more information, go to https://www.okcbroadway.com/wicked.

'WICKED'

• When: Through March 10.

• Where: Civic Center, 201 N Walker.

• Tickets: https://www.okcbroadway.com/wicked.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Wicked' is playing a three-week run at the Oklahoma City Civic Center