Wicked at Teatro Nuevo Alcalá, Madrid Review
Written by Laura for Theatre & Tonic
After years of waiting, Spain finally got its own version of Wicked, the musical about The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West. It is a non-replica production, meaning the costumes, choreography, etc., are different from those of Broadway and the West End. Wicked seems quite prone to doing that in its European productions.
Let’s start by talking about the sets. The stage is filled with thousands of flowers that climb up the walls, and some giant poppies even grace the sides of the stalls. It looks absolutely gorgeous and grand. I also really enjoyed Galinda and Elphaba’s room, where each of them had their own décor, and the beds rolled up from underneath the stage. Emerald City was amazing as well, full of neons that reminded me of New York, showing how the influence of the Wizard’s past has changed Oz. Other sets, such as the As long as you’re mine backdrop or the Wizard’s head, which kind of looked like a baby, were less successful.
In terms of clothing, generally the characters wore extravagant clothes and big, round skirts. I loved the Emerald City costumes, especially. However, I do feel like the construction of some of the gowns was lacking, as some of the petticoat boning was showing through the fabric of the dresses. The Wizard’s coat and Galinda’s nightgown also seemed very difficult to walk in, I was scared the actors would trip in them.
Elphaba has a nice black dress throughout Act Two, and she also gets some green braids that I thought were a nice touch. I, unfortunately, didn’t like any of Glinda’s outfits; some of them were directly based on the movie, such as her nightgown or her Shiz outfit, which I didn’t think fit with the aesthetic of the rest of the students. She gets two bubble dresses, one in pink and one in blue, but the stiffness of the tulle and the glitter almost made them look cheap. I did love her crown, however, as well as her wig.
Cristina Picos was outstanding as Elphaba. She had an incredibly rich tone during the low notes, but her voice shone brightly and beautifully during the higher notes as well. I loved her acting choices as well and the subtlety of her movements during the quieter times. I had full on goosebumps whenever she sang.
Cristina Llorente was also incredible as Galinda/Glinda. She had a wonderful human quality to her, and shone especially in the more complicated scenes. I absolutely loved her facial expressions during No one mourns the wicked. She also knew when to kick up the fun and when to act more subdued. Her voice is beautiful too, handling the more lyrical parts and the preppy pop bits with equal dexterity. Both Cristinas had an incredible chemistry together and only made each other shine brighter.
Xabier Nogales displayed a powerful voice as Fiyero and shone especially during the Second Act and his scenes with Picos. Javier Ibarz managed to make the Wizard entertaining and engaging, and Esteban Oliver broke my heart as Dr. Dillamond. I would have liked to see a bit more dramatism and depth in Guadalupe Lancho’s Madame Morrible. Finally, Lydia Fairén and Neizan Martín were a wonderful duo as Nessa and Boq; however, I didn’t love that they called her Nessa Rose instead of Nessarose. The choreography was energetic, brought to life by an incredible ensemble that gave it their all.
At times, it almost felt like an adaptation of the movie rather than the show itself.. For example, Elphaba’s Defying Gravity riff was the same as in the movie. It is understandable, given that most people will only be familiar with the movie, but it made me wish the production had happened before the movie came out, just to see how they would have adapted things.
For the second time this month, I am forced to bring up the issue of AI. During the Shiz classroom scenes, at the top of the stage there were a few paintings of former animal professors that got vandalised as the show progressed. I can’t say for sure, but they look like they were made with AI. It’s disappointing to see AI used, especially in an artistic setting such as this.
Finally, I also wanted to point out that in the bar, they had themed Elphie and Glinda drinks, which were delicious, as well as pink and green popcorn. I thought it was a cute detail and well thought-out.
Overall, the show is interesting and promising, although I do believe they could change up some of the outfits, and of course the AI portraits. It is an interesting experience, especially for those who have already seen the replica productions of the show, although it is a bit hard not to compare.
Wicked is playing until, at least, February 1st at Teatro Alcalá, in Madrid.
★★★★
