Entering the World of Theater
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Transcript of Entering the World of Theater
Entering the World of Theater
The first time I saw a musical was at the Pantages in Hollywood during an extended run
of Wicked. I was 14 at the time and I didn’t appreciate the theater world mainly because I had
never been exposed to it. To my naive mind musicals seemed silly, pointless, and occasionally
downright foolish. In the years prior to this, my brothers and sister had made a huge deal about
the film adaption of RENT which I basically shrugged off and ignored. Today, RENT is one of
my favorite shows yet I didn’t have the willingness to appreciate it at that time. Seeing Wicked
opened my mind to a new world that became the place in which I want to spend the rest of my
life.
As the show began, I didn’t know what to expect. I suppose I was expected nothing more
than a live version of a movie. During this performance I learned that unlike a movie, sitting in a
packed theater is part of the experience of a play or musical. With a movie, I can watch it at
home and have the same experience as at the movie theater. With a play, the audience may take
a journey through time or space but they must take the journey together. Theatre celebrates
people and our connections with one another. During a show we laugh together, we cheer
together, and we cry together because we are a part of the action. When Elphaba breaks free
from the wizard and flies away, we experience that moment together. We do not witness it from
a thirdperson perspective as we do during a movie. We are part of the action and an integral
part of the show. A musical is also unique in the fact that it captivates its audience not only with
dialogue between the actors but also through music that changes and adapts to influence the
mood. And as that music ebbs and flows, so do the dancers. Each dancer moves with purpose
and reason. The dance becomes a part of life and a part of the story. Even the set design lends
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its hand to the art of storytelling. The story is told from within a giant clock which is
emphasized by the lighting and set design. Puppet dragons thrash about as the cogs and gears of
the clock spin into position to create a constant illusion of movement. Together, these elements
work to create a truly moving experience.
Wicked aims to break down traditional views on people of authority by retelling the
classic story The Wizard of Oz through the eyes of the wicked witch. The show took a common
story that many of us grew up with and turned it upside down. While the wicked witch is seen as
a straight forward antagonist in The Wizard of Oz, Wicked takes a daring move by giving the
wicked witch a name, a history, emotions, and motives. Wicked forces us as viewers to see the
other side of the story so that we understand the true meaning of the events that occurred in Oz.
The show pushes the idea that public opinion varies greatly depending on who presents
information and in what way it is presented. The wizard for example is seen as the embodiment
of pure good simply because he flew into Oz at a time when an idol figure was most needed.
However, the wizard is actually a criminal and a fraud who seeks to silence its animal citizens.
Conversely, Elphaba is viewed as the wicked witch due to her public act of defiance against the
wizard’s repulsive deeds yet her actions were morally sound and valiant. The show teaches that
things are not always as they appear and the truth is often convoluted.
Strangely enough, the biggest thing that I got out of this performance was something that
the writers probably did not initially intend. I learned to appreciate and embrace musical theater
and the many talented artists who must work together in order to create a show. Many people
notice that musicals combine three large talents: singing, acting, and dancing. However, there is
a place in a musical for nearly every type of artist in existence. From the painter and the poet to
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the architect and the designer, musicals reach out to the varying arts to encourage collaboration.
Alone, each of these arts is beautiful in its own right. Together, however, the art comes to life.
It lives, it breathes, and it connects with the audience so that the art becomes an experience.
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