Broadwayized?... Wicked Uncool

It's not that I didn't love the show. The manifestation of my dream to be a rock star/ diva will probably never be actualized. I seem to have a dearth of vocal skills, so I must live vicariously through ticket purchases, and this was definitely worth it. Awesome 80's chic flashy costumes, incredible sets, voices...whoa.. I would have died and gone to heaven had it not been for one tiny thing. I had to go on and read the book first. And this was not the easiest task. Wicked was one detailed motherfucker, and I've never been one for the details.

So I know another medium such as the musical version is bound to be different. Damn, if it had all the info in the book no amount of adderal would have kept me in my seat. Yet I didn't expect it to be all diced up and butchered. Strong characters were weak, plot angles flopped, timelines changed, murders didn't happen, characters didn't exist. Points stressed in the book barely touched. What the musical was diluted down to was a silly love mess. Complete with fiery passion and broken hearts. The love triangle was part of it, but definitely not the whole story.

What is that? I would expect something like this from Hollywood - focus on the fluff, forget the depth. Sure the fluff accentuates and stylizes, but it should never define the plot.

So from a complex landscape of censorship, and the flip-flop of one's concept of what is good and what is wicked, and huge power struggles, I got to sit through a brainless tribute to a small bit of the actual Wicked. But heck - it was pretty.