Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth - Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
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Artist: Idina Menzel, Kristin ChenowethBrand: Baker & Taylor
Composer: Stephen Schwartz
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 2003-12-16
Model: 00602498613436
Music Label: Decca Broadway
Soundtracks:
- No One Mourns The Wicked
- Dear Old Shiz
- The Wizard And I
- What Is This Feeling?
- Something Bad
- Dancing Though Life
- Popular
- I'm Not That Girl
- One Short Day
- A Sentimental Man
- Defying Gravity - Idina Menzel
- Thank Goodness
- Wonderful
- I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)
- As Long As You're Mine
- No Good Deed
- March Of The Witch Hunters
- For Good
- Finale
Music reviews of Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
Music Review: "Unlimited. [its] future is Unlimited..." - Remarkable Album
Rating: 5 Stars
In December 2003, I decided I would go and purchase the Broadway album of a show I had heard of called "Wicked"... it previewed in the summer of 2003 in San Francisco less than an hour away from me, and after listening to this CD, I'm still kicking myself for not seeing it's astounding premiere!
Since then, I have traveled from the West Coast to NYC to see the production (though I came 3 sad days after Kristin and Norbert Leo Butz departed from the roles they created as Glinda and Fiyero), and it was EVERYTHING I imagined it would be and SO MUCH MORE! Now, I'm traveling across the country once again this Christmas to see Idina Menzel before she leaves on january 9, 2005! I'm unbelievably excited!
On to this album: In the tradition of a few previous reviews, I am going to rate each song (my OPINION of each) on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best. Here goes:
Quick Overview (for those unfamiliar with the show)- Following the stories of OZ's two famous witches, Glinda the Good (played perfectly by the lovely Kristin Chenoweth) and Elphaba, the mis-understood Green Girl who becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West (created by the flawless Idina Menzel!)... this show explores the relationship between these two enemies wh become friends who become enemies... and so on... ALL "before Dorothy dropped in." Buy this album and go see the show! you will never regret it!
tracks:
1. No One Mourns the Wicked - 8/10 Beautiful opening music, introduces the talented ensemble and features Glinda's unforgettable entrance! Also sets up some important back-story for Elphaba's character (very sad, in a way, once you know the ending)
2. Dear Old Shiz - 3/10 Kind of a pointless song, sung by students at Shiz University as they arrive to school... Interest in this song is only increased once you've seen the show (Elphaba enters for the first time at it's start)
3. The Wizard and I - 10/10 Idina's first song where she displays her range and BELTING power! The ending note will give you chills for days afterwards!
4. What Is This Feeling? - 9/10 Hilarious song, with funny lyrics that sets up for Glinda and Elphaba's "loathing" for each other. Very good!
5. Something Bad - 5/10 Boring song, very short (about 1:40), though Idina sings a few beautiful lines
6. Dancing Through Life - 8/10 Longest song on the album, with the most characters involved. Introduction of Fiyero (Norbert, whose voice is SO sexy), Nessarose (Elphaba's sister, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East played by Michelle Federer), and the Munchkin Boq (Christopher Fitzgerald). Very FUN song, upbeat and thoroughly enjoyable.
7. Popular - 9/10 Glinda's most prominent solo (though a few lines of dialogue between she and Elphaba are included). HILARIOUS lyrics, very clever and fun, and it shows off Kristin Chenoweth's fun, pop-py voice!
8. I'm Not That Girl - 9/10 Beautiful song, Idina's only slow and low ballad... Heart-breaking lyrics and wonderful melody, it's a song that shouldn't be over-looked!
9. One Short Day - 7/10 FUN chorus number, cute and pretty, but not incredibly memorable. Just a fun, toe-tapping introduction to the Emerald City.
10. A Sentimental Man - 4/10 Short song, not incredibly well sung by Joel Grey, but not a BAD number. It's an appropriate setup for the NEXT song...
11. DEFYING GRAVITY - 10/10!! (like most people agree) This is the BEST song on the album by FAR! the Act One Finale, it is intense and spectular, and the GREATEST SONG Idina has ever belted her heart out to... (and she's belted to A LOT!) This song will leave a lasting impression with it's beautiful lyrics, music, and melody, and it is UNFORGETTABLE! (especially LIVE on stage!)
12. Thank Goodness - 8/10 Act Two opener... could be cut into almost two different songs -> the first being more of a chorus number, has interesting lyrics and is louder and more upbeat... the second being more of a solo for Glinda. Last section is incredible and heartbreaking, revealing a lot about the character!
13. Wonderful - 7/10 Not MY favorite number on the album, but it IS very good. Great lyrics and vocals by Joel Grey, though my favorite parts are Elphaba's occasional lines throughout and singing about 4:00 into the song (she's incredible)
14. I'm Not That Girl (reprise) - 7/10 Shortest song on the CD (about :50), very similar to the first one, now it's sung by Glinda... Kristin sings beautifully, but it's too short to leave an impression
15. As Long As You're Mine - 9/10 The ONLY actual LOVE duet on the album, it is incredible! heart-warming and beautiful, the vocals by Idina and Norbert blend perfectly! it's SO romantic
16. No Good Deed - 10/10 SOOOO intense and chilling, Idina gets ANOTHER well-deserved solo with a spectacular finish that leaves you reeling!
17. March of the Witch Hunters - 4/10 Eh. An alright number (that offers a few spoilers about the show), but other than to fill in some needed information, it's not too important. (Cool references to the Tin Man and Lion or included)
18. For Good - 10/10 Great finish for the shows two leading ladies... it is gaurenteed to rip you up inside and make you cry! The singing is wonderful once again and I consider it the REAL song finale for the show.
19. Finale - 6/10 An alright closing, and is actually MORE effective while watching the LIVE show, and it's a more somber mixture of the opening and the last song, FOR GOOD. Haunting and sad, it's a big finish!
~ So that is MY account of each song on the album! the entire CD is wonderful, and the vocal talents featured are DEFINITELY worth the price of the CD, especially Idina and Kristin.
Also, GO SEE THE SHOW BEFORE IDINA LEAVES!!! You won't regret it! (also, the show features a few other short songs, like "The Wizard and I (reprise)" and a FANTASTIC song [cut from the CD] called "The Wicked Witch of the East" sung by Nessarose, Boq and Elphaba... it's fantastic!) Trust me... GO SEE IT!
Side note: This particular Cast Recording does NOT include a plot summary inside so as to avoid spoiling parts of the show. The songs will NOT ruin the show for you, but only add to your curiousity. If necessary, summaries of the show are available online, but I recommend leaving parts a mystery until you see it Live.
Description of Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
WICKED, STARRING KRISTIN CHENOWETH, IDINA MENZEL AND JOEL GREY. Decca Broadway proudly presents the original cast recording of WICKED, Broadway's most talked about new musical. The box office is already over $10 Million! With a score by Stephen Schwartz (Broadway's Pippin, Godspell), libretto by Winnie Holzman (TV's My So-Called Life) and based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical is a prequel to the legendary classic, THE WIZARD OF OZ. WICKED explores the early life of the witches of Oz: Glinda and Elphaba. One witch, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED stars Tony Award® winner Kristin Chenoweth (You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown) as Glinda, Idina Menzel (Rent) as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Tony® and Oscar® Winner Joel Grey (Cabaret) as The Wizard. The Original Cast Recording -- featuring an essay by Wicked novelist Gregory Maguire, original color photos from the show and a complete libretto.One of the most common complaints about musicals is that the books are flimsy pretexts from which to hang numbers. Wicked runs into the opposite problem: it has a great plot, but too often the songs just get in the way. Based on Gregory Maguire's novel of the same name, Wicked tells us what happened between Glinda the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before Dorothy showed up in Oz. And the show is lucky to boast a pair of ace leading women in the main roles. As Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth delivers a sensational star turn, displaying a crystal-pure voice and sharp comic timing; Idina Menzel lends her powerful pipes to the tricky role of Elphaba. Unfortunately, you wish they had better material to work with. Stephen Schwartz's pop score is often dragged down by overly synthetic orchestrations and sentimental lyrics (think Chicken Soup for the Witch). Still, at its best Wicked is a seductive slice of popular entertainment that could well give a younger audience a lasting taste for musical theater. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
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