It’s Good To See Them Isn’t It? (Wicked – National Tour Review)

16 months. That’s how long we went without a Broadway show due to COVID-19. It’s such a special feeling knowing that shows are slowly but surely coming back to the stage and we just celebrated Broadway with the Tony Awards this past week. When I found out that the Wicked National Tour was going to be the first show back in the country and it was opening in Dallas, I knew I had to go to one of the first performances. Nothing was more exciting than buying the tickets online and my friend and I ended up purchasing season tickets for all the shows coming to Dallas this season, including Hamilton!

This is my third time seeing Wicked, but it’s a show I have never seen in New York. However, seeing this show in Dallas was special to me because it’s the first National Tour I ever saw in Dallas and it was one of the first cast recordings that was gifted to me by my parents. Wicked is a timeless show and it’s no surprise that it’s the show that welcomed back the theater community in the US. As far as COVID regulations went, we all wore masks while in the theater and I carried my vaccination card just in case they needed proof of either the vaccine or a negative COVID test.

Now I’m going to try to get into a full review of each of the lead characters and their performances, but honestly I spent most of the show just soaking in seeing a musical live again and really just wanted to be in the moment, but for those who live in an area that the tour is coming too or nearby (as is the case for me), run and see this show because it is such a classic show with an incredible cast.

Talia Suskauer – Elphaba. What a powerhouse voice. Talia was able to balance knowing when to go all out and pull out all the riffs and when to hold back. She held back on a lot of songs so her voice was ready to go for songs like “Defying Gravity” and “No Good Deed”. There was also a part of “Defying Gravity” where it seemed like her and Allison got off the music just a beat and Talia was able to get them back on beat by speeding up a line or two and not drawing out certain words as normal. Elphaba is one of the hardest roles vocally in musical history. I know she most likely went full out for the first show, so I could hear when she was pulling back and when her voice was tired in certain parts, but her performance for the show was still solid.

Allison Bailey – Glinda. The most perfect Glinda to kick start the tour. Glinda is always the one I follow the most on the show because she has the biggest growth journey in the show in my opinion. Glinda also has the perfect entrance and opening line for reopening after a shutdown. Allison had us laughing when Glinda was in her school days and crying as she is mourning the death of her friend while becoming a leader people are turning turn during a difficult time. I need Allison to become a Glinda on Broadway because everyone deserves to see her performance if they aren’t able to see the National Tour. The emphasis on certain words during the opening lines of “What Is This Feeling” is my absolute favorite version and will be how I will sing that line from now on.

Curt Hansen – Fiyero. Wow does Curt sound so similar to Norbert Leo Butz (the original Fiyero). He has a long history with the show going back and forth between Broadway and the National Tour. He also added his own touches to “As Long As Your Mine” with a few riffs but still melded his voice with Talia’s to make it a perfect duet. Also a huge congratulations to Curt on the birth of his first child. He went on paternity leave during the run in Dallas and just rejoined the tour this past week I believe.

Clifton Davis – The Wizard. Clifton Davis. What a shock when I saw him in the cast list. I saw him with the original cast of Aladdin back in 2014 and talk about a character different between The Wizard and the Sultan. He had the lightness and jolly go lucky that the Wizard portrays but also shows the hints of darkness that are buried deep within the Wizard in wanting more control over the citizens of Oz.

Amanda Fallon Smith and DJ Plunkett as Nessarose and Boq. I couldn’t finish this review without mentioning my favorite secondary characters of the show. Nessarose has an amazing song in the second act that not many people know about if they haven’t seen the show because it’s not in the cast recording. With Amanda, you can really feel the shift in character from Act 1 to Act 2 where she becomes the Wicked Witch of the East trying to keep Boq close to her. DJ also had an incredible performance transforming from the light and enthusiastic Boq in Act1 to the angry and resentful Boq in Act 2.

Honestly, even almost eighteen years later, Wicked is still able to cast these characters perfectly and you could feel the joy and excitement of every cast member getting to return to the stage and share their passions and talents. We had been through terrifying times in the past year and a half and even though it is still terrifying at times, this show brought so much hope for the return of Broadway and the joys of seeing live theater with friends and family.

If Wicked is coming to a city near you and you haven’t seen it, run and see it. Even if you have seen it many times before, this is a classic show that never gets to old to see.