BroadwayReviewed.com

When I was thinking about showtunes that are perfect for Thanksgiving, I instantly thought of all of the political ones, the scene from The Addams Family where they are at camp and have the play about the Pilgrims and even thought about using Charlie Brown. Then when I was thinking about the perfect song to use I instantly realized that the perfect showtune for thanksgiving is actually the song Thank Goodness from Wicked. Thank Goodness is all about saying thank you for the things around you.

The munchkins are thankful that the Wicked witch isn’t bothering them. Galinda is thankful she has a fiance who “loves her”. Madame Morrible is thankful that she has been able to climb the political ladder and the fiance is thankful that he can escape and go find Elphaba. The song is actually one of my favorite songs from the show, even though it doesn’t have anything amazing in it like Defying Gravity with the huge dress and high notes or the Wizard and I with the really high notes and loud singing or For Good which is extremely emotional. The part of Thank Goodness that I love is the long note that Galinda sings and belts out.

The song is actually beautiful and even though it isn’t one of the best or most well known songs from the show, it is a great one and a perfect fit for Thanksgiving. Even though Kirstin Chenoweth isn’t doing Wicked anymore, her version of the song Thank Goodness is probably the best. In the video below, it takes a couple minutes before the camera shows the stage, but when it does you’ll see how amazing Kristin Chenoweth does with this song and how incredible she did in the show Wicked. Anyways, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving an here is Kristin Chenoweth singing Thank Goodness from Wicked.

It is very rare that I ever shut up. The thing is that I love to talk and yell and sing and say whatever is on my mind. The problem with this video is that I really don’t know how to react. Someone actually took the time to take the My Little Ponies and have them lip sync and act out a few showtunes. But it isn’t just your normal video, the people who produced it actually went and got an entire stage, elaborate my little pony costumes and even built an entire set. I am assuming that they actually had a musical or my little ponies play and then a couple of the characters decided to do a spoof video of Dreamgirls and Wicked.

Anyways, the acting in it, for a my little pony singing and performing showtunes isn’t horrible. I love when the one pony lifts up her leg to kick over the milkshakes so that she can make a point in the first dreamgirls song. Then I love when that one turns into Elphaba and they bring in the next my little pony which is Galinda. I sort of wish they used a green my little pony instead of a blue one for elphaba, but hey, we can’t be that picky.

Anyways, I love the 1980′s and I love broadway and I love showtunes, so when you combine all three together in a really random way you either get something amazing or something that is a complete flop. I am still undecided on how I feel about this video. If it was at a showtunes night I would love it. If it is sitting here in my own home, I would think it is pretty lame. After I watched it I ended up thinking it was kind of cool, but still sort of stupid. Then i got to thinking about how hard it must be to be one of the dreamgirls and then a witch in a horse costume and sort of love it so that is why I am posting it here at BroadwayReviewed.com. Let me know what you think of the My Little Ponies perform Broadway hits.

I don’t think I need to say much about this video except that it is absolutely the perfect mesh of classic rock and roll mixed with one of the most famous Stephan Shwartz songs from one of his latest musicals Wicked.  So what happens when Rock N Roll meets broadway?

Most of the time it forms a show like the Billy Joel Musical Movin on Out or Rock of Ages or the Queen Musical.  So what happens when broadway meets Rock N Roll, normally you get shows like Glee who cover songs from Rock N Roll stars like Madonna or Journey and everyonce in a while you get a broadway song that takes on a rock band and creates an instant hit.

The Wicked Rock N Roll version of Defying Gravity is above and beyond amazing.  Kerry Ellis does an amazing job as Elphaba and can make her voice not only go from Broadway but also have a Rock N Roll attitude.  The remix with the guitars and the drums is also incredible.  Then again how could you go wrong with a lead guitarist as famous and fabulous as well he doesn’t need an introduction if you love  Rock N Roll and know your bands.  Anyways, I heard this version of Defying Gravity last night at EFN Lounge Showtunes Night and had to share it with you all.  Here is the Rock N Roll version of Defying Gravity.   Please feel free to leave a comment below if you like the video or to click the little green retweet or tweet button in the top right corner to share this video and post with all of your friends on twitter.

So there is something completely wrong with seeing a stage set up like a church and an orchestra with people dressed like a church choir only to have two witches dancing around singing about short days; but when you combine it with iconic broadway characters like Glinda and Elphaba as well as an amazing story line and hit show, I think we can pass up the witches dancing around in a church.  I wanted to wish all the BroadwayReviewed.com readers a Merry Christmas in July Christmas Wish and the only video I could think of to share with you for Christmas in July would be the Australian Cast of Wicked performing One Short Day at a huge Christmas celebration in Australia.

The cast actually wasn’t as bad as they sound in this clip so please bare with them.  The characters singing weren’t the strongest people to embrace the cast but they are definitely far from the worst, you also have to remember that they are not on a professional stage built for the show with a sound guy who is used to adjusting them for the song so it really isn’t their element either.

If you are also wondering why I chose wicked instead of the thousands of actual broadway christmas carols and songs, even the spoof songs from Rent that make fun of the holidays its simple, one of my work friends ended up posting that she was going to see Wicked in San Francisco (where the show debuted) and since its July and the Wicked Australia cast did a performance one One Short Day at a Christmas event I figured it would be the perfect fit to not only get to do a Christmas in July post but also mention one of my favorite shows and get to be jealous of my friend Trisha who went to see Wicked in one of my favorite cities without me lol.

Anyways, Merry Christmas BroadwayReviewed.com and enjoy the Australian Cast singing One Short Day.  If you like this video post or blog, please feel free to leave a comment below or click the green tweet or retweet button up top to share this post with all your friends on twitter.

Yes. Wicked is 100% worth the price of the tickets, however the best seats in the house for this show are actually not on the floor or front row. Sure you can see more of the seriously detailed costumes and get to enjoy being within eyesight of the actors and actresses and even see all the hooks and ropes that let the actors fly through the air and see the amazing lifts in the songs, but you actually miss out on most of the other special effects that the people in the first and second balconies get to see. One of those effects is probably one of the coolest stage props I’ve seen and it is the Time Clock Dragon that is hanging above the stage and the Audience. The entire dragon moves and its eyes light up red, the wings move and the neck flies wildly and the mouth snaps opened and closed and if you are in the front row or on the floor, you miss this which is one of the reasons that I think the balconies are the best view for this show.

Wicked Openening Stage and Time Clock Dragon

Wicked is the story of the Two Wicthes of Oz, Elphaba and Galdinda,,,however it is really actually kind of the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) and her life growing up, going to school, her family and sister (Nessa or the Wicked Witch of the East), how she got her powers, who her family was, why she was considered evil and another version of how her life changed the world of Oz and what she actually was trying to do and how characters like the Wizard effected her.

Elphaba was a die hard liberal who lived to defend the rights of the Animals (animals that have the ability to talk which is why they are called Animals with a capital A and not animals with a lower case,,,,kind of like the Liza with a Z thing).   Elphaba went to school to mainly watch after her sister but there she met Madame Morrible who discovered she had powers because her dad was from our reality and world and her mother was from OZ which made her powers more powerful than anyone else in Oz, including Madame Morrible who is also the one who can control the weather and created the Tornado that killed Nessa Rose and Brought Dorothy to Oz.

At school, Elphaba met her professor and friend Dr. Dillamond who was a Goat who could speak but all of the sudden lost his powers and was no longer able to speak.   She also met Fiero who helped her save a Lion cub who they were trying to stop from being able to speak and when she finally decided to take action, she left for the Emerald City to meet with the Wizard and put an end to the destruction of the Animals and their ability to speak and teach in school and be a part of society.  (BTW the Lion she saved is also the Cowardly Lion who tries to help kill her in the end not knowing what she did to help save his life).

When she gets to the Emerald City with her best friend Galinda who changed her name to impress Fiero to Glinda, they discover that the Wizard and Madame Morrible are actually the two people behind the desctruction of the Animals and they use Elphabas powers against her to turn the Wizards pet Monkeys to flying Monkeys who can still sort of talk but also grow wings which hurt them.

When Elphaba realizes that the Wizard was out to harm the Animals she steals the secret spell book that the Wizard and Madame Morrible were hiding and takes off for the attic which is where the most spectacular of the songs takes place Defying Gravity.

After the song is over, the cast goes into intermission and the theatre bursts into applause….the scene is amazing and the rest of the show is pure fun and drama.  This is the perfect show for the whole family and also helps you to fall in love with the Wicked Witch of the West and start to see a different side of the classic movie the Wizard of Oz.  There is also a surpise ending for those of you who read the book that this show is based off of by Gregory McGuire.

I give Wicked a 9 out of ten for the effects, the music, the costuming which is probably some of the best I have ever seen and the over all staging.  The reason that it misses out on a perfect 10 is because the audience misses a good portion of the effects depending on where they are siting in the theatre and some of the bubbles choke the actress that plays Glinda in the beginning scene if she breathes in to much.  This show is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who ever loved the Wizard of Oz, who loves broadway, who loves singing and dancing and loves to see a full stage of special effects, detailed costumes and an overall great show.