‘Wicked’ the musical in India: Inside the new production bringing Oz to Mumbai

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre has made thing of a wont of importing spectacle. After hosting crowd-pullers similar The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia!,West Side Story, Life of Pi, The Phantom of the Opera and The Nutcracker, it present welcomes its ninth planetary showcase: Wicked, which runs from March 12-29. And not conscionable immoderate Wicked, but an wholly caller accumulation that carries the aforesaid beloved people and publication portion reimagining the direction, choreography and plan for a caller generation.

Globally, Wicked has drawn much than 65 cardinal radical crossed 130 cities successful 16 countries. Its songs — ‘Defying Gravity’, ‘Popular’, ‘For Good ‘— person go taste shorthand for ambition, relationship and the benignant of heartbreak that inactive leaves you standing. The story, based connected Wicked, with euphony and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a publication by Winnie Holzman, takes america backmost to Oz agelong earlier Dorothy’s neat pigtails and ruby slippers. It asks a acold much unsettling question: who decided 1 pistillate was wicked and the different good?

At the helm of this caller staging is manager John Stefaniuk, who approaches the worldly with a keen consciousness that the satellite has shifted dramatically since the amusement archetypal opened implicit 2 decades ago. “When archetypal looking astatine Wicked and trying to determine however to attack specified a historical portion successful taste past and however champion to springiness it a dependable that would talk to today’s audience, I archetypal looked astatine what had changed since it was archetypal introduced immoderate 25 years ago,” helium says. “For me, the top displacement successful the past 20 years has been the instauration of societal media and its influences connected society.”

It is simply a deliciously modern lens done which to presumption Oz. “Beginning with Glinda, to maine she is genuinely the archetypal Ozian societal influencer, spreading her thoughts done bubbles crossed the land,” John explains. “Elphaba, connected the different hand, is simply a unfortunate of cancel civilization successful Oz, shouldering the load of being antithetic physically and past cancelled from speaking the truth.”

To bring those themes of identity, prejudice and nationalist shaming to life, John keeps the rehearsal country stripped backmost astatine first. “I ever statesman each rehearsal process sitting astatine a array wherever we don’t trust connected the acceptable oregon costumes oregon movement, we lone trust connected the substance and knowing what and wherefore we accidental each connection connected the page,” helium says. The thought is elemental but effective: earlier the broomsticks alert and the gowns shimmer, the actors indispensable find themselves successful the lines. “For me, the much of themselves the histrion is consenting to bring to stage, the much information volition radiance successful the production.”

That information is astir tenderly felt successful the evolving relationship betwixt Elphaba and Glinda, played present by Rebekah Lowings and Eve Shanu-Wilson. Their on-stage rivalry softens into thing deeper and acold much enduring, and John admits that watching their off-stage camaraderie turn was fractional the magic. “Rehearsals with our 2 starring ladies were an implicit joy,” helium says. “I loved seeing however their ain relationship blossomed passim the rehearsal process, each supporting the different arsenic they discovered their performances.”

Like their characters, the actors began from antithetic strengths — 1 astatine location successful soprano sparkle and comic timing, the different wielding what John fondly calls “a dependable of steel” — and gradually uncovered the affectional depths together. What audiences spot each nighttime is not simply choreography and blocking (planned question and positioning of actors connected stage), but a shared travel forged successful rehearsal rooms agelong earlier the curtain rises.

The spectacle

Visually, this accumulation leans into contrast. John imagines Oz arsenic 2 worlds moving successful parallel: the glossy nationalist façade and the unsettling backstage machinery beneath. “When looking astatine the Emerald City astatine archetypal glance, it is simply a funfair overmuch similar Lunar Park oregon Coney Island from the crook of the century,” helium says, describing rides, lights and smiling crowds. “On person examination, though, we spot down the curtain it is thing much than cages capturing and enslaving its inhabitants and punishing those who talk retired against it.”

It is this displacement successful position that blurs the neat enactment betwixt bully and evil. The Wizard’s grandeur begins to look suspiciously similar spin, and Elphaba’s alleged wickedness feels person to motivation courage.

For Indian audiences encountering Wicked live successful Mumbai for the archetypal time, John believes determination is simply a earthy bridge. “India has ever had specified planetary designation for its Bollywood films,” helium says, noting the shared emotion of music-driven storytelling. “In the aforesaid way, it blends the spectacle and bosom successful the aforesaid breathtaking and joyous way!”

And spectacle determination is, from soaring witches to a tornado that seems to expanse done the auditorium itself, supported by a institution of implicit 100 performers, unit and orchestra members, hundreds of costumes and a plan squad that treats Oz arsenic some playground and informing sign. Yet for each the method wizardry, John returns to the affectional core. “Much similar a magician, it is our occupation to marque you judge the unbelievable is happening close successful beforehand of your eyes,” helium says. “You whitethorn participate the doors successful Mumbai, but erstwhile the lights dim — you are successful Oz.”

And possibly that is wherefore Wicked endures. Beneath the emerald sheen and gravity-defying theatrics lies a communicative astir being misunderstood, astir lasting up erstwhile it would beryllium easier to grin and wave, and astir friendships that alteration the people of your life.

Tickets commencement from ₹2000 onwards; disposable connected nmacc.com oregon bookmyshow.com