“Wicked”

Dec. 15 to Jan. 1    
Murat Theatre
While all the attention is focused on the previews of the new “Spider-Man” musical on Broadway, let’s flash back to 2003 when the musical “Wicked” was raising eyebrows while working out its kinks between a tryout run in San Francisco (where one critic called it “a few bricks shy of a road”) and its New York opening. Composer and director were battling, songs such as “Dancing Through Life”—a first act highlight—had yet to be written, the Wizard himself was about to be let go from the cast, and the show was running three hours and 20 minutes. Another flop in the making?

Not so fast. Changes were made. The show opened. And a blockbuster was born. Lesson: Don’t listen to everything you hear before opening night.
We’ll see what happens with “Spider-Man.” In the meantime, we do know what happened with “Wicked.” That show, still attracting big audiences on Broadway, is back for a second extended run as part of the Broadway in Indianapolis season. Details here.