This show was revolutionary and truly awe inspiring in many ways, particularly in the visual sense. The costumes, the set, the lighting, and everything else the audience gets to gaze at through the course of the show was truly incredible and I thought it was absolutely fascinating to hear about how some of these things were created. First, during the special effects video, one of the designers talks about the use of projections. Wicked was the first musical I had seen that had such incredible technology and completely necessarily. How else would they show you a house flying through the sky? In addition to the special effects, I think the costumes are some of the most unforgettable on broadway. I was amazed to see exactly how many costumes were created for the show and how particular they had to be about it. I was particularly intrigued by the flying monkey video, in which they show how the growing wings were created. This is an excellent example of a perfect marriage of art and technology. Though I wont go into as much detail (as I could write for days on this musical) I think its very important to mention the awe inspiring set. Seeing the clockwork back drop or the wizards head in these videos will never compare to seeing them live. The effect is chilling.
These video did quite a bit for me as a filmmaker/storyteller, particularly in the sections on directing and writing. To me, Wicked is a life changing experience. I challenge you to leave the theatre after Defying Gravity without goosebumps. Almost the entirety of this shows success relies on the discoveries made by the creative team in the creation of the show. The director, Joe Mantello, says a few very note-worthy things about this process
I erase what I learn one day to show up with a fresh mind the next
This is a very interesting approach to directing, though I can really see how it would work out. A director is often so involved in his work that he is unable to pull himself away and look at it as a fresh audience member would. I think this is incredibly important, especially during the pre production phase and I could apply it to projects that I am working on. I must stand back, and look at my work with a fresh perspective.
The best idea wins
During my time in the theatre, I've had to work collaboratively on many shows. I remember the chaos that would ensue when we hit a point in a show that people have differing views. The director would sit back and listen. This doesn't happen in film so much. In fact, many professionals would advise against letting anyone else but the director or writer to have creative control. I think the sweet spot lies in a happy medium. In my experience, I've seen scenes or musical numbers take very interesting turns because someone in the ensemble or even a stage manager sees something that hadn't even occurred to the director. That is the magic of the creative process.
The book writer, Winnie Holzman, also has an interesting take on adaptations
Don't be too faithful to the material
I thought this was rather odd to hear, though it wasn't surprising. I thoroughly enjoyed Gregory Maguire's novel but there's no denying its a very different work than Wicked the musical. This is something that has always confused me because I've grown up with Hollywood film adaptations that rarely deviate from the original work for primarily commercial reasons. Wicked's producer chimes in on the subject saying "understand its essence, then throw it away." I think this is a very compelling method for approaching an adaptation that I may consider in my future works.
As I've said before, I could talk about this show for ages, but for now, I'll have just covered these bases. I really enjoyed this assignment because I got to look at how this show was created and more so, how I could apply these successes to my work as a filmmaker and story teller. Who knows, maybe one day I'll do the film adaptation...
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