Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth - Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: When people hear this they will SCREAM!
Hit: 5 Stars
...in delight.
Let me start by saying that when my sister and mom came home raving about this play, the first thing that popped into my head was "overrated" and I thought they were going on and on just because they'd only seen it for the first time. So, I had no particular desire to see it.
I walked into my sister's room and she was playing "Popular." At first listen, it was a nice little ditty, but she'd play it over and over, and I found myself wandering into her room more often. I fell in love with the song.
On Tuesday, I went to the play in Chicago with my family, and words can't even describe how much I love this show. The characters were terribly affecting, and, if it's possible, a few of the songs were even more so.
I realize the show is more of a Disney version of the book than it is accurate, but it doesn't bother me at all. It still conveys the emotion (more so than does the book, I think), and it is still very, very poignant. I deeply regret the fact that I don't live in New York, and as a result I didn't have a chance to see the original cast, but I love the show all the same. Almost every song is irreplaceable.
"No One Mourns the Wicked" - 8/10. This is a great show-opener, and I love the opening chords both played and sung. It does get a bit mushy with Kristin Chenoweth's opera (though by no means am I putting her voice down), but otherwise provides an excellent introduction to the story.
"Dear Old Shiz" - 6/10. On the CD, it pretty much does nothing for me. However, I love the harmonies and the emphasized "zzzz" at the end, and being that it's so short, I see no reason to skip it.
"The Wizard and I" - 10/10. Idina Menzel shines on this song. Every time I listen to this song, I feel a pang of sadness when she starts to sing about the "celebration throughout Oz, that's all to do with me." She's so optimistic in this song, and I can't help but be touched by it.
"What Is This Feeling?" - 9/10. The only reason I'm not giving this a 10 is because this is a song that's a lot better live. It needs the physical interaction. Menzel and Chenoweth are both hysterical on this song, but this version (for me), leaves something to be desired. When I saw the show in Chicago, Kristy Cates (Elphaba) did a sort of a little Glinda-esque jig to mock her. That alone made me love the song.
"Something Bad" - 7/10. I like this song because it's important to the plot. But otherwise, it's not exceptional.
"Dancing Through Life" - 8/10. This song needs to be live to be appreciated. After just one listen, I wasn't impressed with Norbert Leo Butz's voice, but it grew on me. And I absolutely LOVE the little song with Boq and Nessarose. It's the reason I listen to the song.
"Popular" - 10/10. This was the first song I ever heard off the CD, so I can't help but love it. It's witty, it's funny, and at times, it's touching (when Elphaba says "I have to go").
"I'm Not That Girl" - 9/10. If you're a teenage girl, be prepared to love this song. Be prepared to identify with it. Idina Menzel shows her versatility by singing this song, for it is the one song on the CD where she doesn't have an especially high or belt-worthy note. But it's touching and there are a couple of lines that I love. ("She who's winsome, she wins him" for one.)
"One Short Day" - 9/10. This is another song that benefits from a live performance. With that said, it's still fun to listen to on the CD.
"A Sentimental Man" - 9/10. I like this song. It's nothing extraordinary, but I like it all the same.
"Defying Gravity" - A million/10. This is, by far, the best song on the CD. Idina Menzel steals the show with this show-stopper. I get chills when I listen to this song, and even more of them when I think of the message behind this song. If you're looking for a really good "screw you" song, this is it. And it has amazing vocals to boot.
"Thank Goodness" - 9/10. This is a good Act II opener. It's funny, it's bittersweet, and it's fun to listen to. My only qualm is that there are some cheesy lines in here. Particularly when Kristin Chenoweth sings "There are bridges you crossed you didn't know you crossed until you crossed." That's too many uses of the word "crossed" in one sentence for me.
"Wonderful" - 9/10. I like this song for the lyrics and Joel Grey's voice. I wish he had more songs on the CD, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
"I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)" - 7/10. It's a good song in that it gives you a feeling for the true depth of Glinda's emotions. It's not even a minute, so it's not really that much of a song anyway, but it's a nice lead-in to "As Long As You're Mine."
"As Long As You're Mine" - 10/10. This is a song that grew on me. At first, it was a bit too poppy for me, but it has emotion. I like Norbert Leo Butz's voice a lot better in this song than in "Dancing" and I think he sounds great with Idina Menzel.
"No Good Deed" - 10/10. This is probably one of the most heart-wrenching songs on the whole CD. We all feel for Elphaba when she finally decides to become wicked, and my heart breaks every time she screams Fiyero's name. There is so much raw emotion in this song that it's hard not to love it.
"March of the Witch Hunters" - 7/10. It's an okay song. Not one of the better ones, but it makes you root for Elphaba even more.
"For Good" - 20/10. This is my favorite song. It makes me cry every time I hear it. The emotion in this song is so believable and real. The friendship between Glinda and Elphaba is so touching, and it's so sad to know that it's finally at end. This is more of a climax to the show than the finale is.
"Finale" - 6/10. Good ending. `Nuff said.
I'm in love with this entire CD. It's not at all a waste of money to go and buy it.
Free Music Review: Wicked from a Trained Perspective
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't usually do things like this, but after reading through several of the reviews left for "Wicked" I felt it my duty as a trained musician and actor to set the record straight.
Like most of the other reviews I am giving it 5 stars, but that's about where the similarities end. I was appalled to see how many reviewers gave songs like "Dear Old Shiz" and "Something Bad" low ratings because they deemed them "boring and unimportant". I agree that these are not the most moving songs in the show, and they are not the ones that the audience or listener will walk away remembering, but they are ESSENTIAL to the formation of the plot and the progress of the show. If you are just learning a musical you should NEVER skip over a track because it is "boring" more than likely it is boring so that the complexity of the piece doesn't distract from the important information being presented to you. Telling a fellow listener to skip a track because it is boring is like telling a reader to skip a prologue that provides valuable background information or a chapter in the middle of the book because it ceased to hold your attention!
Musicals go through dozens of re-writes before opening night and if the song was not important to the plot it would have been removed. "Dear Old Shiz" sets up so many things important to the plot...
1. This where Elphaba makes her first entrance, obviously an important moment.
2. It sets up the hierarchy at the school. We see where Galinda sits (literally), socially compared, to the rest of the students.
3. It provides us with the feeling of the school, this song, is in essence, their alma mater.
This is VALUABLE exposition information!
I can say the same thing about "Something Bad". True, not the most moving piece in the show but again, but invaluable because of the information and relationship status it displays to the audience member. I can't say it enough... "short and sweet" doesn't mean "boring and pointless". You have to understand that the writers have compressed 400+ pages of a very complex novel into a 2 hour 45 minute musical; this information needs to get to us somehow.
Which brings up another topic, some people have given the show a bad review because it varied too much from the book, but these people either don't know or forget that Gregory Maguire was involved in the creative process of the musical and approved of the changes stating he understood they needed to be done in order for the show to work on the stage.
Also to those who are upset because it was much more lighthearted and happy than the book and deem this because Broadway is trying to sell tickets and appeal to the masses, all I can say is, exactly. Broadway is a business, and when they create a show they are trying to create something that will run for years; if that means "dumbing down" the story as some of you put it to attract more people, then that is an artistic sacrifice most are willing to take. Wicked cost $14 million to create, if they had written a show that didn't draw an audience, especially in a theatre as large as the Gershwin the show would have lost millions of dollars.
There is no reason a person can't enjoy the book and musical as two separate entities. I do it, my sister does, and so does my boyfriend. The show is based on the book, and albeit loosely, it is not intended to be the same story.
But back to the CD, I'm not going to lie, when I decide to not listen to the whole CD I do skip over these less intense songs, but in my own defense I've seen the show 12 times, owned the CD since before it was available in stores, and have read the book twice, so I am well aware of the background information and at this point I am simply playing the music to sing along, rev me up for a rehearsal, audition, or a day of work.
My favorite song on the album is "The Wizard and I" because I think it's a song all young people can relate to, we all have our own "Wizard" that we aspire to meet one day or become, and being fresh out of college, when Idina sings that song I can taste Elphaba's desire to become "something". In same mind frame comes "Defying Gravity" because this is the point where Elphie decides it's time to make that dream come true and that she is going to embrace who she is and make her life her own despite what others around her say.
I agree with fellow reviewers who state that "The Wicked Witch of the East" should have been on the CD, and I told Michelle so myself after it first came out, but I understand that it would have been difficult to include it due to the amount of plot information revealed in that song.
I also love "The March of the Witch Hunters", as Norbert said in a backstage interview I had with him "Elphaba is the Osama bin Laden of Oz" and this song really shows it. Although reminiscent of "Kill the Beast" in "Beauty and the Beast" it shows us how much the people of Oz have grown to hate her, and all based on lies, a VERY important piece to the show, and very chilling.
Overall, my opinion is that one should never apply numbers to an individual song within a show because while it may be only a 4 or 5 to the ear, it is probably a 9 or 10 to the brain and plot.
All this being said, read the book for another mind blowing experience and a new perspective (beware it is vastly different from the musical plot)... just promise me you won't skip any chapters because they are boring!
Free Music Review: Great Score with even Greater Talent!
Hit: 5 Stars
The cast recording of Wicked is truly a great broadway soundtrack that I'm really happy I ended up buying. It is one of the better soundtracks I have listened to -- and I have been listening to that and the RENT soundtrack constantly within the past couple days.
Let's so through the tracks first.
"No One Mourns the Wicked" -- this has one of the best overture/intros I have ever heard. It's so fun and all of Schwartz's songs seem to mesh together wonderfully in this opening medley. I love whenever an entire crowd of singers get together in this CD, becuase the harmonies are always interesting and they mesh together really well. Kristen shows her first talent: great, nearly operatic talent as a wonderful soprano. Plus, this song has a wonderful middle section featuring Elphaba's mother, father, midwife, and the "mysterious lover". Wonderful section. Overall -- a great great song.
"Dear Old Shiz" -- Great, if only for the harmoies. It's interesting enough, and though it doesn't actually give us much of anything, the harmonies are good and it's short enough not to want to skip.
"The Wizard and I" -- I love this song. It's our first chance to hear Menzel shine, as she does several times throughout this CD. It's got a really catchy melody, interesting lyrics, and gives us our first glimpse at the little "unlimited" diddy that is featured wonderfully throughout several songs of the CD.
"What Is This Feeling?" -- This is one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack. Again, the chorus is excellent, and Chenoworth and Menzel blend EXCELLENTLY together. It's a fun song that is very re-listenable. I find myself repeating this song the most.
"Something Bad" -- the tune is interseting enough, and again, the trouble with Broadway soundtracks is that not every song is going to be a show stopper, so some songs seem to be forgotten because they aren't necessarily amazing, but there is nothing that makes this song anything "bad", or something bad.
"Dancing Through Life" -- possibly the only song that gets a bit tedious. Fiyero has a beautiful voice and I love listening to parts of this song, but overall, it's one that I don't listen to that much. The melody isn't anything special, but it's not too bad. Plus, in the show, it adds for some good advancements, so I don't mind it.
"Popular" -- Chenoworth shows us her second major talent: being hilarious, in both her comedic voice and in her mannerisms. This is a great song, very catch, and Chenoworth shows that she will give Menzel a run for her money, as far as talent goes (both women are infinately talented.)
"I'm Not That Girl" -- a mellow moment in that soundtrack. We get to see how controlled Menzel's voice can be, rather than simply being a powerhouse. It's sweet enough.
"One Short Day" -- again, I am impressed with the choir. And the music. Those are the best parts of this song.
"A Sentimental Man" -- I fear that Joel Grey's talents were not put to the best use in Wicked. His songs rarely seem to lift off their feet, and besides a rather silly/fun melody, neither of his featured songs offer too much. If anything, they are a nice sequey into something usually much darker in the show.
"Defying Gravity" -- the first song I heard, and the song that made me go "I NEED TO BUY THIS SOUNDTRACK!" Wow, if I ever DIDN'T have a reason to think Menzel was amazing, all I needed to listen to this song. One of the best on the CD. The ending -- it sends chills up and down my spine and all over my body everytime I listen to it.
"Thank Goodness" -- I love the chorus again, and Chenoworth impresses, though it's a shame that she was mostly given the cutesy songs to sing, though I suppose that goes with G(a)linda's character.
"Wonderful" -- RE: what I said about "Sentimental Man." This song has a slightly more catchy medley.
"I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)" -- not much to say about this less-than-a-minute song, except Chenoworth sounds good again.
"As Long As Your Mind" -- Becuase of the talents of Menzel and Butz this song is a lot better than it probobly would be sung by two others. It seems a bit misplaced, but I love how this love song has a very dark undertow.
"No Good Deed" -- Undoubtably the best song on the soundtrack to me. It's got a great, dark theme to it, with Menzel perhaps being her most amazing (if there is ever a time that she is LESS than amazing).
"March of the Witch Hunters" -- a fun and dark song, and it's good to hear from The Tin Man!
"For Good" -- What a beautiful way to pretty much cap off the entire show. It's such a sentimental and really touching song. I loved it. Both of them sound great.
"Finale B" -- a great way to cap it off. Loved hearing some of those famliar medleys again. I loved this.
Perhaps the ONLY compplaint I have with the soundtrack is that some of the songs are VERY confusing to understand what is going on unless you have seen the show. Songs like "Defying Gravity," "Thank Goodness," "No Good Deed," and "For Good" are much clearer when seeing it in the show.
PS -- you have to see this show.
This is a great score, but the talent that surrounds this soundtrack is almost too good for words!
Free Music Review: Wickedly AWESOME!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is one of the best musicals I have ever listened to. I have to warn you though that it is addicting. I am listening to it right as I write the review and learned ALL (19) songs the first day I got the cd. I am going to give each song a rating out of 10 so you know what to expect.
1. No One Mourns the Wicked-8/10 because after hearing them sing No One Mourns the Wicked like 10 times you get a little annoyed but when Kristin Chenoweth (G(a)linda) sings it is Fabulous.
2. Dear Old Shiz-5/10 because it is not very important but I still listen to it. You do have a skip button :)
3.The Wizard and I-10/10 because Idina Menzel (Elphaba) rocks this song. Carole Shelley's (Madame Morrible) part is boring but Idina starts singing and you forget about Carole's part.
4.What Is This Feeling-10/10 because Kristin and Idina are both fabulous in this duet. It is very funny and they both are very talented.
5.Something Bad-6/10 because it can get very annoying but it is funny as well. I don't feel that people give William Youmans (Dr. Dillamond) a chance because he plays a goat in Wicked and only sings this song. Idina sings a little at the end and she is so great.
6. Dancing Through Life-10/10 because Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero) is so great. His voice is sexy and he makes you want to dance to this marvelous song. This is the longest song but gets most of the cast singing. Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Christopher Fitzgerald (Boq), Norbert and Kristin are all wonderful in this. While Idina doesn't sing much in this it is still wonderful.
7.Popular-10/10 because Kristin is great in this solo song. She is just great. This part was written for her (I'm not kidding because they wrote it around her) and she shines in it.
8. I'm not that Girl- Idina outshines herself in this slow balled. She is incredible beyond words. Bravo Idina.
9.One Short Day-8/10 because it is more of an ensemble song and kinda corny. I love it though. Yet again Kristin and Idina are great.
10.A Sentimental Man-7/10 because it is kind of boring. Joel Grey (The Wizard)is not given a chance to really make it better. He is good for what he has to work with.
11.Defying Gravity-100/10 because it is the best song on the whole cd. Yet again Kristin and Idina are great. Idina shows off her range and blows you away. She deserved her Tony that she won for the portrayl of Elphaba. Just GREAT AND AWESOME. Great before the intermission.
12.Thank Goodness- this song opens act 2 and I give it 9/10 because Kristin again is amazing. The beginning is a little slow but when Kristin starts singing you forget about that.
13.Wonderful-8/10 because Joel Grey yet again is great for what he is working with. Idina sings a little and she is amazing.
14.I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)- 9/10 Although Idina sang the first Kristin sings this very good. It is only :50 long that's why I gave it a 9/10
15.As Long As You're Mine-10/10 because Idina and Norbert are wonderful. This is a love song and they sound as though they are in love with one another. It is a great song.
16. No Good Deed-10/10 because Idina blows you away in this song as well. She is incredible and shows us her beautiful range again.
17. March Of The Witch Hunters-8/10 because I like the one liners that some people have in this song. I also like the Tin Man and Lion connection. It is an ok song but most people don't like it as much as I do.
18.For Good-100/10 because Kristin and Idina make this a big 'ole cry fest. It is an amazing duet that will make you cry every time you hear it. They are both wonderful in this song.
19.Finale-7/10 because it is almost like No One Mourns the Wicked combinened with For Good and isn't very long.
I encourage you to listen to the part of the tracks you can listen to up top and then buy this cd. The whole family will enjoy this from your youngster who is 8 to your elderly family member who is 80. It is an incredible cd. It can also help girls who's self esteem is low because Elphaba is someone they can relate to. I can not believe that Avenue Q beat out this wonderful musical at the Tony's. Although Idina won best actress in a musical and deserves it. Go out and buy the cd, you won't regret it.
Free Music Review: This Musical Made Even Me Like Musicals
Hit: 5 Stars
I have never actually seen the Broadway show, but it's something that I plan to do in the future when the opportunity presents itself because this music is just too good, and the story is imaginative, and witty. I used to hate musicals before I listened to Wicked, and now I've opened my eyes up to a lot of the possibilities that musicals have, and have begun to explore them more deeply, and found myself enjoying them greatly.
Song by Song:
1. No One Mourns The Wicked- 10/10- This song is excellent. I think it shows in the first song that the whole musical is going to be amazing, and it really sets the stage. Kristen's vocals are great on this, and so are the lyrics.
2. Dear Old Shiz- 4/10- It's not very long, and not important, so that's why I gave it a four. I feel like this song could be incorporated into another song just as easily and no one would notice. But I do love Kristen's one run in this near the end.
3. The Wizard And I- 8/10- This one took me a while to get used to, but once I really listened to the lyrics I really started to love it, and Idina has amazing vocals near the end.
4. What Is This Feeling?- 10/10- I loved this song from the beginning. It's catchy, and Idina and Kristen have such great chemistry here, and it enhnaces the song so much.
5. Something Bad- 8/10- I actually really really like this song, but I think it took a little bit of time to warm up too, but when Dr. Dillamond starts making goat songs it just makes the song,
6. Dancing Through Life-10/10- This song is absolutely excellent. One of the best, it's very long, and I love the singing by Michelle Federer (Nessarose), and the guy who plays Boq. The whole cast begins to sing in this one, and it's just an incredibly fun song.
7. Popular- 10/10- This was probably my very favorite song when I first started listening to the cd, and it just gets better the number of times you hear it. The lyrics are hilarious.
8. I'm Not That Girl- 10/10 - this song is heartbreaking, but amazing, a solo by Idina that really shows a lot of excellent emotion from her.
9. One Short Day- 6/10 - I don't like this song as much as the others, but it is upbeat, and it shows a different side of Glinda and Elphaba's relationship so it's a necessary song.
10. A Sentimental Man- 7/10 - This one too took a while to warm up to, but the lyrics are good, and joel grey is an excellent singer.
11. Defying Gravity- 10/10 - if I was going to defy the scale and give it more I would. Idina's vocals are breathtaking, and shocking on this song, and honestly it makes me a little jealous that she can sing so good. Absolutely amazing, it gives me chills every time i hear it.
12. Thank Goodness- 9/10- I haven't always liked this song, but it gets better every time I listen to it, and Kristen is hilarious on this one.
13. Wonderful- 9/10 - this song gets better and better as I hear it, and joel grey is actually quite fun, and a great singer. His lines come off very comical, and you really understand a lot more about his character throught his song.
14. I'm Not That Girl (reprise)-7/10- Short, but necessary, and goood vocals from Kristen.
15. As Long As You're Mine- 10/10 - the vocals are absoltely excellent on this song, and it's one of the ones that really makes me feel the emotion and sadness of Elphaba's life. The vocals are excellent.
16. No Good Deed-10/10- I absolutely love this song. you really feel Elphaba's pain once again, and it's just a pleasure to listen to.
17. March of the Witch Hunters- 9/10 - I love this song. It's very short, but it really gets you into the marching spirit.
18. For Good-10/10- Both Idina and Kristen are excellent on this song. Very emotional, probably the most emotional song on the cd, and the vocals are excellent, as well as the music is well written, as are the lyrics. It's the song you would cry at if you were going to.
19. Finale- 8/10 - a good ending for the musical, not particularly fun to listen to, but it fits very well.
anyways, if you like musicals, or if you don't - buy this cd. you won't be dissapointed :)