The play is about tolerance in the green girl’s friendship with the good fairy
It all started in October last year, at the end of the show that the actresses Myra Ruiz AND Fabulous Bang they performed together at the Teatro Santander with musical theater repertoire – after the encore, they drove the audience of fans crazy by announcing that in five months they would once again star in the show that definitively marked their career and which created a legion of fans incomparable: Evil. They also revealed that the first tickets for the show would already be on sale at that same theater’s box office as soon as people left.
“That same night, practically all the tickets for the premiere were sold,” comments Myra, regarding the show this Thursday the 9th. “It’s basically an audience that didn’t see the first production, in 2016, knowing only the images available on Youtube“Yes, young fans stoking an idolatry for Myra and Fabi.” It’s a big cry for love from a community purpose-built around Evil“, observes Fabi.
Indeed, the detail was even noticed by the lyricist Stephen Schwartzlegendary American composer (Pippin, Magic spell), who came to São Paulo to see Brazilian production. “They have an onstage chemistry that I’ve rarely seen,” he told al Stadium (read more below).
Schwartz came to see the national production because it is not a rerun, that is, it does not faithfully follow all the precepts of the original version, which opened on Broadway in October 2003. He made some assumptions, but was delighted with the production produced by the Artium Institute of Culture, in co-production with Atelier de Cultura.
Costume
There are several novelties, ranging from the details of the sparks coming out of the hands to one of the most anticipated scenes, when Myra herself flies over the audience, in the most anticipated moment of the show. the essence of Evil, however, she was preserved “or maybe I didn’t accept the invitation to return,” Fabi jokes – only she and Myra are remnants of the 2016 version, which attracted more than 340 thousand people. The current one has already sold more than 40,000 tickets.
Evil shows the unknown side of the classic The Wizard of Oz – before Dorothy knew the world of the Wizard of Oz, two girls crossed their paths by chance: one was beautiful and popular and the other, intelligent and… green. The story of how these two unlikely friends became Glinda (Fabi), the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba (Myra), the Wicked Witch of the West, is the starting point of the musical, based on the novel of the same name , Published in 1995 from Gregory Maguire.
“Over time I have discovered that Elphaba is a rich, complex character who seeks her emancipation even if it can bring bitterness”, comments Myra who, like the rest of the cast, received the freedom from the director of the show, the Canadian John Stefaniuk to make suggestions. “This has helped me, because I identify with Elphaba as a woman, charting a path of empowerment.”
The reasoning is completed by Fabi. “John wanted to enhance the representation, especially of the green girl, who is not accepted for being different, but fights for her space,” says the interpreter of Glinda, who shares Elphaba’s interest in the same boy, Fiyero, interpreted by Tiago Barbosa. “It’s the first time the character has been played by a black actor, which makes me proud,” says the actor.
“The show is about tolerance, which makes it more and more current if we look at what is happening around us,” he comments. Marcello Medici, who lives the Wizard of Oz. “That’s why it appeals to young audiences,” he adds. Cleto Baccic, who lives in Dr. Dillamond the goat.
”Wicked’ is essentially a political show’
Evil is one of the biggest hits in the history of broadwaybut even so, the American composer Stephen Schwartz he says he didn’t believe in the show’s potential. “At first, I had little hope,” he tells al Stadiumduring his visit to São Paulo.
Did you have no expectations?
There’s a difference between a show that’s a hit and one that becomes a phenomenon. At first, success came only in San Francisco. But we soon found that the musical came at just the right time in showing two young women coming to life at a time when the idea of female empowerment was emerging in our culture.
Are you attracted to strangers?
I’m very interested in people who don’t feel good in society. We need to feel like we are members of a community, and when that doesn’t happen, the person withdraws. Hence the importance of giving relevance to the characters fighting for this space.
The song Defying Gravity is one of the best known in the musical, mostly due to its empowering message.
When I wrote this song, I already felt the power of its lyrics. It is then that Elphaba realizes that she will only be seen as a bad person, which leads her to transform into the Witch of the West. The song has a chord progression that evokes rising power and I was looking for a different flavour.
Is Wicked a political game?
Absolutely, especially as we look at the current polarity. I see it often in the US. It was the press that first noticed the show’s culturally politicized attitude.
And what do you think of the Brazilian assembly?
I was impressed by many details, as it is an unprecedented show with new ideas. But the chemistry between Myra Ruiz and Fabi Bang enchanted me, something rare. They add a special touch to the show.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
