Wicked Mechanics

The smash hit, Wicked, demonstrates some of the most unique and original technology I have ever seen on a Broadway show. I'm use to the simple mechanics of shows like Showboat, or even the Sound of Music, because of the simplicity of the story. Wicked however needs to show the audience that Oz is magical. As we all know from magic performances by Penn and Teller or even Houdini, the illusion of magic is one of the most technically difficult medias to perform. Wicked, even though is not a magic show, requires some of the same illusions and pieces of equipment. For example, I found the technology behind the Wizard of Oz's head to be fascinating. They use bicycle brakes to open and close the mouth of the head, along with the movement of the eyes. Also, they use a base drum pedal to move the eyebrows of the head as well. Another piece of technology I found interesting was the bat wings of the flying monkeys. I didn't realize how many artists it took to design this piece of cloth, just to only express the opening of the wings maybe once in the show. They designed a harness that goes around the actor, and attached a string that the actor pulls to spread the wings out. I thought the whole process in creating the wings was fantastic.