No rest for 'Wicked': International cast turns up tempo for energetic production in Seoul
Published: 21 Jul. 2025, 13:18
Updated: 24 Jul. 2025, 15:35
-
- LEE JIAN
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
[REVIEW]
![Courtney Monsma as Glinda, right, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba perform "Popular" in the ongoing international tour production of "Wicked," which opened at the Blue Square theater in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on July 12. [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/6382a559-812a-44e8-8c53-b6e74bf956a5.jpg)
"Wicked” the musical has been around for over 20 years, and its original material, the book by Gregory Maguire, for 30. But with Hollywood’s star-studded boost, the decades-old antihero witch tale currently sits at the height of its most significant cultural moment — and the hype is expected to continue throughout this year, as the sequel movie, “Wicked: For Good,” is set for release in November.
Amid this backdrop, the musical’s international tour production, which opened in central Seoul’s Blue Square theater on July 11, may be timely. But it faces the challenge of reasserting itself as the predecessor following the considerable success of the movie adaptation, which has been seen by over 2.4 million Koreans, according to the Korean Film Council.
The ongoing production, which has also been staged in Australia and Singapore, confidently holds its ground, even earning renewed appreciation as a live theater production in the screen age.
!["Wicked"'s ensemble performs "What is This Feeling" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/e7f86d6a-4e16-40c5-a19f-035212736370.jpg)
Its book, staging, costumes, set design, music and choreography have already garnered multiple accolades, honored with Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards and Grammys. But what recreates the magic live, in this incarnation, is the Australian cast, including Courtney Monsma and Zoe Coppinger, who headed the show during the opening weekend.
One notable change from the production staged 13 years ago in Seoul is its brisker pacing, particularly in its musical delivery. Musical supervisor David Young confirmed that the score has been made “faster and lighter” to reflect contemporary theater trends.
Sunday's show certainly had momentum, perhaps a little too much, especially for those familiar with the book or even the 160-minute film version — which covers merely Act 1 of the musical. But it’s also in the Broadway show's nature to entertain. And its musical moments, laced with emotional highs and comedic flair, remain its uncontested highlights.
![Courtney Monsma as Glinda [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/3cdb684c-1fe7-4871-b9cd-5df344ab0dca.jpg)
Monsma plays Glinda with hilariously unhinged flair. The character’s quirkiness is less theatrical and more endearingly chaotic. While some Glindas go for exaggerated high camp, Monsma leans into Glinda’s innate weirdness with broader strokes. Her interpretation evokes fresh laughter even among those already well-acquainted with the show.
Her performance of “Popular” on Sunday was exceptionally polished, both vocally and physically. It’s a busy solo: part one-woman comedy sketch, part vocal showcase — and sports a somewhat freestyle dance break and no ensemble to lean on. But Monsma glided through it with not a breath out of place. It was a joy to witness. She is, undoubtedly, a Glinda you don’t want to miss.
![From left, Liam Head as Fiyero, Courtney Monsma as Glinda and Jennifer Vuletic as Madame Morrible [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/b5bf0c02-8533-4ef8-9cb9-9c9dce53d9c6.jpg)
Coppinger’s Elphaba is a sprightly, less brooding version of the green witch — still passionate, but less angry. That energy plays well in her eager solo “The Wizard and I,” offering a contrast to her later showstoppers, “Defying Gravity” and “No Good Deed.” In those numbers, her grounded and powerful vocals are unleashed to their fullest, ultimately meeting — and satisfying — audience expectations, which, for such iconic songs, can be an exceedingly high bar.
Coppinger is the Elphaba alternate, stepping in for Sheridan Adams during Sunday’s performance.
Jemma Rix, who performed as Elphaba in the 2012 Seoul production, has also returned as a special cast member, temporarily alternating the role with Coppinger.
Adams, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, has suffered a vocal injury. She halted performances midway through the production’s Australia run and was also unable to perform in Singapore. While she was expected to return for the Korea run, she was not present during the first week of shows. Her return is reportedly planned for later in the Korea run, which is slated to continue into 2026, though no confirmed date has been announced.
![Courtney Monsma as Glinda, left, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba perform "One Short Day" in the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/30135cc2-ac97-4d29-8b8d-2b31867f70b7.jpg)
Regardless of who’s on stage, the ongoing production reaffirms the vitality of musical theater — not as a relic of a bygone era, but as a live art form of enduring emotional and artistic value.
That is perhaps most clearly felt in Fiyero’s solo “Dancing Through Life.” In the film, the number is one of the most elaborately shot scenes, set in a massive library with spinning bookshelves that ensemble members run through like hamsters on a wheel. On stage, no such structure is used — and it isn’t missed. There is plenty to see, as the eye is free to move around anywhere on the stage to relish the live, kinetic energy of the ensemble.
![Courtney Monsma as Glinda, left, and Liam Head as Fiyero perform "Dancing Through Life" in the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/35ec5d40-4beb-4fba-bec3-5064c65237b3.jpg)
The dozens of emerald lights that switch on during “One Short Day” to transport the audience to the Emerald City is another moment where stage art outshines digital spectacle.
But what sets "Wicked" apart as timeless art lies in its ability to go beyond hollow entertainment.
![Simon Burke as The Wizard, left, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba act in a scene from the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/900882b6-bf48-42bc-9800-00929b543203.jpg)
The show resonates because of how poignantly it captures human nature. Ideas of good and evil are so often crafted, muddied, framed and blurred — “truth” shaped by those in power. Sometimes, even well-meaning intentions are twisted, and “no good deed goes unpunished,” as Elphaba sings in "No Good Deed," while happiness and dreams-come-true appear after crossing “bridges you didn’t know you crossed,” as Glinda sings in "Thank Goodness."
The real evil, a clear-eyed Elphaba declares in Maguire's original book, is always deeply hidden.
“What does a dragon in its shell look like? Well, no one can ever tell, for as soon as you break the shell to see, the dragon is no longer in its shell. The real disaster of this inquiry is that it is the nature of evil to be secret.”
But amid the hypocrisy, cruelty and fragility, friendship may be our greatest truth. One that, in the words of the musical's finale, stays with us “for good.”
![Courtney Monsma as Glinda, left, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba perform "For Good" in the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/24/c34a47a9-9a30-459f-a0b9-e11df9443497.jpg)
BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]
Courtney Monsma as Glinda, right, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba perform "Popular" in the ongoing international tour production of "Wicked," which opened at the Blue Square theater in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on July 12. [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
"Wicked” the musical has been around for over 20 years, and its original material, the book by Gregory Maguire, for 30. But with Hollywood’s star-studded boost, the decades-old antihero witch tale currently sits at the height of its most significant cultural moment — and the hype is expected to continue throughout this year, as the sequel movie, “Wicked: For Good,” is set for release in November.
Amid this backdrop, the musical’s international tour production, which opened in central Seoul’s Blue Square theater on July 11, may be timely. But it faces the challenge of reasserting itself as the predecessor following the considerable success of the movie adaptation, which has been seen by over 2.4 million Koreans, according to the Korean Film Council.
The ongoing production, which has also been staged in Australia and Singapore, confidently holds its ground, even earning renewed appreciation as a live theater production in the screen age.
"Wicked"'s ensemble performs "What is This Feeling" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
Its book, staging, costumes, set design, music and choreography have already garnered multiple accolades, honored with Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards and Grammys. But what recreates the magic live, in this incarnation, is the Australian cast, including Courtney Monsma and Zoe Coppinger, who headed the show during the opening weekend.
One notable change from the production staged 13 years ago in Seoul is its brisker pacing, particularly in its musical delivery. Musical supervisor David Young confirmed that the score has been made “faster and lighter” to reflect contemporary theater trends.
Sunday's show certainly had momentum, perhaps a little too much, especially for those familiar with the book or even the 160-minute film version — which covers merely Act 1 of the musical. But it’s also in the Broadway show's nature to entertain. And its musical moments, laced with emotional highs and comedic flair, remain its uncontested highlights.
Courtney Monsma as Glinda [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
Monsma plays Glinda with hilariously unhinged flair. The character’s quirkiness is less theatrical and more endearingly chaotic. While some Glindas go for exaggerated high camp, Monsma leans into Glinda’s innate weirdness with broader strokes. Her interpretation evokes fresh laughter even among those already well-acquainted with the show.
Her performance of “Popular” on Sunday was exceptionally polished, both vocally and physically. It’s a busy solo: part one-woman comedy sketch, part vocal showcase — and sports a somewhat freestyle dance break and no ensemble to lean on. But Monsma glided through it with not a breath out of place. It was a joy to witness. She is, undoubtedly, a Glinda you don’t want to miss.
From left, Liam Head as Fiyero, Courtney Monsma as Glinda and Jennifer Vuletic as Madame Morrible [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
Coppinger’s Elphaba is a sprightly, less brooding version of the green witch — still passionate, but less angry. That energy plays well in her eager solo “The Wizard and I,” offering a contrast to her later showstoppers, “Defying Gravity” and “No Good Deed.” In those numbers, her grounded and powerful vocals are unleashed to their fullest, ultimately meeting — and satisfying — audience expectations, which, for such iconic songs, can be an exceedingly high bar.
Coppinger is the Elphaba alternate, stepping in for Sheridan Adams during Sunday’s performance.
Jemma Rix, who performed as Elphaba in the 2012 Seoul production, has also returned as a special cast member, temporarily alternating the role with Coppinger.
Adams, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, has suffered a vocal injury. She halted performances midway through the production’s Australia run and was also unable to perform in Singapore. While she was expected to return for the Korea run, she was not present during the first week of shows. Her return is reportedly planned for later in the Korea run, which is slated to continue into 2026, though no confirmed date has been announced.
Courtney Monsma as Glinda, left, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba perform "One Short Day" in the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
Regardless of who’s on stage, the ongoing production reaffirms the vitality of musical theater — not as a relic of a bygone era, but as a live art form of enduring emotional and artistic value.
That is perhaps most clearly felt in Fiyero’s solo “Dancing Through Life.” In the film, the number is one of the most elaborately shot scenes, set in a massive library with spinning bookshelves that ensemble members run through like hamsters on a wheel. On stage, no such structure is used — and it isn’t missed. There is plenty to see, as the eye is free to move around anywhere on the stage to relish the live, kinetic energy of the ensemble.
Courtney Monsma as Glinda, left, and Liam Head as Fiyero perform "Dancing Through Life" in the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
The dozens of emerald lights that switch on during “One Short Day” to transport the audience to the Emerald City is another moment where stage art outshines digital spectacle.
But what sets "Wicked" apart as timeless art lies in its ability to go beyond hollow entertainment.
Simon Burke as The Wizard, left, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba act in a scene from the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
The show resonates because of how poignantly it captures human nature. Ideas of good and evil are so often crafted, muddied, framed and blurred — “truth” shaped by those in power. Sometimes, even well-meaning intentions are twisted, and “no good deed goes unpunished,” as Elphaba sings in "No Good Deed," while happiness and dreams-come-true appear after crossing “bridges you didn’t know you crossed,” as Glinda sings in "Thank Goodness."
The real evil, a clear-eyed Elphaba declares in Maguire's original book, is always deeply hidden.
“What does a dragon in its shell look like? Well, no one can ever tell, for as soon as you break the shell to see, the dragon is no longer in its shell. The real disaster of this inquiry is that it is the nature of evil to be secret.”
But amid the hypocrisy, cruelty and fragility, friendship may be our greatest truth. One that, in the words of the musical's finale, stays with us “for good.”
Courtney Monsma as Glinda, left, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba perform "For Good" in the musical "Wicked" [JEFF BUSBY/SNCO]
BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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