Saturday, May 28, 2011

Review: Wicked: Die Hexen Von Oz



One Sentence Summary:  German version of the popular Wizard of Oz prequel.

Trivia:  The original German Elphaba, Willemijn Verkaik, is considered by just about every critic I've read to be the best Elphaba ever. Just in case you need proof... check out this video!


Best thing about it:  Realising that watching something familiar in another language is just like watching a foreign movie with subtitles: you forget you're doing it after a while. I don't know a word of German, so being able to laugh at the right moments anyway was a really surreal feeling!

What they could change:  Those poor Germans have to make their syllable-heavy language fit into English melodies. It's particularly amusing when Glinda pops out with "heissgeliebt" for popular. Unfortunately, changing the German language isn't really within the show's control.

We left thinking:  Wonder if the Germans grasp the Nazi subtext more than the average English audience?

Verdict:   The show translates surprisingly well, and it's just as enjoyable in another language. A solid 9 / 10.

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