The Milwaukee Post

June 28, 2013 • Milwaukee Post • 17 'Wicked' offers audiences different perspective By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic At a glance MILWAUKEE – "The Wizard of Oz" has fascinated audiences for more than 70 years. We've cheered for Dorothy and her newfound friends as they struggled to overcome their particular obstacles. We've rejoiced when the Wicked Witch was overthrown. We love it when the good guy wins. In "Wicked," now playing at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in Milwaukee, Steven Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's version of the story creates a different perspective. This rendition explores the odyssey of both the good and wicked witches, and as we accompany them on their life journeys, we discover that Glinda and Elphaba came from very different backgrounds, were once friends, and that the judgments the world imposed on them were not always accurate. Appearance and reality often contradict each other. The production is beyond dazzling. From the mechanics of the scene changes to the visual illusions to the sumptuous costuming, the clever lighting, the smooth transitions from one site to another, the orchestral and vocal musicality, it all kept us mesmerized for almost three hours. A large clock dominates the stage, but we see both its exterior and interior, just as we see the external ugliness of Elphaba and the external beauty of Glinda but soon realize their inner workings as they change over time. Jennifer DiNoia is effective as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch. She moves about with "Wicked" runs through July 7 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N.Water St., Milwaukee. For show times and tickets, call 414-273-7206. courage and conviction and a certain invincibility but can also show her vulnerability. Her voice is powerful, though not richly resonant. Her counterpart, Glinda, played by Hayley Podschun, is beautifully and cleverly rendered. Even when she is emphasizing Glinda's vanity and seeming shallowness, she has a sense of humor and acute awareness of her own weaknesses. She knows exactly how to engage our sympathies. Her fluid voice soars with ease and her flawless portrayal, an absolute delight. Other characters who are memorably portrayed include the wily and ruthless Madame Morrible (Gina Ferrall), the very human but flawed Wizard (Walker Jones), the handsome suitor Fiyero (David Nathan Perlow), the crippled and bitter Nessarose (Jenny Fellner and Zarah Mahler), the abused Dr. Dillamond (Jay Russell) and the lovable munchkin Boq (Alex Wyse). The paths chosen by the witches, the causes they espouse, the man they both fall in love with and the losses they suffer all shape their destinies. Elphaba is seen as evil and threatening; Glinda as beautiful and good. One seeks acceptance; the other, adulation; but we grow to understand the true substance of each and sympathize with them both. Black and white Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus Hayley Podschun and Jennifer DiNoia perform a scene from "Wicked" at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. soon turn to gray as is true with most complex characters and situations. Some of the most memorable songs include "I'm Not That Girl," "I'm a Sentimental Man," "As Long as You're Mine" and "For Good." Musical direction was provided by Valerie Gebert and overall direction by Joe Mantello. If you missed the show in 2010, don't let this one go by. Born on the Fourth of July Navy WAVE veteran turning 90 on Independence Day By SARAH PRYOR Conley News Service Photo by Charles Auer/Conley News Service Judy Ann Dusold smiles as she recalls a story of her experiences as a member of the Navy WAVES during World War II. WAUKESHA – Judy Ann Dusold remembers her decision, at 19 years old, to sign up as a Navy WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). "Oh, that was easy," Dusold said. "In the foundry (where she worked), there were flames everywhere. It was like being in hell. Plus, my boyfriend was drafted and I was lonely. " America was a different country in 1942. Dusold, like hundreds of other women, enlisted in the Navy WAVE program, which was created to fill the need for additional military personnel during World War II. "I felt like some queen going off all by myself with my little brown suitcase. Oh, it was so exciting to get to travel," Dusold said. "St. Louis, Chicago ... Kokomo, Indiana, where all the retired circus folks lived ... " The work, however, wasn't always exciting. As a dispersing clerk, Dusold worked alongside Navy men on paperwork and other clerical tasks. It didn't matter to Dusold. She'd do just about anything for her country. "I've always been patriotic," Dusold said. "I guess it's because I was born on the Fourth of July." Now, 71 years, three children and 15 grand, great-grand- and great-greatgrandchildren later, Dusold will celebrate her 90th birthday on July 4 with a large party filled with family from all over the country. "I'm just as proud (of my country) today as back then, although a lot has changed," said Dusold, who keeps an American flag in the front window of her Waukesha home. "The government argues about everything ... no one comes out for parades ... " Dusold donned a wedding dress made of parachute silk – the only type available because of wartime rations – and married her husband Gilbert in August 1945. The pair honeymooned in Wisconsin Dells, but called off their honeymoon early after hearing the news that the war was over and people were filling the streets of Milwaukee to celebrate. "I said 'oh, let's go back and celebrate with them,'" Dusold remembers. "People were hugging, kissing – dancing in the streets." Dusold's daughter Christine Ojeda hopes to throw a similar celebration for her mother's birthday in a few weeks. "We have a party every year, but this year is special," Ojeda said. Contact Sarah Pryor spryor@conleynet.com

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