Essential Happiness

終於看了這部一直很想看的音樂劇-Wicked(壞女巫)。
相較於其他耳熟能詳的劇本，
一開始的印象只知道Wicked跟綠野仙蹤有關，
但劇情會怎麼鋪陳則是一概不知，
後來才知道，壞女巫一點都不壞。

看過的幾齣音樂劇都不約而同的用了倒敘的手法揭開序幕。
Wicked是由美麗的好女巫Glinda從天而降，
坐在充滿泡泡的浪漫圓型道具中出現。
大家高興的討論壞女巫Elphaba的死訊時，
她提醒眾人，即使是壞女巫也是有家人、也希望被愛。
接著，有人詢問她是否與壞女巫是朋友，她老實的說"是"，
立即引起眾人的不滿，她只好接著說:
Well, it depends on what you mean by friend.
然後開始了Glinda的回憶。
很久很久以前，他們曾經一起上學...

劇情請參考 Wicked-上半場 Wicked-下半場

嚴格來說，Wicked沒有想像中那麼多的魔法特效，
反而多了些人物的對話，有些笑話因為不熟悉而聽不懂，
只能聽別人發出的笑聲來猜測，
但歌曲適時的出現在各個段落，讓人很自然能夠理解劇情的走向。

比起有些喜劇如 Hairspray之類, Wicked無疑是比較沉重的。
從小就是綠皮膚的Elphaba，不受家人的喜愛，也不受同學的歡迎。
最後，為了要保護動物，竟然勇敢的與歐茲國(OZ)的國王對抗，
而被冠上Wicked的惡名。
這個充滿悲劇色彩的人物Elphaba，幸好有個不算差的結局，
詐死後能和她喜歡的Fiyero一起離開這個國度，
但面對這個改變她一生的好朋友Glinda，
她只能唱 I hope you are happy, (Defying Gravity)
然後要求她 Don't try to clear my name.

Glinda在Wicked中是個非常搶眼的角色，
Popular這首歌輕快的唱出她的個性，
美式金髮碧眼女郎的形象加上逗趣的表情，
突出了她有小心機但可愛的人格特質。

Defying Gravity是Wicked很有名的一首歌，
但我最喜歡的還是這首"For Good"
這是兩人要分開的時候合唱的歌，
因為遇到了對方而改變了自己，
因為對方，而變的更好。
讓我想到了從小到大的一些好朋友們，
等回台灣時，一定要去找妳們~



(Elphaba):
I'm limited
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
For both of us - now it's up to you...

(Glinda):
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

(Glinda):
Because I knew you

(Both):
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for

(Glinda):
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

(Both):
And none of it seems to matter anymore

(Glinda):
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

(Elphaba):
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

(Both):
Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

(Glinda):
And because I knew you...

(Elphaba):
Because I knew you...

(Both):
Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good...