Witchy Woman

Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, meet in sorcery school and hate each other instantly. Then suddenly, they're best friends, with Glinda giving Elphie a makeover to tone down her scary apple-green skin. This musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz explains how the wicked one got that why and why the flying monkeys have wings. And maybe, just maybe, that stuff about water melting a witch is just hearsay. Still running on Broadway, Wicked makes its second visit to the Music Hall at Fair Park. When it came in the fall of 2005, the touring production looked and sounded fresh, and its stars were Broadway quality. Now it's a bit worse for wear. Playing Glinda and Elphaba are two regional theater actresses who don't have the comic chops to carry off the lighter moments and don't have the pipes to really rock the rafters on the score's big notes. In trying to play their characters with more interior emotions, they put too much distance between the action and the audience. As Elphaba, Victoria Matlock cracks high notes and stomps heavily around her co-stars. She's taller and sturdier than her love interest, Fiyero (the lightweight Cliffton Hall). All in all, a disappointing reprise of a really great show. And be warned: All the streets around Fair Park are under construction. Allow twice as much time to get there and three times as much to get out of the parking lot afterward. Through May 6 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 First Ave. Call 214-631-ARTS.
Tuesdays-Sundays, 8 p.m.; Thu., April 19, 2 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: April 18. Continues through May 6