GABRIEL GALE
(OZ AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR & ENTREPRENEUR)
IS A SPECIAL GUEST AT THE LOS ANGELES PREMIERE OF “WICKED”
By John Fricke
I know it was promised that this month’s blog would offer the third (and final) reminiscence about the 50th anniversary celebrations of MGM’s THE WIZARD OF OZ back in 1989 – and I hereby vow that such mini-history will be wrapped up in our next entry. However . . . the BIG news on the present-day OZ horizon is the coming (within days!) cross-country premiere of WICKED, the first of a two-part motion picture extravaganza based on the legendary stage musical. Drawn from Gregory Maguire’s novel, WICKED has just launched its 22nd season on Broadway, and that electrifying entertainment is now being brought to the screen by its composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, its librettist Winnie Holzman, and its producer Marc Platt.
For the past two weeks, the media has been jampacked with coverage of advance screenings of WICKED in such diverse locales as New York, London, Mexico, and Australia. On Saturday evening, November 9th, however, Glinda’s ball dropped (so to speak) in Southern California, with a smashing premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center.
And as one of our prized “Oz operatives” was there as a special guest, we didn’t want to wait any longer to bring his comments about that glorious occasion to all of you!
Some of Gabriel Gale’s specific Oz connections are referenced in the caption under one of his WICKED premiere photos at the top of this blog. He and I have been friends and compatriots for almost 18 years – an association that was commemorated when I was asked to interview eight “royal citizens” of Oz; their recollections provided the text for his most recent book, THE ART OF OZ (2022):
Since then, Gabe’s projects have diversified, and one of his major professional considerations across the past two years has been a happy creative amalgamation with the aforementioned Ms. Holzman and Messrs. Schwartz and Platt. (Details to come, as they occur!) But given that association – and Gabe’s overall dedication to Oz – these current coworkers saw to it that he was also an essential and special guest attendee at the Los Angeles WICKED evening. Meanwhile, Gabe’s friendship with Chittenango and the All Things Oz Museum™ has long since become “a given,” and he graciously agreed to describe the magic of November 9th for all of us here, too!
In preparation for the event, Gabe “bought a green velvet tuxedo jacket with satin lapels at the State & Liberty Men’s Shop” (and notes, “I plan to wear it again!”). Stephen Schwartz’s incomparable associate, Michael Cole, offered advance, detailed instructions about approaching the downtown Music Center, for as Gabe reports, “There was so much going on.” There are five different theaters and concert halls in that acclaimed complex, and for the WICKED event, “The lower level of the huge block was set up so that the crowds of cheering fans who’d gathered on street level could watch the arriving celebrities — and the paparazzi could claim their pictures and videos. This was overseen by security, who were always in control.”
A long staircase led to the upper level and courtyard, which is where the theater entrances are located, and where Gabe and his companion walked into a wonderland of WICKED. “There were five or six ‘vignettes’ of film-related exhibitions that had been assembled and mounted – including star costumes from the movie, Lego recreations of the WICKED characters of OZ, and a raft of various Lexus cars, wrapped in WICKED designs – clockwork and otherwise.
“And, of course, there was a major green carpet to walk to enter the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion itself.
“Once inside, we were seated in the center orchestra – and surrounded by those principally involved in the motion picture itself. We were three rows in front of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, one row in front of Michelle Yeoh, and six feet to the right of Jeff Goldblum. Stephen was sitting near Ariana and Cynthia, and when we turned and waved at him, he got up, ‘traversed’ his way out of his row, came down to ours, and ‘traversed’ his way in to hug and welcome us.” (Such kindness and largesse on the part of composer/lyricist Schwartz will comes as no surprise to the hundreds who remember his interview and musical performances onstage at Chittenango’s OZ-Stravaganza®! in 2018 – and his alternately “live” and pretaped greetings to attendees at the festivals in 2023 and 2024.)
Among a flock of other attending stars, Gabe was quick to notice the devotion paid by both fans and movie personnel to Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel – the original Broadway stars of WICKED. “Marc Platt had the two of them up onstage at the Chandler with all the principal cast performers from the film. They’re at the far right in this photo.” Otherwise, from left, below: producer Marc Platt, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, and Keala Settle. (Their Ozian identities, respectively: Glinda, Elphaba, Fiyero, Madame Morrible, the Wizard of Oz, Nessarose, Boq, and Miss Coddle; the latter is a new character, added to the film plot.)
Amidst such excitement, Gabe also had the opportunity to briefly meet Ariana and Cynthia, aka G[a]linda and Elphaba. His “take”: “When you’re near or with them, you can feel their ‘superstar’ energy, but what predominates (in the case of both women) are the other qualities. They’re sweet and warm – and loving and inviting and caring.”
And the film itself? Well, here’s Gabe “prior to the preem,” in an exclamatory, heralding, “acclamatory” pose . . . already confident in what he was about to see. For his post-performance review, please keep reading below this photographic hallelujah! 😊
“It’s GREAT . . . an incredible movie. Director John Chu couldn’t have done any aspect of it better, and it’s all right up there on screen to see. Everybody involved is working at the top of their game: all the creative and technical components, the cast, musicians, set and costume designers, the crew, the special effects artists . . .. The result is as perfect a picture as it could be.
“And at the end, there was overwhelming excitement: a screaming, standing, cheering ovation.”
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Two things to add: A heartfelt “thank you” — and gratitude and appreciation — to Our Man in Hollywood, Gabriel Gale!
And – if even necessary, here’s the reminder: WICKED opens this coming week. Y’all GO! 😊