The Enduring Popularity of ‘Wicked’
Wicked’s popularity was not a foregone conclusion when it powered onto Broadway in 2003. The New York Times critic Ben Brantley came right out and wrote that only Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda deserved praise. “Wicked does not, alas, speak hopefully for the future of the Broadway musical. Ms. Chenoweth, on the other hand, definitely does,” he concluded. Critics. What do they know?