'Wicked' musical director John Stefaniuk on live music on the stage: 'It is so exciting to hear the orchestra whisk us away'

Bringing the world of Oz to life, the musical ‘Wicked’ is in Mumbai currently, captivating audiences with the power of music and storytelling. Starring Rebekah Lowings and Eve Shanu-Wilson as Elphaba and Glinda, the musical has been directed by John Stefaniuk.

It started on March 12 and will continue to entertain till March 29, The Grand Theatre, NMACC. In an exclusive with us, the director shared insights into the modern parallels within the story. He highlighted how live orchestration enhances the show’s emotional power.Here are the excerpts from the conversation:The show deals with themes of othering, power, and propaganda. Why do you think these themes feel especially relevant today?“The themes in ‘Wicked’ have truly been around since the beginning of time, and every so often rear their ugly head again.

I think what excels many of these ideas for today’s audience is the use of social media. So many ideas come to us through social media, and in my mind, in a way, I’ve tried to use these influences in my storytelling of Wicked. For example, I feel Glinda is really Oz’s first social influencer, spreading her good news by way of bubbles.

Whereas Elphaba is really the victim of cancel culture, always having to defend who she is and what she believes.

The greatest culprit of these themes is delivered by none other than the Wizard himself (spoiler alert), it is really his narcissistic need to create a society remoulded in his image, and to which he feels is important for Oz. It is only Elphaba who stands up to this tyranny. This is the most important lesson of all in Wicked: that even society’s least popular citizen still can change the world for good.”Live music is such a big part of the ‘Wicked’ experience. How does the orchestra elevate the emotional impact of the show?“Stephen Schwartz, the composer, is incredible. He has given us a brand new orchestration for this production of Wicked, and we are thrilled to be sharing that orchestration for the first time with audiences on this tour.

It is so exciting to hear the orchestra whisk us away with such incredible sound and energy every performance. Stephen has crafted an incredible piece of music that tells us so many different stories, each with their own theme, each with their own voice, allowing clarity in the music to support clarity in the characters.

Glinda, for example, has her own theme music that, when hearing, you recognise who this person is even if you’ve never seen her before - and the same applies for Elphaba.

Just the simple chords at the beginning of "Defying Gravity" establish power and how this woman possesses it.”What’s the most challenging section of the show to perform live, night after night?“I feel the emotional impact is what’s most challenging each night, and the end of Act One is a technical and emotional roller coaster leading to the incredible "Defying Gravity." Our two leading ladies each embark on what will soon become their destiny. Seeing these women soar, both vocally and emotionally, is so exciting set against the canvas of the technical wizardry that we have with this production, where you will feel their energies soar across the stage and out and over the audience.

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