Wicked – 2003
Wicked is a cast recording containing the majority of the songs from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked, with music and lyrics by composer Stephen Schwartz and a book by writer Winnie Holzman. Released on December 16, 2003 by Decca Broadway both in physical and digital releases. The former contains a foreword and a short synopsis, provided by Gregory Maguire, who wrote the 1995 novel on which the musical is based, in addition to lyrics to those songs included.
Composer and lyricist of Wicked, Stephen Schwartz, produced the album aided by Frank Filipetti, Jill Dell’Abate, Jason Spears, Justin Shturtz, Jason Stasium and Ted Jensen. The original cast album of Wicked was recorded on November 10, 2003, with the full cast and orchestra, at then-Right Track Studios and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City.
The cast recording has received positive reviews and has received substantial commercial success. It received the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2005 and although initially peaking at number 125 on the Billboard 200 in 2003, has since reached the new peak of 77 in 2011. The album was certified platinum on November 30, 2006 by the RIAA, but has since been certified double platinum, four years later, on November 8, 2010. It has sold 2,439,000 copies in the U.S. as of February 2014.
Above: The Curran Theatre in San Francisco, where Wicked made its debut
Track listing
All tracks written by Stephen Schwartz.
No. Title Performer(s) Length
1. “Overture / No One Mourns the Wicked” Kristin Chenoweth, Sean McCourt, Cristy Candler, Jan Neuberger, Ensemble 6:40
2. “Dear Old Shiz” Kristin Chenoweth, Ensemble 1:26
3. “The Wizard and I” Idina Menzel, Carole Shelley 5:09
4. “What Is This Feeling?” Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Ensemble 3:32
5. “Something Bad” William Youmans, Idina Menzel 1:39
6. “Dancing Through Life” Norbert Leo Butz, Kristin Chenoweth, Christopher Fitzgerald, Michelle Federer, Idina Menzel, Ensemble 7:37
7. “Popular” Kristin Chenoweth 3:44
8. “I’m Not That Girl” Idina Menzel 2:58
9. “One Short Day” Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Ensemble 3:03
10. “A Sentimental Man” Joel Grey 1:15
11. “Defying Gravity” Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Ensemble 5:53
12. “No One Mourns the Wicked (Reprise) / Thank Goodness” Kristin Chenoweth, Carole Shelley, Ensemble 6:22
13. “Wonderful” Joel Grey, Idina Menzel 4:57
14. “I’m Not That Girl (Reprise)” Kristin Chenoweth 0:49
15. “As Long as You’re Mine” Idina Menzel, Norbert Leo Butz 3:45
16. “No Good Deed” Idina Menzel 3:31
17. “March of the Witch Hunters” Christopher Fitzgerald, Ensemble 1:30
18. “For Good” Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel 5:06
19. “Finale: For Good (Reprise)” Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Ensemble 1:41
Notes
The reprise of “No One Mourns the Wicked” is attached to the beginning of “Thank Goodness”.
“The Wicked Witch of the East”, sung by Nessarose, Elphaba, and Boq, is missing from the album. Producers deemed it too difficult to arrange for the album and thought the song would give too much of the plot away to an audience who had never seen Wicked before.
Short reprises of “The Wizard and I” and “A Sentimental Man”, that appear in Act I and II respectively, are not included. This is mainly because they are not technically considered full musical numbers.
The reprise of “No One Mourns the Wicked” is attached to the beginning of “Thank Goodness”.
“The Wicked Witch of the East”, sung by Nessarose, Elphaba, and Boq, is missing from the album. Producers deemed it too difficult to arrange for the album and thought the song would give too much of the plot away to an audience who had never seen Wicked before.
Short reprises of “The Wizard and I” and “A Sentimental Man”, that appear in Act I and II respectively, are not included. This is mainly because they are not technically considered full musical numbers.
Fifth anniversary special edition.
A fifth anniversary special edition of the original Broadway cast recording was released on October 28, 2008, with a bonus CD including tracks “Dancing Through Life”, “Popular”, “As Long as You’re Mine” and “No Good Deed” from the Japanese and German cast recordings of Wicked, “I’m Not that Girl” by Kerry Ellis, “Making Good” – a song that never made the final show – by Stephanie J. Block, Menzel’s dance mix of “Defying Gravity” and “For Good” sung by LeAnn Rimes and Delta Goodrem.
Track listing
No. Title Performer(s) Length
1. “For Good” LeAnn Rimes & Delta Goodrem 4:15
2. “I’m Not that Girl” Kerry Ellis 3:49
3. “Making Good” Stephanie J. Block & Stephen Schwartz 4:00
4. “Solang Ich Dich Hab” (German: “As Long as You’re Mine”) Willemijn Verkaik & Mark Seibert 3:47
5. “Gutes Tun” (German: “No Good Deed”) Willemijn Verkaik 3:33
6. “Jinnsei Wo Odori-Akase” (Japanese: “Dancing Through Life”) Li Tao & Company 7:37
7. “Popyuraa” (Japanese: “Popular”) Miyuki Numao 3:45
8. “Defying Gravity” (Dance Mix – Tracy Young Flying Monkey Radio Mix) Idina Menzel 3:44
Deluxe edition
The set of two CDs included new deluxe packaging featuring the show’s tenth anniversary artwork, and a booklet with new essays by composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the novel on which the musical is based.
Track listing
No. Title Performer(s) Length
1. “For Good” LeAnn Rimes & Delta Goodrem 4:15
2. “I’m Not that Girl” Kerry Ellis 3:49
3. “Making Good” Stephanie J. Block & Stephen Schwartz 4:00
4. “Solang Ich Dich Hab” (German: “As Long as You’re Mine”) Willemijn Verkaik & Mark Seibert 3:47
5. “Gutes Tun” (German: “No Good Deed”) Willemijn Verkaik 3:33
6. “Jinnsei Wo Odori-Akase” (Japanese: “Dancing Through Life”) Li Tao & Company 7:37
7. “Popyuraa” (Japanese: “Popular”) Miyuki Numao 3:45
8. “Defying Gravity” (Dance Mix – Tracy Young Flying Monkey Radio Mix) Idina Menzel 3:44
9. “Popular Song” Mika featuring Ariana Grande 3:19