Broadway Access Review -
Wicked

Find my other reviews & learn about my reviews here

 
 

General Note

This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it. 

This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down. 

For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful! 

I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.

Theater

Gershwin Theatre

All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the center of the mezzanine - lighting is typically more accessible in the mezzanine

Bathrooms:

  • the explicitly wheelchair-accessible bathroom is on the 2nd floor, but there are wide stalls on the 4th

  • they are divided into binaries and on either far side of the theater on each floor

Other theater accessibility:

  • the theater has a step-free entrance and there are elevators to every level except the front orchestra (they’re not super clearly marked so be sure to ask!)

  • they offer handheld captioning devices, audio description devices, and have a Loop system

Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.

Light/Sound/Scent

General:

  • There are some loud moments, but I generally was fine without ear defenders/earplugs for this show

  • Glinda wears a lot of shiny sparkly things that occasionally refract light in a slightly flashy way

This show does not have any major strobes (there are a few flashes, they’re all really short and contained to the stage, nothing goes onto the audience) I personally didn’t find really any of the things noted in this review to cause any sort of eye strain or motion issues, though I acknowledge that one experience is one experience, so I am still going to note everything (and will elaborate on the last slide). I have more space since there are less things to note so I will include tips on ways to avoid things that might be straining! This is one of the most accessibly lit shows I have seen on Broadway (especially for a big magical commercial musical) and I very much commend the lighting team on that!! (and bonus points for how slow the house lights down transition is)

Act I:

  • the first note of both acts is a bit startling

  • when the curtain comes up, streamers go out onto the front orchestra seats

  • when Morrible takes Nessa’s chair and Elphaba yells “let her go!” and the magic stuff happens, there are some flashing lights

  • Dancing Through Life -

    • when Fiyero stands on the statue the first time there are some quickly changing lights

    • bright lights come on quickly after Elphaba exits with the hat - these lights then become moving patterned downlights and on the back wall. They move fairly slowly

  • Glinda’s mirror at the end of Popular can cause accidental strobe

  • with the lion cub, when Elphaba yells “somebody has to do something!” there is a loud noise with that geyser/steam effect, and small moving lights

  • when Glinda & Fiyero are on the bridge there is thunder and a moving rain projection

  • Emerald City 

    • bright green/neon green lights

    • lots of light movement after the “I wanna be in this hoi polloi” lyric, this point is kinda the flashiest the show gets 

    • throughout the number I think I counted 3 different times lights flash once like a camera photo being taken

  • wizard head - generally loud and the bulb lights around it flash a lot but they don’t feel strobey (if you focus on the witches you can kinda block out the lights entirely)

  • when Elphaba reads the spell there is a changing color downlight on her that moves slightly quickly

  • after Elphaba runs off the flashing wizard head goes again

Act II:

  • again, startling first note of the act, also the first number has the bright green Oz lights

  • Nessa’s sparkly brooch can cause accidental strobe

  • speckly lights turn on really quickly after the Tin Man exits 

  • when the flying monkeys get set free it’s kinda loud

  • after Morrible says “a change in the weather” there is a loud crack of thunder and some lightning flashes

  • As Long As You’re Mine

    • smoke onstage (doesn’t refract light weirdly)

    • low vibrations after the song

    • when E exits there is a spinny cyclone projection, it’s about as straining as the Oz lights,

  • semi-fast lighting changes at the end of No Good Deed

  • flame onstage after the Kill The Witch song (again, you can focus on the witches and block it out)

  • loud crash after For Good

Content Warnings

This kinda contains spoilers! Be warned!

General:

  • death

  • animal cruelty

  • racism/general discrimination

  • ?is adultery a content warning? let’s put it here why not

(it’s heavy content but like… in a kid-friendly way if that makes any sense at all)

What We Can Learn

This show is one of the most accessible Broadway experiences I’ve had since I started these reviews and I think there are some things that can be learned from it to carry into other shows.

  • Signage & clear communication – Wicked is a tourist show. To make it tourist friendly, the signs for things are bigger & clearer and there is more readily available information online (some things could be better labeled/easier to find, but it is miles better than many others, especially on the website)

  • Access - Wicked has a lot of experience doing sensory-friendly shows and captioned/interpreted shows. You can tell. Their access plan is beautifully streamlined and organized

  • Content - there is heavy content and heavy topics in this show but they feel logical to the story and almost expected (and easily offset), rather than being shoehorned in or unnecessarily dark

  • Lighting Design - 

    • this show has some flashing lights in it but they are very sparse, clearly logical, and easy to plan for, such as the lightning coming after a line about the weather and a thunder sound or the flashbulbs in One Short Day being after they all clearly pose for a photo. Also most of the “flashes” are just a one-off flash or are fairly slow changes, making them much less of an issue.

    • all of the bright lights stay contained to the stage, meaning nothing points at the audience, giving the audience the ability to more easily avoid potentially straining lights

  • Sound design - the loud parts (other than the first note of both acts) are also pretty obvious when it’s going to happen so you are prepped for it. And the general audio levels are just loud enough to be able to hear clearly but not too loud.

Also!

If you’re at all interested in disability representation within this show, I made a video on it that you can watch here: