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37th out of 140 books
—
79 voters
Wicked: The Grimmerie
by
David Cote (Goodreads Author),
Stephen Schwartz, Joan Marcus, Winnie Holzman
Wicked is not just a musical, it is a phenomenon. Every week 15,000 people pack New York+s Gershwin Theatre to see the show. The most successful musical on Broadway in 2004, Wicked is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of Elphaba, the headstrong Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the good witch, growing up in the Land...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
October 26th 2005
by Hyperion
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Apr 05, 2013
Emma
added it
After seeing this musical twice in the space of a year, I realized that I really am enough of a fan to track down the companion book. (I love Maguire's book, too. And they are going to make a movie! Maybe.)
So, this is a coffee table book. It is completely gorgeous and very well-designed, with lots of beautiful photographs and sketches and overall a great layout. Which I guess is the point of musical companion books?--I don't know; the other companion books I've read are all for fantasy book seri...more
So, this is a coffee table book. It is completely gorgeous and very well-designed, with lots of beautiful photographs and sketches and overall a great layout. Which I guess is the point of musical companion books?--I don't know; the other companion books I've read are all for fantasy book seri...more
I got WICKED: THE GRIMMERIE for Christmas two years ago, and I sat there on the couch reading the whole thing while everyone else was trying to talk to me. Needless to say, I am a HUGE fan of Wicked the musical. I also got tickets again that year. The Grimmerie is something that every Wicked fan should have. It gives insight on how the musical came to be, the language (and yes Galindafied is in there), and of course the OBC. For me, the Original Broadway Cast was the best, and I was very interes...more
Dec 19, 2011
Jay
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
books-i-own,
deliciousness,
fantasy,
historical-distant,
historical-recent,
non-fiction,
plays
Ahhh! What a gorgeous, gorgeous book- everything about it is just beautiful, from the thick, softly-cushioned hard cover, to the rich colour design inside to the texture of the paper. When I went to see Wicked last year, I just knew I had to get this. And given I'm such a fan of the novel... well, it was inevitable.
I love companion books to films, TV shows (and, I suppose, theatre!). I love hearing how plots got developed, reading about how actors approach characters. The detail that goes into...more
I love companion books to films, TV shows (and, I suppose, theatre!). I love hearing how plots got developed, reading about how actors approach characters. The detail that goes into...more
Informative, colourful, pretty, brilliant. A bit dated for 2005, but that shouldn't matter in the least, not for any fan of Wicked.
And I am a HUGE fan of Wicked. I love the songs, the characters, the story, the set pieces. I love it as much as "The Wizard of Oz" movie. I went to see it with my family in London on my 21st birthday. Best day ever.
Even children and adults who don't like Broadway shows love Wicked (including my dad), and it's not hard to see why. It's appeal is universal, because i...more
And I am a HUGE fan of Wicked. I love the songs, the characters, the story, the set pieces. I love it as much as "The Wizard of Oz" movie. I went to see it with my family in London on my 21st birthday. Best day ever.
Even children and adults who don't like Broadway shows love Wicked (including my dad), and it's not hard to see why. It's appeal is universal, because i...more
Apr 02, 2013
Dustin Gaither
added it
Fantasy fans are not to be messed with. We know what we want , we want witches to be a scary, ugly person. This witch in the book isn't an ordinary witch that a reader would think. In this story there is a love triangle between the witch and her sister and a boy.
Book takes place in a land called oz. Elphaba aka wicked witch is born in munchkinland her father a well respected priest her mother a spoiled rich girl. She has two younger siblings, her sister Nessarose, and her brother shell. Nessaro...more
Book takes place in a land called oz. Elphaba aka wicked witch is born in munchkinland her father a well respected priest her mother a spoiled rich girl. She has two younger siblings, her sister Nessarose, and her brother shell. Nessaro...more
The subtitle says it all... this is a great resource for learning about the ins and outs of the musical "Wicked".
The original Wizard of Oz movie, Maguire's book, and this musical are all quite different, plot-wise. (I've never actually read L Frank Baum's novel series that started it all.) Having read Gregory Maguire's novel and listened to the original broadway soundtrack, but never having actually seen the performance, I had quite a few gaps in this plot line. For that reason, I appreciated t...more
The original Wizard of Oz movie, Maguire's book, and this musical are all quite different, plot-wise. (I've never actually read L Frank Baum's novel series that started it all.) Having read Gregory Maguire's novel and listened to the original broadway soundtrack, but never having actually seen the performance, I had quite a few gaps in this plot line. For that reason, I appreciated t...more
I had read Wicked before there was any audible talk of turning it into a musical. When I found out about the musical, I was excited and intrigued. I couldn't imagine how they would turn such a rich and layered book into a Broadway show. The Grimmerie gives an excellent glimpse into how they managed to do exactly that. It is chock full of pictures, interviews and all the information you need to vicariously experience the show. The book includes the text of the musical as well as essays on each ma...more
Ello Ozheads!!
This book is wonderful. Utterly wonderful. As a fifteen-year-old Wicked fan, I only have so much opportunity to express the depth of my (admittedly unhealthy) passion for Wicked. This book is fantastic and very obsession-worthy. It features firsthand commentary from Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Schwartz, Gregory Maguire, Winnie Holzman, director Joe Mantello, and loads of other people/cast members. It is very satisfying.
There were one or two things that bothered me... H...more
This book is wonderful. Utterly wonderful. As a fifteen-year-old Wicked fan, I only have so much opportunity to express the depth of my (admittedly unhealthy) passion for Wicked. This book is fantastic and very obsession-worthy. It features firsthand commentary from Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Schwartz, Gregory Maguire, Winnie Holzman, director Joe Mantello, and loads of other people/cast members. It is very satisfying.
There were one or two things that bothered me... H...more
I loved this. It was so interesting to read how the novel became the inspiration and the basis for the hugely successful musical. It was inspiring to read how no-one involved in the musical thought it was going to be a huge success but poured their heart and soul and person into it. It just felt right to them.
I also found it captivating all of the parts and individuals that make up creating it, from costumes, set design, make up etc. They are all such professionals and talents at something that...more
I also found it captivating all of the parts and individuals that make up creating it, from costumes, set design, make up etc. They are all such professionals and talents at something that...more
This book is everything you could ever want to know about Wicked. The photos are incredible and I love the lengthy interview they did with Gregory Maguire, the author of the book the musical was adapted from. I have had this book for years and I still enjoy it everytime I look at it. It is the only place that you can fid the original concept art for the sets and the costumes, but also the original drafts of songs in the musical. whether you have seen the musical or you really want to see the mus...more
I loved this book, as a huge fan of the musical and someone who has read Gregory McGuire's book this is a wonderful way to learn more about the behind-the-scenes things! I have had my eye on it for awhile and looked at it when I seen the show for the second time earlier this month, but I found it quite pricey. I ended up purchasing a used copy, which was in lovely condition, and I am so glad that I got it! Though I would not pay the list price for it I found it insightful and incredibly interest...more
Wicked:The Grimmerie is a behind the scenes book about wicked the musical that is on broadway and it talks about how it started, it shows the drafts of the book and musical. And, it shows the things on the broadway show we never knew before.
Personally I thought that the book was amazing and people who have read the book and seen the musical will experience a roller coaster of amazement while reading this fantastic book.
Personally I thought that the book was amazing and people who have read the book and seen the musical will experience a roller coaster of amazement while reading this fantastic book.
191 pages
Okay, I know you're going to start thinking I'm obsessed - and maybe I am a bit (with the MUSICAL!) - but this is the book I should've started with. Full of pictures and stories about the development of this story inspired by but separate from Maguire's book... I loved it! It made me relive my time in the theater and learn even more about the writers, producers and characters.
Okay, I know you're going to start thinking I'm obsessed - and maybe I am a bit (with the MUSICAL!) - but this is the book I should've started with. Full of pictures and stories about the development of this story inspired by but separate from Maguire's book... I loved it! It made me relive my time in the theater and learn even more about the writers, producers and characters.
To be honest, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the book. I had seen the musical which was wonderful but the book dragged quite a bit. I had even loaned to a friend who returned it in a matter of a week stating, 'He just couldn't get into it'. If you are really into the musical I suppose it would be a good read. But I felt it was slow and slightly boring.
If you like WICKED at all this is a MUST! It has all of the info from the show, a good bit of the shows dialogue and music! It takes you back from the beginning of the concepts of WICKED, How they do the show, and to finally getting the show on Broadway. Tons of pictures of the Original Broadway and Touring Cast!!!
I really enjoyed learning how the story of Wicked came to life in the form of a musical. I had always known that it was owned by Universal Pictures but couldn't understand why. The book did a good job sharing some details on the behind the scenes creation. I would have liked for them to spend more time on the stuff that didn't make it into the show to understand what plot points were conceived but dropped.
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I absolutely love this show. First of all it is MUCH better than the book. This book give you the behind the scenes look at how it was made and the idea came about. It talks about all aspects of the show and how they were developed. This is a must have for all Wicked fans.
An interesting background into the coming of age of the WW of the West. Interesting concept. I picked up the book because I wanted to see where he took the tale. With the advent of the whole stage phenomenon, I was going to reread this but still haven't made it there.
One of my all time favorites. The language in the book is gorgeous and that alone stayed with me, but then the tale of the green witch is so intriguing and empathy inducing, that I found myself commiserating with her. Lovely read; lovely musical; wonderful all around.
It was a great twist to what we know of The Wizard of Oz. This story takes us before Dorothy and Toto made their way to munchkin land or followed the yellow brick road to emerald City to see the Great Wizard. It's the wonderful back story of the wicked witch of the west and the good witch of the east. It made me love Elphaba (The Wicked Witch) who is so misunderstood it makes your heart bleed. It makes me feel like Dorothy was not the heroine of the story and she came to ruin things. We see how...more
lovely engrossing visit to a very different and very dark view of OZ. His writing is very rich and evocative - not to be skimmed. Next time I read it tho, I am going to keep an outline of characters. And I promise I will be reading it again!
I loved the creativity of the story. Growing up, and even now, I don't really like the story of The Wizard of Oz. But this book was a great way to deconstruct the setting and open our eyes to the realities of Oz. Very entertaining.
I haven't actually seen the play version of Wicked but I own the cd and I've seen some small performances of certain scenes and I adore it. This book was a really cool look into the musical and I really hope I get to see it live one day.
I LOVE the musical so this book was a no-brainer as it explores behind the scenes of the musical including actors, costumes, writers and set. a must-have for Wicked fans! I borrowed it, so now, of course, I must have it!
Awesome. Great to go through this before I saw Grace's play. Tamer than the book Wicked (thank gosh!), but pulls me to definitely go see the play, with my Grace, next time it's in town. We will make that happen.
OH, I am enjoying this one!!! It is so fun and informative... did you know that Joey MacEntire (NKOTB) was the third Fierro? Um, yeah? Lots of good info in it.
My only complaint is that I would have wanted the ENTIRE script at the end, not just parts of the script and summations... but I'm sure there's a reason why they don't want the full script out there, but still...
I AM A FAN... I WANT, I NEED!
Oh and by the way, this one is SQUEEKY clean...Sydney can read it... not like the novel... don't rea...more
My only complaint is that I would have wanted the ENTIRE script at the end, not just parts of the script and summations... but I'm sure there's a reason why they don't want the full script out there, but still...
I AM A FAN... I WANT, I NEED!
Oh and by the way, this one is SQUEEKY clean...Sydney can read it... not like the novel... don't rea...more
I read this years ago and loved it - actually one of the few books that i would consider reading twice because it was pure fun, and quite the page turner, in fact I couldn't put it down - i loved it
While this book was well written and the story well thought out, it gave me weird dreams. Still, I finished it. I think it's the dreams that caused me to give this no more than 3 stars, rather biased of me.
Not something I would normally pick up. But i passes this book several times when browsing in the bookstore and finally decided to give it a try. I am glad I did, it is a funny tail and worth the read.
If you like the musical Wicked, then you will love this book. Filled with pictures and interviews with the original Broadway cast it is a great behind the scenes look at the blockbuster musical. I loved it!
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